How long does food poisoning take to get over

Food poisoning is a harsh and often unexpected illness affecting your digestive tract, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). It’s a common sickness, with 48 million Americans acquiring a “foodborne disease” every year, according to the CDC.

It is contracted through “viruses, bacteria, and parasites” present in food and drink, says the NIDDK. These harmful foreign contaminators can be caused by a failure to correctly prepare or cook food. Most foreign pathogens should be eliminated by the cooking process, according to the NIDDK. 

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How long does food poisoning last?

The effects of food poisoning kick in within several hours, says the NIDDK, after digesting the contaminated substances, and usually won’t occur unnoticed. On rare occasions, food poisoning symptoms can take days to make themselves known, so don’t always expect an immediate reaction if you fear you ate contaminated food.

The NIDDK says the length of food poisoning can vary, lasting only a day or less for some and up to a week for others.

What are symptoms of food poisoning?

Symptoms of food poisoning include stomach issues, such as cramps and vomiting, a fever, nausea or diarrhea.

Dangerous food poisoning circumstances include over three days of drastic symptoms, such as diarrhea, a high fever of 102, dehydration or a damaging effect to sight or speech, all according to the CDC. 

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What to do if you have food poisoning

The best remedy for food poisoning is rest. Most of the time food poisoning will find its way out of your system, and, after a period of bad days and nights, your body will naturally recover.

Hydration is of vital necessity, as well, says the CDC. A consistent intake of water can keep your body fighting off the germs in peak shape. Some people have recommended Gatorade, due to its electrolyte supply, but the CDC advises against it. The CDC also suggests when serious symptoms occur you should consult your healthcare provider.

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What illnesses are similar to food poisoning?

The stomach flu and food poisoning are constantly compared to each other, and, while there are significant similarities, the timing sets them apart. The stomach flu has symptoms appearing between 12 hours to two days of contracting the illness, according to the CDC, whereas food poisoning is generally nearly immediate and symptomatic within hours of contracting it.

The COVID-19 omicron variant has similar symptoms too, including vomiting, a fever, and nausea, says the CDC. Omicron, though, can last in your body up to two weeks until symptoms even begin to appear and require a full quarantine to ensure that the coronavirus does not continue to spread.

Cross-contamination can occur, for example, if you prepare raw chicken on a chopping board and don't wash the board before preparing food that won't be cooked (such as salad), as the harmful bacteria can be spread from the chopping board to the salad.

It can also occur if raw meat is stored above ready-to-eat meals and juices from the meat drip on to the food below.

See preventing food poisoning for information about reducing these risks

Types of infection

Food contamination is usually caused by bacteria, but it can also sometimes be caused by viruses or parasites. Some of the main sources of contamination are described below.

Campylobacter

In the UK, campylobacter bacteria are the most common cause of food poisoning. The bacteria are usually found on raw or undercooked meat (particularly poultry), unpasteurised milk and untreated water.

The incubation period (the time between eating contaminated food and the start of symptoms) for food poisoning caused by campylobacter is usually between two and five days. The symptoms usually last less than a week.

Salmonella

Salmonella bacteria are often found in raw or undercooked meat, raw eggs, milk, and other dairy products.

The incubation period is usually between 12 and 72 hours. The symptoms usually last around four to seven days.

Listeria

Listeria bacteria may be found in a range of chilled, "ready-to-eat" foods, including pre-packed sandwiches, cooked sliced meats and pâté, and soft cheeses (such as Brie or Camembert).

All of these foods should be eaten by their "use-by" dates. This is particularly important for pregnant women, because a listeria infection (known as listeriosis) in pregnancy can cause pregnancy and birth complications, and can result in miscarriage.

The incubation period can vary considerably, from a few days to several weeks. The symptoms will usually pass within three days.

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

Escherichia coli, often known as E. coli, are bacteria found in the digestive systems of many animals, including humans. Most strains are harmless but some can cause serious illness.

Most cases of E. coli food poisoning occur after eating undercooked beef (particularly mince, burgers and meatballs) or drinking unpasteurised milk.

The incubation period for food poisoning caused by E. coli is typically one to eight days. The symptoms usually last for a few days or weeks.

Shigella

Shigella bacteria can contaminate any food that has been washed in contaminated water.

Symptoms typically develop within seven days of eating contaminated food and last for up to a week.

An infection caused by Shigella bacteria is known as bacillary dysentery or shigellosis. See the topic on dysentery for more information about it.

Viruses

The virus that most commonly causes diarrhoea and vomiting is the norovirus. It's easily spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water. Raw shellfish, particularly oysters, can also be a source of infection.

The incubation period typically lasts 24-48 hours and the symptoms usually pass in a couple of days.

In young children, the rotavirus is a common cause of infection from contaminated food. The symptoms usually develop within a week and pass in around five to seven days.

Parasites

In the UK, food poisoning caused by parasites is rare. It's much more common in the developing world.

Parasitic infections that can be spread in contaminated food include:

• giardiasis – an infection caused by a parasite called Giardia intestinalis
• cryptosporidiosis – an infection caused by a parasite called Cryptosporidium
• ameobiasis – a type of dysentery caused by a single-cell parasite (ameoba) called Entamoeba histolytica (this is very rare in the UK)

The symptoms of food poisoning caused by a parasite usually develop within 10 days of eating contaminated food, although sometimes it may be weeks before you feel unwell.

How long does it take for food poisoning to get out your system?

How do you know it's food poisoning?