Salmonella Poisoning Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Medically reviewed and edited by Persistent diarrhea, vomiting, and severe stomach cramps can cause significant discomfort.
This is especially true for salmonella poisoning, where you may be experiencing these symptoms for up to two weeks.
Whether you’ve eaten raw or undercooked eggs or meat, or if you’ve been exposed to animals that carry salmonella, this is a terrible condition to have as it may take months for your body to return to normal.
In this article, we’ll discuss the causes and symptoms of salmonella poisoning and share some of the treatments you can use to feel better.
What Causes Salmonella Poisoning?
Salmonella poisoning — sometimes referred to as salmonella infection — is a bacterial disease caused by salmonella bacteria.
The bacteria usually live in the intestines and are eliminated by the body through stool. The infection is called salmonellosis.
Eating uncooked foods is the main reason humans get salmonella infections.
Consuming contaminated food such as raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and undercooked meat can all lead to salmonella poisoning.
It can also be caused by cross-contamination when preparing food through cutting boards, knives, and other kitchen utensils that have been used on raw meat and are not properly cleaned. This can spread the salmonella bacteria to other foods.
In rare cases, salmonella bacteria can also be passed from animals — especially farm animals like chickens and pigs — that carry salmonella bacteria to humans.
What are the Symptoms of Salmonella Poisoning?
The symptoms of salmonella infection last a few days to two weeks. However, it may take several months for your bowels to return to normal.
Common signs and symptoms of salmonella poisoning include:
Diarrhea
When you eat food contaminated with salmonella bacteria, they travel to your stomach and then your intestines. The bacteria stick to the lining of your intestines and begin multiplying.
This triggers an immune response in the body, which causes inflammation in the internal lining of the intestine.
The inflammation disrupts the gut’s normal absorption of water and nutrients, making the intestines secrete more fluids.
This causes excess fluid in the intestines, resulting in loose, watery stools.
Stomach cramps
The inflammation in the intestines caused by the salmonella bacteria can lead to irritation or swelling of the intestinal lining, leading to spasms in the intestinal muscles.
This irritation and inflammation stimulate the muscles in the walls of the intestines to contract more frequently and more intensely than usual.
These contractions are the body’s way of trying to remove the bacteria from your system.
Increased muscle contractions can lead to abdominal pain and cramping, which can be severe with salmonella infection.
Fever
When the immune system recognizes the salmonella bacteria as foreign invaders, it releases molecules called cytokines that can induce a fever.
Cytokines travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where they reach the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature.
They signal the hypothalamus to increase the body’s temperature, causing it to generate and retain more heat, leading to a fever.
Nausea and vomiting
Gut inflammation can disrupt your normal digestive process, making you feel ill.
The bacteria produce toxins that can further irritate the stomach and intestines and affect the lining of the gut, causing nausea.
The cytokines released into the body to fight the infection can impact the gastrointestinal tract, leading to increased movement and sensitivity, contributing to nausea and vomiting.
Chills
When cytokines trigger the hypothalamus to increase the body’s temperature, the body perceives its current temperature as too low.
To raise the body’s temperature, the hypothalamus activates mechanisms that generate and conserve heat.
One of these mechanisms is muscle contractions. This leads to rapid, involuntary movements known as shivering.
During this process, the skin and extremities might feel cold. This sensation, combined with muscle contractions, causes chills.
Headache
The cytokines released into the body to fight the infection can affect the central nervous system, contributing to headaches.
An elevated body temperature can lead to dehydration and increased blood flow to the brain, both of which can cause a headache.
As diarrhea and vomiting are common symptoms of salmonella poisoning, they can lead to significant fluid loss.
This may cause dehydration, which reduces the blood volume in the body. This restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the brain, resulting in headaches.
Blood in the stool
When the salmonella bacteria invade the cells lining the intestines, the body sends white blood cells to the infection site.
This can cause inflammation, swelling, and irritation of the intestines. The intestines and their blood vessels may also become damaged, which leads to blood in your stool.
