Food Poisoning Survival Guide
Food poisoning is an experience that humbles us all. I still have traumatic flashbacks to my own bout of food poisoning. Details remain fuzzy but I'm told I yelled "I'm dying" several times during the ordeal. And if you've had food poisoning as well, you know I wasn't being dramatic. After all, when you're in the midst of it, you sometimes worry you might not make it to that next meal.
But worry not if you have food poisoning right now. As long as you stay properly hydrated and give your body a chance to recover, you too will one day again enjoy that Cajun seafood wrap. Sorry, too soon?
To make it up to you, here are our top five tips to surviving food poisoning:
Survival Tip #1: Cancel your plans.
Whatever you were supposed to be doing today is no longer happening. Type out a quick email or text to whoever is expecting you and mention that you're battling a food poisoning bug. Since most people have experienced the graphic horror that is food poisoning, no other explanation is needed. In fact, they will probably thank you for sparing them the details of your predicament.
Survival Tip #2: Drink fluids. Lots of fluids.
You might have hypothesized this fun fact from your frequent trips to the bathroom, but food poisoning rapidly drains your body of fluids. To avoid dehydration, keep water by your bed and take a sip or two as often as you can keep it down.
Survival Tip #3: Binge watch a TV show
Some people swear by bad movies when they're sick. I myself prefer the made-for-TV variety. But for food poisoning, I actually recommend a TV series marathon. The built-in commercial breaks will synch up well with your frequent bathroom breaks. Unless you have a TV in your bathroom, you could miss a cool plot twist. And if you do have a TV in your bathroom, could I come over sometime? Preferably after you've recovered from the food poisoning.
Survival Tip #4: Medicate as needed
From nausea to diarrhea, there are many over the counter medications that can help you manage your symptoms. The upside of these medications is that while your symptoms take a break, you can finally keep down liquids. But, as with any medication, it's a good idea to speak with a doctor about what medications, if any, are right for you. Which brings us to tip #5:
Survival Tip #5: Talk to a doctor
In some cases, food poisoning requires a hospital visit. But in order to know what level of care you need, you should have a video visit with a doctor online. The best part? You can have the visit from your bathroom floor.