Food poisoning symptoms treatment. What can you eat? Symptoms and signs of food poisoning and toxic infections
Food poisoning is an acute digestive disorder caused by consuming low-quality or toxic foods and drinks.
- Foodborne illnesses(PTI). Caused by eating contaminated food pathogenic microorganisms. For example, stale food. Failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards can also provoke PTI.
- Toxic (non-infectious) poisoning They occur when natural or chemical toxins enter the body with food. For example, poison from inedible mushrooms and plants, as well as chemicals.
The last type of poisoning is the most dangerous. You shouldn't fight them on your own. If you suspect a non-infectious nature of poisoning, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Also, regardless of the type of poisoning, qualified medical care is necessary for pregnant and lactating women, children and the elderly.
But usually people encounter toxic infections that can be treated at home. Next, we will talk about what steps to take to cope with PTI on your own.
Symptoms and pathogenesis
The course of foodborne illness depends on age and general condition humans, as well as species of pathogenic bacteria. But big picture is this:
- obsessive nausea;
- repeated vomiting;
- weakness, malaise;
- changed complexion;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- elevated temperature bodies.
PTI is characterized by a short incubation period. The first signs appear 2–6 hours after eating and progress quickly without treatment.
Treatment
Step 1. Gastric lavage
When the first symptoms appear, the remaining toxic food must be removed from the body. To do this, wash the stomach. The actions are the same as when providing first aid.
- Prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or baking soda(for 1.5–2 liters of water room temperature 1 tablespoon of soda).
- Drink some of the solution.
- Induce vomiting (press the root of the tongue with two fingers).
- Repeat the procedure several times until the vomit is clear.
Step 2. Taking sorbents
Sorbents are drugs that help remove toxins from the body. The most famous of them is activated carbon.
Activated carbon reduces absorption in gastrointestinal tract toxins, salts of heavy metals, alkaloids and others harmful substances, and also promotes their removal from the body.
Dosage for poisoning: one tablet for every 10 kg of body weight.
In other words, if you weigh 70 kg, then you will need at least seven tablets. In severe cases, the dosage should be increased.
In case of poisoning, it is better to take coal in the form of an aqueous suspension. To do this, crush the tablets and mix with 100 ml of boiled water at room temperature. This mixture tastes quite nasty, but it effectively fights poisoning.
You can also use instead of the usual white coal. It is believed that this is a selective, concentrated sorbent. It not only removes toxins, but also preserves nutrients. In this case, the dosage is halved: for an adult, 2–4 tablets, depending on the degree of poisoning.
Instead of coal, you can use other sorbents (according to the instructions). For example, “Smecta”, “Lactofiltrum”, “Enterosgel” and others.
Step 3: Drink plenty of fluids
Vomiting and diarrhea severely dehydrate the body - you need to replenish fluid losses and maintain water balance.
Drink at least 2–3 liters of boiled water per day.
You can also take special rehydration products: “Rehydron”, “Oralit” and others. These are powders and solutions containing mineral salts and glucose and prevent dehydration.
Other medicines
As for taking other medications for toxic infections, there are several general rules:
- When active vomiting stops, you can use drugs that restore the intestinal microflora (Hilak Forte, Linex, Mezim and others).
- If the temperature rises above 37.5 degrees, it must be brought down with antipyretics (paracetamol, ibuprofen and others).
- Taking painkillers is not recommended: they can complicate diagnosis in case of complications.
- Antimicrobial drugs (mostly antibiotics) are used in severe cases of toxic infection and are prescribed exclusively by a doctor.
Step 4. Routine and diet
With a food infection, the patient feels severe weakness. Should be adhered to bed rest and for the first day refuse to eat (if appetite is impaired and the body rejects food).
On the second or third day, you can indulge in jelly, crackers (without poppy seeds, raisins, vanilla or any other additives), as well as liquid mashed potatoes or rolled oats porridge, cooked in water.
With active treatment, symptoms subside - improvement should occur within a few hours. The body finally returns to normal, usually within three days. But abdominal pain, weakness, and flatulence may persist for several more days.
If the main symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, fever) do not decrease and do not go away more than six hours after starting treatment, consult a doctor.
Step 5. Prevention
No one is immune from foodborne infections. But everyone has the power to reduce their risk to a minimum.
- Wash your hands before eating.
- Keep the kitchen clean and follow cooking techniques.
- Be demanding about the quality of products when purchasing. For example, do not buy fish with an ammonia smell and a “rusty” coating. (All recommendations for choosing fish.)
- Do not eat at questionable gastronomic establishments, and do not drink tap water.
Follow these and other precautions and stay healthy!
Food poisoning can occur if you consume low-quality foods or liquids in which microbes or toxins have multiplied. After some time, vomiting, nausea and loose stool. The patient's condition depends on the amount of product consumed and its suitability.
Types of food poisoning are divided into: toxic and infectious. In toxic poisoning, infection occurs when chemicals, heavy metals, poisonous mushrooms and plants. Infectious poisoning is very common, it is caused by various viruses and microbes, infection occurs through food: water, eggs, meat, poorly washed vegetables and fruits, dairy products, preservatives.