When Should You Seek Medical Attention for Salmonella Poisoning?
Salmonella infection usually goes away after a few days without treatment. It can typically be managed at home by treating your symptoms until you feel better.
If your salmonella symptoms don’t improve within three days, it’s important to see a healthcare provider.
Similarly, if you have a weakened immune system or sickle cell disease, you’ll need to see a healthcare provider as you’ll have an increased risk of developing serious complications.
The serious complications of salmonella infection include:
Severe dehydration: This can be life-threatening.
Bacteremia: This is when the salmonella bacteria enters the bloodstream and starts infecting organs and tissues. It can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition.
Salmonella osteomyelitis: This occurs when salmonella bacteria infect the bone. If you have sickle cell disease, you are at higher risk of developing salmonella osteomyelitis.
Reactive arthritis: When your body fights salmonella infection, your immune system may mistakenly attack the healthy parts of your body, leading to reactive arthritis.
How are Salmonella Infections Diagnosed?
To diagnose salmonella infection, your healthcare provider will test a sample of your stool. They may also run a blood or urine test to confirm the infection.
Your doctor will carry out a physical exam and ask about your health history and any symptoms you are experiencing.
How are Salmonella Infections Treated?
Salmonella infection isn’t usually treated with medications.
However, if you have a high risk of complications, your doctor may treat you with antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone.
If you have severe diarrhea, you may be hospitalized. This is because diarrhea can cause dehydration, which can lead to health complications.
You may receive intravenous (IV) fluids in a hospital to treat dehydration.
Treating Salmonella Poisoning at Home
If you’ve been diagnosed with salmonella infection, there are some steps you can take to ease the symptoms at home.
Stay hydrated
As mentioned earlier, vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration. To prevent severe dehydration, drink plenty of fluids such as water, oral rehydrate solutions, and clear broths.
This can help replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. Aim to drink six to 12 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes.
Get plenty of rest
Your body will need rest to fight off the infection. It’s also best to refrain from strenuous physical activity until your symptoms have subsided and you feel better.
Adjust your diet
Eat bland, easy-to-digest foods such as bananas and rice. Avoid dairy products, fatty foods, spicy foods, and foods high in fiber, as they can irritate your stomach and intestines.
Take over-the-counter (OTC) medications
You can get antidiarrheal medications like loperamide and other drugs from your local pharmacy to help treat the symptoms of infection.
How to Avoid Salmonella Poisoning
To protect yourself from salmonella infection, follow these steps:
Cook food thoroughly
Ensure that meat, poultry, and eggs are cooked to safe temperatures to kill any harmful bacteria.
Use the information in the table below to make sure you’re cooking food at the right temperature:
Food Type | Temperature for Cooking |
|---|---|
Poultry (chicken, turkey) | 165°F (74°C) |
Ground meats (beef, pork, lamb) | 160°F (71°C) |
Beef, pork, lamb (steaks, roasts, chops) | 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest time |
Eggs | Cook until the yolk and white are firm |
Avoid raw or uncooked eggs and meat
Don’t consume raw or lightly cooked eggs and egg products such as homemade mayonnaise or eggnog. Avoid eating raw or uncooked meat and poultry products, too.
Prevent cross-contamination
Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and other foods. Always wash your utensils and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water after they come into contact with raw meat, poultry, or eggs.
Store food properly
Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood in sealed containers to prevent their juices from contaminating other foods.
Wash fruits and vegetables
Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking them.
Wash your hands regularly
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this after using the bathroom, changing diapers, handling pets, and preparing food.
Where Can I Learn More About Salmonella Poisoning and Stomach Problems?
Through LifeMD, you can consult with a healthcare provider to get prescription medications to help treat and manage the symptoms of salmonella poisoning and related infections.
A team of board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners can also provide you with advice and guidance on how to recover from salmonella infection comfortably and safely.
Book your online appointment, today.
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