Food poisoning is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week. You can normally treat yourself or your child at home.

Check if you have food poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning include:

• feeling sick (nausea)
• diarrhoea
• being sick (vomiting)
• stomach cramps
• a high temperature of 38C or above
• feeling generally unwell – such as feeling tired or having aches and chills

The symptoms usually start within a few days of eating the food that caused the infection.

Sometimes they start after a few hours or not for a few weeks.

How to treat food poisoning yourself

You can usually treat yourself or your child at home.

The symptoms usually pass within a week.

How you get food poisoning

You can catch food poisoning if you eat something that has been contaminated with germs.

This can happen if food:

• is not cooked or reheated thoroughly
• is not stored correctly – for example, it's not been frozen or chilled
• is left out for too long
• is handled by someone who's ill or has not washed their hands
• is eaten after its "use by" date

Any type of food can cause food poisoning. Read tips to avoid food poisoning.