Salmonella causes food poisoning and gets passed on through meat products or any contaminated food that has come in contact with animal feces. It is very important to practice hygiene while consuming and preparing food as well. Prevention is better than cure. However, knowing how to treat salmonella poisoning can ease the symptoms and also ensure that the duration is reduced to a certain extent.

A bout of food poisoning caused by salmonella can cause severe stomach ache, diarrhea and dehydration. The infection can last up to one week. People who do not wash hands after using the toilet can spread this infection. Salmonella infection usually starts after nausea, cramping in the abdomen, and diarrhea. Sometimes the mucous in the feces can be bloody. It also causes fever, headache, body pains and committing after the infection. The symptoms of salmonella infections start after 72 hours of infestation. Salmonella infections are not treated aggressively and it usually subsides on its own in five days as per the Food borne illness website.

Salmonella infection causes dehydration which can become dangerous if left untreated. When you have an infection like salmonella, it is important to keep yourself hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can help to flush out the infection. Mostly oral hydration and getting fluids into the body are common methods of treatment. Some sterile solutions of water like saline or sugar are used to flush out the bacteria. They are sometimes given intravenously when the infection is severe. Dehydration causes severe repercussions in the body. They interfere from electric signals being carried in the body and also cause the brain devoid of oxygen.

Antibiotics are prescribed for faster action. If the doctor suspects that salmonella has seeped into the blood stream, antibiotics are prescribed, as per the Mayo Clinic. Antibiotics are mainly used to prevent the bacteria from spreading into the intestines and blood.

Antidiarrheal medications, like Imodium, are prescribed to reduce the cramping and the diarrhea caused by salmonella. The bacteria are found through blood and stool cultures. It may take 24 hours for the results of the test to be obtained.

Salmonella poisoning rarely causes complications, but one of the rare ones is Reiter’s syndrome. It is also called reactive arthritis. This syndrome occurs from 1 to 3 weeks of the infection. It affects the ankles and knees and other joints in the body. The joints will pain and end up getting swollen. Anti-inflammatory drugs are given as a mode of treatment and steroid injections are given to the joints to prevent the pain and inflammation. Corticosteroid injections work best when the salmonella infection leads to arthritis.

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