Health · checked 5 Oct 2026
Sick after eating something bad
Safety first
- Call 911 for trouble breathing, unconsciousness, or seizures.
- Suspect swallowed poison? Call Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222. Never induce vomiting.
- For ordinary vomiting or diarrhea, sip fluids if alert and swallowing.
Fix it nowEight steps
- Stop eating the suspected food; keep others from eating it.Prevent another exposure.
- Never make yourself vomit.Induced vomiting is unsafe after suspected poisoning.
- For mild illness, take frequent small sips of oral rehydration solution.Replace lost water and salts; follow package directions.
The other five steps
- For children, use oral rehydration solution; ask their doctor for guidance.Children dehydrate quickly; continue infants' usual breast milk or formula.
- Resume your usual food when your appetite returns.You do not need to wait for diarrhea to stop.
- Avoid diarrhea medicines with fever or blood; consult doctors for children.These medicines can be unsafe in these situations.
- Monitor temperature, urination, and whether you can keep fluids down.Changes help identify dehydration or worsening illness.
- Wash hands with soap and water before handling food.Germs from vomit or stool can spread to food.
When to stop
Stop and get a pro if:
- Call 911 now for trouble breathing, unconsciousness, inability to wake, collapse, or seizures.
- Get emergency care now for double or blurred vision, trouble swallowing, or new muscle weakness.
- Get medical care now if fluids will not stay down, urination drops, or standing causes dizziness. For infants, no wet diaper for three hours is urgent.
- Contact a doctor now for bloody or black stools, severe belly pain, fever over 102°F, or diarrhea lasting over three days; over one day in children.
- Call a doctor promptly for suspected food poisoning in children, pregnant people, older adults, or anyone with weakened immunity. Do not wait for severe symptoms.
What it probably is
Foodborne infectionVomiting, diarrhea, cramps, or fever can begin hours to days later. Home care only supports mild symptoms.You can check
Rapid-onset foodborne illnessSudden vomiting and cramps within 30 minutes to eight hours can suggest staph food poisoning; timing cannot confirm it.You can check
Poisonous food or chemical contaminationKnown chemical exposure or unusual weakness, numbness, or blurred vision needs expert help, not home treatment.For a pro
Get it done
More than a quick fix? Vora gets quotes privately and recommends one pro.
Checked against
- CDC: Food Poisoning Symptoms
- NIDDK: Treatment for Food Poisoning
- NIDDK: Symptoms & Causes of Food Poisoning
- Poison Control: Get Help for a Poisoning
Written for Vora from these public sources and checked on 5 Oct 2026. General guidance, not a substitute for a pro on site. In danger, leave and call 911.