Heat Stroke or Food Poisoning; Learn how Heat Affects Your Stomach

High temperatures can cause heat and food poisoning, but they are not the same thing. Here are the differences between the two situations and what you can do about them.

Extreme heat affects people in many ways. Heatstroke can have many side effects, from dizziness and fatigue to stomach problems. As the temperature rises again, stomach problems such as excess acidity and nausea become common. However, something that is often confused is whether it is caused by something you eat or weather conditions. If you don’t know whether it’s heatstroke or food poisoning, here’s a breakdown of both.

What does heat do to your stomach?

Two diseases that affect people during the summer months are food poisoning and heat stroke. Although they are different problems, people often tend to confuse one with the other. So let’s understand how heat affects your digestive system.

Stomach discomfort is normal after eating spicy food in summer. Have you ever wondered why? High temperature can affect your body’s ability to digest food, which in turn affects your gut health. For this reason, when the weather is hot and humid, you may become dehydrated or experience crises such as heatstroke or sunstroke.

A study published in the journal Gut found that climate change associated with extreme heat events increased the risk of stomach ulcers by 50%, compared to 10% of patients with Diarrhoea.

Heat can affect your stomach and cause many problems. Dehydration from high temperatures can affect the function of the intestines by reducing blood flow to the stomach and intestines. You may experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. High temperatures can increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, and acid reflux.

How does high temperature cause food poisoning?

Foodborne illness, such as food poisoning, is an illness that can be spread by eating or drinking food or drink. The source is bacteria or other hazardous substances in food or beverages. There are many factors that contribute to the risk of food poisoning. These include:

1. Bacterial Growth

In hot weather, your stomach harbors bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. A study published in the Journal of Disease found that heat increases the risk of disease by 34 percent. This usually happens if food becomes contaminated if stored incorrectly.

2. Improper handling of food

Leaving food out in the open for long periods of time in hot weather can cause contamination. If contaminated foods, such as dairy products, meat or shellfish, are not refrigerated, bacteria can multiply.

3. Dehydration

Dehydration will occur when the temperature is too high. It weakens the body’s immune system, making it harder to fight diseases, including food poisoning.

Symptoms of food poisoning

Signs and symptoms of food poisoning may vary depending on the type of germs that infect you. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the most common symptoms of food poisoning include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• High fever
• Stomach ache
• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• The body suddenly becomes weak

In severe cases, people may experience:

• Blood in stool
• High fever
• Abdominal pain that lasts more than 3 days
• Diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days
• Constant vomiting
• Dehydration

How does high heat cause heat stroke?

Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat illness. Excessive exposure to heat or physical activity during high temperatures makes it harder for the body to control its temperature, causing heat stroke. When your body temperature rises to dangerous levels (above 104°F or 40°C), the cooling system stops working, causing heat stroke. Experts say this can be caused by dehydration, high humidity, physical exertion, and inadequate cooling, such as sweating.

Symptoms of heat stroke

• High body temperature
• Confused, slurred speech
• Nausea and vomiting
• High breathing rate
• Heart beats too fast
• Headache
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Can be fatal if treatment is delayed.

Food poisoning vs heat stroke: How to tell the difference

If you can’t tell the difference between food poisoning and stroke, you need to know the symptoms and factors that will help you tell the difference. Symptoms of food poisoning are usually gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. These symptoms usually occur after eating contaminated food or drink.

Symptoms of food poisoning can last from hours to days, depending on the type of bacteria causing the problem and its severity.

Heatstroke symptoms relate to the body’s response to overheating, including increased body temperature, mood swings, lack of sweating, and rapid heart rate. These symptoms usually occur after exposure to heat or intense work in the heat.

Heatstroke may require immediate medical attention, and recovery time may vary from person to person. Although people with mild symptoms may recover within a few days, severe cases may take weeks or longer to fully recover and may have long-term effects.

How to avoid food poisoning in summer

Here are some ways to prevent this problem, according to experts’ advice:

1. Keep food properly – You should freeze or store perishable food.
2. Handle food correctly – Use separate cutlery for raw meat and other foods to avoid contamination. You should wash your hands, dishes, and surfaces thoroughly before and after preparing food.
3. Cooking properly – It’s important to cook foods to the right temperature to kill harmful bacteria, especially meat, poultry, shellfish, and eggs.
4. Handle leftovers – Refrigerate leftovers for two hours and reheat and eat within a day.

How to avoid heat stroke?

Here are some simple but effective protections you should consider, as experts explain:

1. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
2. Do not drink coffee and alcohol because these drinks cause dehydration and stroke.
3. When it’s hot outside, wear light-colored, loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
4. Stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and reduce exposure.
5. If you are outdoors, wear sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin from the sun’s strong ultraviolet (UV) rays.
6. To help your body heal, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and gradually increase the time you spend in the sun.
7. Make sure the area where you spend most of the day is well ventilated.
8. Try using cold showers, air conditioning, fans and air conditioners to control your body temperature.
9. Avoid vigorous exercise in hot weather. You can rest regularly and rest in the shade.
10. See your doctor immediately for diagnosis and treatment, as both problems can be fatal if left untreated.

Take action now

If you have malaria symptoms, it is important to get tested immediately. You are at greater risk if you have recently traveled or are pregnant. If symptoms occur, especially in children, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Is there any vaccine against malaria?

According to the CDC, two types of malaria vaccines are available for children or people living in high-endemic areas. This vaccine helps reduce flu cases by 40 percent and severe flu cases by 30 percent. It also reduced the death rate by 13%.

The World Health Organization stated that the anti-malarial vaccine RTS, S has been approved and can be given to children under 5 years of age. Other vaccines under development may also help.

How to recover from malaria?

If you are diagnosed with malaria, your doctor will give you the medicine you need to fight the disease. This should be started early. Some antibiotics include artemisinins (artemether and artemisinin), atovaquone, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, quinine and primaquine.

Good nutrition is also important. Drinking juices and eating protein and vitamin rich foods can go a long way.

Summary

Malaria is a life-threatening disease and its prevention is very important. You can prevent malaria by avoiding mosquitoes. This can be done by using the correct vaccine, covering up, and taking antimalarial medication beforehand.