Symptoms and Treatment of Salmonella
Salmonella is a serious bacterial infection that lives in the intestinal tract of both humans and animals. These bacteria multiply and travel throughout the body resulting in highly contagious fecal matter. Bacteria in contaminated fecal matter can survive for months affecting anything that has contact with it, potentially spreading through water and sewage systems, meat, dairy products, and vegetables to name a few.
Salmonella has no boundaries and the effects are not isolated. Stretching across the entire globe, salmonella can infect animals, humans, and nearly all food sources.
Causes of Salmonella
Salmonella infection comes from ingesting or handling contaminated matter or animals carrying the bacteria. Some examples of possible infection causing agents are:
* Consuming food contaminated with salmonella bacteria. Items most affected are eggs, poultry, meats, and fresh vegetables.
* Consuming contaminated water.
* Handling animals contaminated with salmonella such as dogs, cats, most farm animals, and reptiles such as turtles, snakes and lizards. An important fact to remember is that nearly 90 percent of all reptiles carry salmonella.
* Contact with contaminated feces.
* Physical contact with other humans contaminated with the bacteria.
Symptoms of Salmonella
With more than 2,000 different types of salmonella bacteria, contamination is virtually everywhere. However, there are less than twelve types with the ability to cause infection in humans. Some of the symptoms associated with salmonella poisoning are:
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Stomach Pain
* Fever
* Chills
* Achy Muscles
Who is at Risk of Infection?
Anyone that makes contact with the bacteria by ingesting or handling contaminated items will suffer salmonella infection. However, each person’s body handles the infection a bit differently depending on the strength of their immune system, which will determine how long and to what severity they have the infection. Risks associated with contracting salmonella are:
* Travel to countries who do not have proper sanitation
* Having a reptile as a pet
* Storing foods at improper temperatures and later eating them
* Eating uncooked eggs and meats, especially chicken
* Contact with infected family members
Long-Term Effects and Complications
In some instances, salmonella can have serious complications typically associated with children, elderly people, and those having impaired immune systems due to conditions such as AIDS/HIV, bowel disease, transplant recipients, sickle cell anemia, cancer, and chemotherapy patients. Being too young, too advanced in years, or having weakened immune systems make them more susceptible to the long-term effects of salmonella infection, which can include:
* Infection of the bloodstream
* Heart valve inflammation
* Meningitis
* Chronic arthritis
* Severe Dehydration with accompanying fever, diarrhea, and malnutrition
* Infection beyond the intestinal tract to other areas of the body
What are the Treatments for Salmonella Infection?
Because salmonella infection can affect people differently there are different treatments suggested. Basic treatments suggested in an effort to fight symptoms and improve how your immune system responds so it can destroy the bacteria include:
* Drinking lots of fluids to hydrate your body
* Anti-diarrhea medications to slow the effects of diarrhea
* No intake of dairy products until well
* Implement the B.R.A.T. diet – consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, this diet is bland and will sooth your stomach and intestinal tract.
Other than the basics, a fourteen days antibiotic regimen may be required for those with impaired immune systems and for those whose infection has spread beyond the intestinal tract. Extensive treatments will be required for those suffering due to the long-term effects of infection based upon their specific symptoms and conditions.
Salmonella is a nasty infection that has the potential to wreak havoc throughout your body and if left untreated can make you very ill for an extended time. To safeguard your family and yourself be sure to practice some prevention by ensuring foods are stored at the proper temperatures, and cooked through until completely done, especially eggs and chicken. Do not eat any raw foods containing egg products such as cookie dough and eggnog. You should also thoroughly wash your hands, countertops and any other surfaces of contact after handling uncooked foods.
If you have pets, especially reptiles or rodents, you should thoroughly wash your hands after taking care of them, petting them, and cleaning cages or litter boxes. An ounce of prevention goes a long way toward safeguarding yourself and those you love from salmonella infection and keeping you healthy.
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DISCLAIMER: All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a guarantee of any success. This information has been previously researched but you should do your own research to expand your knowledge. This should not be consider as medical advice.