One of the most common ingredients you will find in any home are eggs. This is because they are easy to cook and chock full of important protein. You do need to remember that they can cause trouble if they are not eaten properly or stored properly. This is because if you eat a rotten egg, you may get food poisoning.

What Happens If You Ate Rotten Egg?

If you don’t refrigerate your eggs after purchase, they can spoil. Most anything that is edible has an expiry date, as do eggs. If they are left out too long, you can have unhealthy microbe growth.

If you buy an egg that is cracked, there is a good chance there is bacteria like salmonella growing through the cracks. This will multiply and cause the egg to spoil.

Rotten Eggs Can Cause Health Problems

You won’t know you ate rotten egg right away as there isn’t always a taste or smell. You tend to see the signs about 12 hours after you’ve eaten the offending egg. This is because salmonella need time to multiply and the illness you get is called salmonellosis. The first symptoms you will see are nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. You can also see headaches, stomach cramps and fever if the infection progresses.

In a healthy adult, these symptoms will only last for a couple of days because of their strong immune systems. Those that are elderly or young can have serious effects if untreated.

If the harmful mold that grows on spoiled eggs is ingested, more problems can happen. You may see red skin rashes and itchy skin. Others may have a runny nose and those who have a tendency to wheeze can have further troubles.

Care must be taken with desserts or mayonnaise that contain spoiled eggs as listeriosis can be caused by consuming these products. The bacteria, listeria, is responsible for serious health problems, including death. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women as it will also affect the health of the unborn infant.

Get Treated

Generally speaking, you recover when you ate rotten egg in just a couple of days. When sick, make sure to hydrate with diluted sports drinks, ginger ale and water. For those that are very young or old, or have an immune system problem, a visit with the doctor is highly recommended. For those that have diarrhea or vomiting for more than a couple of days, have blood in their stool, light-headedness or dizziness, a doctor visit is very important.

How to Store Eggs

Cooked or raw eggs can go bad. If your eggs come directly from a chicken and haven’t yet been washed, storing in a cool dry place is acceptable. These eggs still have the natural plume the hen leaves on it when laying the egg and this offers some protection. Once these eggs have been washed they must be kept in the refrigerator.

All raw eggs should have their expiration date checked and be kept in the refrigerator. If you crack the egg and it smells or the white has a green-blue color to it, throw it out. If there are red specks in the yolk, or the yolk is cloudy, you are still safe to eat it. Once you have boiled eggs, eat within a week or toss them. Boiled eggs that have a smell should be avoided. Egg dishes such as quiche, custard and strata should be only kept for a day or two before tossing any uneaten portion.

Use Caution

Keep your kitchen clean and organized to help avoid bad eggs. Make sure you get your store-bought eggs in the fridge as soon as you bring them home. Those with a long drive to the store should bring a cooler along for cold food. Wash your hands before cooking and make sure your spatulas and pans are clean. Be sure to store your eggs properly. Keep the raw eggs on a lower shelf and not on top of food eaten raw like carrot sticks. Make sure to cook eggs completely and don’t eat food with raw eggs in it such as cookie dough or cake batter.