Food poisoning comes from eating food or drink contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or their toxins. Typical symptoms are feeling sick, vomiting, watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes a mild fever. Symptoms can begin within hours (toxins) or take 1-3 days or longer (some bacteria), which can make pinpointing the source tricky.
Most people recover at home within a few days. The key is to rest and replace lost fluids with water and oral rehydration solutions to avoid dehydration. Eat plain foods when you feel able.
See a doctor if symptoms are severe or last more than a few days, you recently travelled abroad, or you are pregnant, very young, elderly or immunocompromised. Seek urgent care or call your local emergency number for blood in vomit or stool, a high fever, severe unrelenting abdominal pain, signs of serious dehydration, confusion, or symptoms of botulism such as blurred vision, slurred speech or muscle weakness.