Abstract: Generally, the food that we can't finish after buying it will be thrown into the refrigerator, but the refrigerator can't help us to keep the food for a long time. When the food is mixed together, it is easy to breed bacteria. When we eat these foods contaminated by bacteria, it will cause diarrhea or adverse reactions of gastrointestinal diseases, which is also commonly known as "refrigerator disease". What is the cause of refrigerator disease? Let's take a look at it. What does refrigerator disease mean?

"refrigerator disease" means that people eat food stored in the refrigerator, causing diarrhea or adverse reactions of gastrointestinal diseases. This disease is common in children, and its main symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever. Diarrhea is mostly watery without mucus.

What bacteria cause refrigerator diseases

1. Listeria is the most common bacteria in refrigerators. This bacteria can survive in dairy products, milk and some meats, especially beef, ice cream, salads and vegetables. The main symptoms of listeria infection are gastroenteritis such as fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In addition, it may also lead to sepsis and central nervous system infection (meningitis and meningoencephalitis are the most common), which has the risk of death, mainly occurring in pregnant women, fetuses, newborns, immunocompromised people and the elderly.

2. Galsing's Bacillus

Galsing's Bacillus can spread through food products (especially vegetables, milk-derived products and meat), and Galsing's Bacillus can survive at the ambient temperature of 1 ~ 4 degrees Celsius, like in the freezer, not only can it survive, but it can also actively reproduce. Galsing's disease is nicknamed "refrigerator enteritis". Typical symptoms are gastroenteritis, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, appendicitis or reactive arthritis. In addition, there may be complications of sepsis, that is, blood system infection. Although it is rare, the mortality rate is high.

3. Escherichia coli

According to the National Safety and Health Foundation of the United States, the place where meat is placed in the refrigerator will contain more Escherichia coli. The low temperature environment of ℃ to 1℃ in the refrigerator is a hotbed for the growth and reproduction of Escherichia coli. In the process of growth and metabolism, Escherichia coli will produce many metabolic gases, such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and other odorous gases. When the flora grows to a certain amount, the emitted gases will be more intense, which will make the refrigerator produce unpleasant odor.

4. Pseudomonas

Pseudomonas can survive in low temperature and special environment, and many Pseudomonas can cause food spoilage. For example, it is a bad thing for Pseudomonas to find rancid smell in dairy products, meat, fish or eggs, including milk and cheese, in the refrigerator. Pseudomonas can cause paranasal sinusitis, meningitis, bronchitis, etc., and cause gastrointestinal disorders or diarrhea in children. In addition, pulmonary infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), is one of the most common diseases in human beings.

What are the symptoms of refrigerator disease

1. Headache in refrigerator

In summer, the temperature of food just taken out of the freezer of refrigerator is generally below -6℃, while the temperature of oral cavity is around 37℃, which is quite different. If you eat quickly, it can stimulate the oral mucosa, reflexively cause vasospasm in the head, and produce a series of symptoms such as dizziness, headache and nausea.

2, refrigerator pneumonia

If the refrigerator is not scrubbed frequently at ordinary times, it is easy to breed fungi in the exhaust port and evaporator of the refrigerator. These fungi are extremely cold-tolerant, can grow and reproduce at low temperature in the refrigerator, and spread into the air with dust. People with allergic constitution and children may have symptoms such as cough, chest pain, chills, fever, chest tightness and asthma after inhaling the air with bacteria, which is clinically called "refrigerator pneumonia".

3, refrigerator gastritis

In summer, if people eat more cold food in the refrigerator, after being stimulated by intense low temperature, the blood vessels will suddenly contract and become thinner, the blood flow will decrease, and the digestive juice of the gastrointestinal tract will stop secreting, which will lead to physiological dysfunction and induce symptoms such as paroxysmal colic and vomiting in the upper abdomen, which is called "refrigerator gastritis".

4, refrigerator enteritis

Although the low temperature in the refrigerator can inhibit the reproduction of most bacteria, some psychrophilic molds can continue to grow. For example, Escherichia coli often causes epidemic infantile diarrhea, and when it invades some parts of the human body, it can cause infections, such as peritonitis and diarrhea. The symptoms of people infected with Escherichia coli are stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Infection can be fatal, especially for children and the elderly.

How to cure refrigerator diseases

1. Pay attention to food placement: the food stored in the refrigerator must be separated from raw food and cooked food to prevent cross-contamination, and the food quality should be checked before eating.

2. Cold food should not be eaten immediately: food taken out of the refrigerator that can't be reheated should be left at room temperature for a period of time before eating.

3. Storage time is limited: We should know the storage time of different foods and choose the appropriate storage area.

4. Foods that are not suitable for refrigeration: vegetables such as cucumber, green pepper and eggplant will be frostbitten if they are kept in the refrigerator for a long time; Tropical fruits such as bananas, pitaya, mangoes, lychees, longan, papaya and rambutan should not be refrigerated.

5. The refrigerator should be placed in a cool and dry environment, that is, away from various heat sources, such as gas stoves; Also avoid direct sunlight; Don't put it in a damp place.