Are you worried about serving a side of food poisoning with your holiday meal? Don’t be!

Our team at AFC Urgent Care Smyrna wants to offer you some tips on how you can prevent food poisoning from happening at your next holiday event.

Who Is Most at Risk for Food Poisoning?

Anyone can get food poisoning when coming in contact with a contaminated food or beverage item. However, there are some people who are at a higher risk than others when it comes to food poisoning.

For instance, pregnant women, young children and the elderly are more at risk of food poisoning than other people.

Causes of Food Poisoning

• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Viruses

What Is the Difference Between Food Poisoning and a Stomach Virus?

It can sometimes be hard to tell whether you are sick because of food poisoning or because you have a stomach bug. However, the stomach bug is contagious while food poisoning is not.

The only way you can catch food poisoning is when you eat a contaminated item. You cannot catch it from another person like you can the stomach flu.

Ways to Prevent Food Poisoning

• Wash your hands regularly.
• Wash worktops.
• Wash dishcloths.
• Use separate chopping boards.
• Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Cook food thoroughly.
• Refrigerate leftovers quickly.
• Watch use-by dates.

Do you think you might have food poisoning? Or is it a stomach bug? Visit AFC Urgent Care Smyrna today for a medical evaluation. No appointment is necessary!