Stomach upset can occur even through dirty hands.
At home, it is impossible to determine the exact outbreak of the disease; the patient can only assume why the poisoning occurred. People who are more prone to food poisoning weak immunity and small children, therefore, they take great responsibility to monitor the child’s food and try to give only fresh food, wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
Causes of poisoning
Food poisoning can occur:
Food poisoning often occurs from confectionery products, especially spoiled cream; dairy products; long-stored salads with mayonnaise or sour cream; canned food homemade; mushrooms; seafood; fruits and vegetables treated with pest control chemicals.
Signs of food poisoning
In case of poisoning, symptoms begin within half an hour and continue to be expressed in an intensified manner in the first two days. The phenomenon is dangerous for others; a group outbreak of the disease may occur in a team or family. If symptoms of poisoning do not go away after 24 hours, you should seek help.
When food poisoning occurs, the following symptoms occur:
- the temperature rises sharply;
- lethargy and poor appetite;
- dizziness, spots before the eyes;
- bloating and abdominal pain;
- nausea and vomiting;
- fever or chills;
- low pressure;
- frequent loose stools;
- in severe cases - coma.
Please note that when mild poisoning There may not be diarrhea. But if loose stools appear on the first day, then it’s food poisoning, and if after a few days it’s bacterial. intestinal infection. Typically, such symptoms accompany diseases such as dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever.
In case of severe poisoning, dehydration occurs, symptoms such as lethargy and weakness, dry mouth, dizziness and loose stools appear, and sometimes the temperature may rise. Do not let the disease take its course; complications may occur due to incorrect assistance. With timely and correct treatment, improvement may occur on the second day; the main thing is to take appropriate measures in a timely manner.
Symptoms of severe poisoning
Staphylococcus is most often present in confectionery products; the infection does not in any way affect the taste and color of the food, but after an hour the following signs of poisoning may occur: nausea, vomiting, headache, loose stools, loss of consciousness. In case of fish poisoning, symptoms occur within half an hour. following symptoms: stomach ache, vomiting reflex, movement disorder, shortness of breath.
In case of poisoning with dairy products, especially in the summer, intoxication occurs within 30 minutes. Its first signs: colic, cramps and pain in the stomach, loose stools.
The most dangerous disease, meat poisoning, if medical assistance is not provided in a timely manner, a person may die. Symptoms: fever, chills, gag reflex, loose stools, breathing problems, tachycardia. May appear heat, in this case it is necessary to give antipyretic drugs.
Mushroom poisoning is the most common and severe; intoxication occurs within 20 minutes to 2 hours. Signs: muscle pain, vomiting, loose stools with blood, deterioration in breathing, lethargy, depression blood pressure, delirious state.
Alcohol poisoning occurs immediately and has the following symptoms: vomiting, incoherent speech, weakness, cold sweat, fever or chills, loss of consciousness.
Poisoning food additives are very common, symptoms may appear immediately or after some time - rash, itching, swelling of the face or arms, legs; abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Canned food poisoning has severe consequences and the following symptoms: headache, pain, dryness in oral cavity, thirst, fever, vomiting and loose stools.
When to see a doctor immediately:
- Mushroom poisoning;
- If after eating, weakness occurs, the temperature rises, speech is impaired, shortness of breath appears, and there is no urine for a long time;
- Bloody diarrhea for more than a day;
- A child under 3 years of age or an infant has been poisoned;
- Signs of poisoning appeared in a pregnant woman;
- A person with cancer or HIV has been poisoned;
- Symptoms occurred in few adults or children;
- Signs of dehydration appeared: dry lips, lack of urine, crying without tears;
- The eyes and skin turned yellow;
- Swollen joints and rash all over the body.
First aid for intoxication
In case of minor poisoning, help can be provided at home, and in case of strong signs V mandatory should be called ambulance. Special attention In case of intoxication, attention should be paid to pregnant women and young children; you should not self-medicate; it is better to show it to a doctor so as not to cause further harm.
First of all, you need to rinse the stomach, that is, remove toxins and microbes. To do this, you need to give water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate to drink so that repeated vomiting occurs. They also do a cleansing enema. This technique is suitable for an adult, but children should be given water, mineral water without gas, juice can be given after diluting it with some water. To prevent rapid dehydration of the body, you should give rehydron or saline solution to drink from a spoon.
After a gag reflex, adults are given activated carbon, diluted with water. Drink in small sips to cleanse the body. The dose is calculated as follows: 1 tablet per 10 kilograms. To prevent dehydration, try to drink plenty boiled water take small sips so as not to provoke vomiting.
If the patient faints or worsens, call an ambulance immediately. Severe poisoning may affect internal organs such as the liver. The first symptoms are yellowness in the eyes, the presence of blood in the vomit or loose stool. Do not self-medicate, do not take folk remedies, tinctures, tablets, determine an accurate diagnosis and prescribe correct treatment Only a specialist in this field can do this.
