The 1 Sign You Should Never, Ever Ignore If You Suspect You Have Food Poisoning

If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you probably know the symptoms are far from pleasant.

Most of us look back on these bouts as a day-ruining experience that we desperately hope to avoid in the future, but for some populations, food poisoning can be dangerous.

I speak from personal experience: As a 9-month-old, I got salmonella from raw chicken. While I can’t exactly say I remember it, my parents tell me I got so dehydrated I had to be hospitalized and lost 20% of my body weight. If it’s not obvious by now, I pulled through, but immunocompromised people such as infants, older people and pregnant women are especially at risk for serious, life-threatening complications.

With all of that in mind, what are the top signs of food poisoning? And when do symptoms warrant immediate medical attention? Here’s what you need to know.

The most common signs of food poisoning to know about — and some lesser-known signs to watch out for, too

It’s not something we like to talk about, but if you’ve ever had food poisoning, you can probably list a few of the symptoms it causes.

If not, gastroenterologist Andrew Boxer can clear that up. “By far the most common are nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea,” he said. “Many patients can also have generalized stomach upset.”

According to Sam Martin, a senior director and food safety expert at Microbac Laboratories , other common symptoms can include headache, chills and sweating.

“In rare cases, food poisoning can cause blurry or double vision, muscle weakness, or tingling,” he said.

The symptoms you experience depend on the type of bacteria causing them, Martin said.

“Hundreds of bacteria, parasites and viruses can cause food poisoning. Depending on the culprit, symptoms — and the time