Have you ever eaten spoiled food that caused you to feel the effects of it for hours — or even days? Eating food that has been contaminated or gone bad can lead to serious symptoms of food positioning, including vomiting and dehydration.

It can take days to fully get over a bout of food poisoning and start feeling like yourself again. To recover from food poisoning more quickly, try these six key tips:

1. Stay Hydrated

The biggest tip for getting over food poisoning is staying hydrated. The most common symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea and vomiting, which can both leave you severely dehydrated. While many people shrug off dehydration, it can actually lead to serious consequences if left untreated.

To rehydrate yourself and recover quickly from food poisoning, you must focus on drinking plenty of fluids. You can increase your hydration even faster by getting IV therapy. IV drip therapy can rapidly hydrate you and restore essential nutrients that were depleted while you were ill.

2. Get Plenty of Rest

Food poisoning can be an exhausting and draining condition that will leave you feeling weak or fatigued. To recover quickly, you will need to get plenty of rest. Often, people with food poisoning will need to take a day or two off of work or cancel other obligations.

Try to avoid any strenuous activities, such as exercise or playing sports. You can also increase your rest by taking naps in the days following your bout of food poisoning. This is the best way to get the rest you require and feel better faster.

3. Give Your Stomach Time To Settle

In the hours and days following food poisoning, you probably won’t feel like eating anything. Your stomach will be irritated and inflamed, leading to a lack of appetite. You will need to give your stomach time to settle before you begin eating again.

With that said, you don’t want to wait too long to begin eating. When vomiting and diarrhea have become less severe or altogether stopped, you can start eating small amounts again.

4. Balance Electrolytes

One of the most serious effects of food poisoning is electrolyte depletion. When you are constantly vomiting, you are losing essential electrolytes through dehydration.

It is vital that you restore these electrolytes as soon as possible to fully recover from food poisoning. Left untreated, electrolyte depletion can lead to severe issues, like abnormal heart rhythms.

To restore and rebalance your electrolytes, you can get IV hydration treatment. IV hydration can provide electrolytes like potassium and sodium to resolve your dehydration and get you back on track after food poisoning.

5. Eat Light, Bland Foods

When the vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain have subsided, you may start to feel hungry again. While it’s a great sign that you are feeling hungry, you do not want to start eating normally right away. Your first meals after suffering from food poisoning should be very small and consist of light, bland foods, including:

• Bread
• Oatmeal
• Bananas
• Toast
• Plain cereal
• Crackers
• Rice

In the days following food poisoning, you will want to avoid foods and drinks that can aggravate your digestive system.

This includes:

• Spicy foods
• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Acidic drinks
• Dairy products

Even if you are feeling better, you should give your stomach some days to heal before re-introducing these foods.

6. Seek Outside Help When Necessary

If your food poisoning symptoms are severe or not resolving at home, you may need to seek outside help. Serious cases of food poisoning that involve non-stop vomiting and diarrhea may need emergency care in a hospital setting. If not promptly treated, these cases can lead to severe dehydration.

Mild to moderate cases that have continued for more than 24 hours may require an at-home treatment like IV hydration to kickstart your recovery. You can also use over-the-counter medications that aim to settle the stomach.

If your food poisoning symptoms persist past one week, you may need to visit your regular physician for an evaluation.

Mobile IV Therapy at Vital Flow Infusions

When you need to rehydrate after dealing with food poisoning or another serious illness, Vital Flow Infusions can help. We provide IV hydration throughout the Sioux Falls area. And if you’re feeling too unwell to leave home, we can come directly to your house with our mobile IV drip therapy.

To find out more about our IV therapy or book an appointment, call us today.