# Food Poisoning: What to Do at Home and When to See a Doctor

> Food poisoning comes from contaminated food or water. Learn the symptoms, what to do at home, the signs of dehydration, and when to see a doctor or call an ambulance at 112.

Food poisoning is an acute condition that develops after eating food or drinking water that contains bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. It usually affects digestion and causes general weakness. Doctors often call it acute intestinal infection or foodborne illness.

## Food poisoning symptoms

Common symptoms include:

- nausea;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- [stomach pain](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/abdominal-pain), often cramping;
- fever;
- weakness.

Symptoms may appear within a few hours after eating, and sometimes the next day or later, depending on the cause. In most cases food poisoning resolves on its own within 1–3 days, sometimes taking up to a week.

## What causes it

Typical causes are undercooked meat and poultry, raw or poorly washed vegetables and herbs, dairy and egg dishes that were not stored properly, seafood, cooked dishes left in the warmth, dirty hands and utensils, and unsafe water. The source often cannot be identified, because people do not always know what caused it. Similar symptoms can occur with other infections, for example [rotavirus](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/rotavirus), and in the early stages of [hepatitis A](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/hepatitis-a) and [typhoid fever](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/typhoid), so prolonged or unusual symptoms should be seen by a doctor.

## Why it can be dangerous

The main risk is dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea. It develops faster in children, older people, pregnant women, people with weakened immunity, and in hot weather. Signs of dehydration include strong thirst, a dry mouth, dark urine or passing urine rarely, dizziness, and weakness. In small children, look for no tears, no wet diapers, and unusual sleepiness. Severe infections can also come with blood in the stool and a high fever.

## What to do at home

Mild cases can be managed at home:

- **Drink often, in small sips:** water, weak tea, or oral rehydration solutions from a pharmacy. Prepare the solutions strictly according to the package instructions.
- **Rest.** Your body needs energy to recover.
- **Return to food gradually** once the nausea passes: plain, low-fat, unspiced food in small portions.
- **Do not take antibiotics or anti-diarrheal medicines without a doctor's advice.** Do not give them to children without a doctor.

The medicines and doses that suit you or your child are chosen by a doctor.

## When to see a doctor

See a doctor (a general practitioner, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, or a pediatrician for a child) if:

- vomiting lasts more than two days or diarrhea lasts more than a week;
- there are signs of dehydration;
- there is blood in the stool;
- the fever is high or lasts several days;
- the patient is a young child, an older person, a pregnant woman, or someone with a chronic illness.

Call an ambulance at 112 if there is vomiting of blood or green vomit, severe stomach pain, a severe headache with a stiff neck, trouble breathing, confusion, or loss of consciousness. You can find suitable doctors in the Doctors block further down this page.

## How to prevent food poisoning

There is no vaccine against ordinary food poisoning, because many different germs cause it. Prevention rests on safe food handling, as the WHO recommends:

- wash your hands before eating and cooking, after the toilet, and after handling raw meat;
- keep raw and cooked foods apart and use separate boards and knives for meat;
- cook meat, poultry, eggs, and fish thoroughly;
- store food at safe temperatures: do not leave cooked dishes in the warmth for long, and refrigerate leftovers;
- drink water from safe sources and wash vegetables and herbs with clean water.

Travelers should be more careful with street food and dishes that sat for a long time without refrigeration, especially in hot weather, when bacteria multiply faster.

## Doctors

- Giorgi Basheleishvili — Pediatrician, General practitioner: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili.md)
- Sofiko Tsitskarava — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/sofiko-cickarava (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/sofiko-cickarava.md)
- Salome Akhvlediani — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani.md)
- Nino Vacheishvili — Gastroenterologist, General practitioner: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/nino-vaceisvili (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/nino-vaceisvili.md)
- Temur Qvelidze — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/temur-kvelidze (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/temur-kvelidze.md)
- Khatuna Loladze — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze.md)
- Margarita Zakharevich — Pediatrician, Hematologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic.md)
- Dmitry Semin — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin.md)
- Karina — Dietitian, Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/karina-1 (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/karina-1.md)
- Tamari Antelava — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/tamari-antelava (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/tamari-antelava.md)
- Mariia — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/mariia (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/mariia.md)

## Frequently asked questions

### How long does food poisoning last?

Most often a few days, usually 1–3. If vomiting does not stop for more than two days or diarrhea lasts longer than a week, see a doctor.

### How is food poisoning different from gastritis?

Food poisoning starts suddenly after a particular meal and usually passes within days. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. It can be chronic and show up as pain and heaviness in the upper abdomen. It is not always easy to tell them apart by symptoms, so see a doctor if in doubt.

### What can I eat after food poisoning?

Start with small portions of plain food as soon as the nausea passes, and avoid fatty and spicy dishes. If you have no appetite, that is fine; the main thing is to drink enough.

### Do I need antibiotics?

Not always. Most cases pass without them, and antibiotics do not help when the cause is a virus. Take them only if a doctor prescribes them.

This material is for general information and does not replace a doctor's consultation.

## Related articles

- Food Poisoning in Georgia: What to Do, Where to Seek Help, and How to Get Assistance: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/food-poisoning-georgia (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/food-poisoning-georgia.md)

## Symptoms

- Abdominal pain: https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/abdominal-pain
- Nausea and vomiting: https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/nausea-vomiting
- Diarrhea: https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/diarrhea

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Canonical: https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/food-poisoning
Country: Georgia (GE), the country in the South Caucasus
Updated: 2026-10-04T14:14:35+04:00