Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Key points

  • The most common symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
  • Signs of severe food poisoning include bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, fever over 102°F, vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down, and signs of dehydration.
Person holding their stomach in pain, shape of stomach outlined in red

Symptoms

You can get sick with food poisoning after swallowing certain germs, like Salmonella or E. coli. Your symptoms may vary, depending on the germ you swallowed. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and can last for a few hours or several days.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach pain or cramps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever

If you have diarrhea or vomiting, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (not having enough water in your body).

Complications and when to seek help

Seek help

See a doctor if you have any symptoms that are severe, including:

  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
  • High fever (temperature over 102°F)
  • Vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, which include not urinating (peeing) much, a dry mouth and throat, and/or feeling dizzy when standing up

See your doctor if you are pregnant and have a fever and other flu-like symptoms. Some mild infections can cause problems with pregnancy.

Text saying Food poisoning infographic with illustrations of people experiencing different symptoms. Text overlay states, “Five Signs of Severe Food Poisoning. Do you have any of these symptoms? If so, see a doctor!” A woman with a thermometer is displayed with text saying, “fever higher than 102°F”. A man on a toilet is displayed with text saying, “bloody diarrhea.” A man kneeling near a toilet is displayed with text saying, “vomiting so often you can’t keep liquids down.” A woman with a glass of water is displayed with text saying, “dehydration.” A man on a toilet next to a calendar is displayed with text saying, “d Vomiting so often you can't keep liquids down. Bloody diarrhea. Dehydration. Fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Diarrhea for more than 3 days.”"
If you think you got sick from food, report it to your local health department so it can be investigated.

Complications

Most people have mild illnesses, but some infections spread by food are serious or even life-threatening. Some people may need to be hospitalized, and some illnesses lead to other health problems, including:

For some people, these health problems can last for weeks or months after recovering from a foodborne illness. For others, they never go away.

Symptoms, sources, and germs

Some germs can make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This table provides details about the symptoms caused by different germs, when they usually start, and common sources for those germs. Search the table for symptoms you are having.

This provides details about the symptoms caused by different germs, when they usually start, and common sources for those germs.

Resources

Safer Food Choices

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)