In the hospital, with the help of tests, they will be able to find out the cause of the poisoning: they will examine blood, vomit and loose stools to find the causative agent of the disease. The foods that the patient ate are identified and sent to special authorities for testing. At the first signs of poisoning, you should seek medical attention. medical care, as serious consequences may occur. What type of intoxication can only be determined by a doctor, based on questions and studying the symptoms of the disease. Such dangerous diseases, like botulism and listeriosis, can lead to the death of the patient. Poisoning from home-canned food can have serious consequences.
Diet after illness
After the patient’s condition improves, it is not recommended to immediately turn to the usual food. You need to start drinking various compotes, weak black tea and water, eat cereals cooked in water, vegetable soups, boiled meat, fish and poultry, and crackers. Doctors recommend cooking raisin compote, which contains a lot of potassium, thanks to which the body will recover faster.
Fresh fruits and vegetables should not be consumed at first; it is better to boil them or bake them in the oven. This diet should be followed for a week after recovery, gradually returning to your previous diet. Eat food in moderation, and in no case overload the weakened stomach in order to restore its microflora.
Prevention of poisoning
You should always wash your hands with soap before eating and when preparing food. Especially when in contact with meat and fish products. Do not eat raw eggs, fish, meat, cook until done. Use separate cutting boards for meat products. Store dairy products in the refrigerator. Be sure to wash fruits and vegetables in running water before consuming them, and then rinse them boiled water. Use products that are fresh from the expiration date and store them properly.
Poisoning is manifested by symptoms of general intoxication of the victim: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness and sharp increase temperature. For acute poisoning characterized by impaired coordination of movements and convulsions; in the absence of emergency medical care, complications and even death are possible. Therefore, it is necessary to know the sequence of actions in case of poisoning by various groups of substances.
Getting poisoned by low-quality products is a simple and common thing. The most dangerous from the point of view of the possibility of poisoning are dairy and fermented milk products, meat and semi-finished products. It is recommended not to consume them without preliminary high-quality heat treatment. What to do in case of food poisoning:- Clear your stomach. If there is vomiting, there is no need to stop it. Thus, the body gets rid of the poisons that have entered it on its own. To induce vomiting, you can drink a large number of liquid or press on the root of the tongue.
- It is necessary to take an adsorbent - a drug that will absorb and remove remaining toxins and poison from the body. The most common is Activated Carbon. It has won recognition for its low cost and relative safety; it is used even in the treatment of children aged two years and older. But this drug has a weak detoxification effect, so you need to take several tablets at the same time, equal to 1 piece. per 10 kg of patient weight. Modern drugs, such as “Smecta”, “Atoxil”, “Phospholugel”, “Enterosgel”, “Polysorb”, have a greater detoxification effect with smaller amounts of medication. IN folk medicine To relieve symptoms of body poisoning, decoctions of apple and pomegranate peels are used.
- With vomiting and diarrhea, a person loses a large amount of fluid. It is necessary to increase water consumption to 3-4 liters per day for an adult. It is advisable to drink mineral water without gas or dissolve electrolytes in water: “Regidron”, “Electrolyte Humana”. Drink often in small portions.
- If the condition does not improve or symptoms such as impaired vision, coordination of movements, speech, drooping eyelids, or breathing problems appear, you should immediately call for medical help. If you suspect mushroom poisoning, you also do not need to delay calling a doctor.
- Give salted water to drink (about a liter).
- Induce artificial vomiting.
- Drink the adsorbent.
- Place the patient on his stomach with his head on his side. The victim must not be allowed to fall asleep.
- If you lose consciousness, apply a cotton swab with ammonia to your nose.
- Before help arrives, check the patient’s pulse and breathing. If necessary, perform indirect cardiac massage and artificial respiration.
- Acids: hydrochloric, sulfuric, soldering, nitric, acetic. Symptoms: chemical burns varying degrees lips, mucous surface of the mouth and pharynx, vomiting mixed with blood, increased body temperature, difficulty breathing and swallowing, pain in the burn area, shock is possible. This type of poisoning requires immediate medical attention. Before doctors arrive, carefully rinse accessible areas of the body affected by acid with cool water. Drink cold water little by little, swallow ice cubes, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of soda or furatsilin. You must not allow yourself to vomit - the poison will burn the surface again.
- Alkalis: lime, rare potassium, ammonia (ammonia), sodium hydroxide. Symptoms: green vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, rapid heartbeat. Weak solutions of acids neutralize the effect of alkalis. Drink small portions of milk, orange and lemon juice and, consume sunflower oil and proteins raw eggs. Vomiting, as with acid poisoning, cannot be induced.
- Mercury vapor poisoning. Characteristic symptoms poisonings are metallic taste in the mouth, pain when swallowing, bleeding and swelling of the gums, vomiting, weakness. The patient must be moved to fresh air. Clear the stomach by vomiting. Give water with dissolved sulfur compounds to drink. Take adsorbent.
The main rule for poisoning with any substance is to drink plenty of water. Poisoning is a great stress for the stomach and for the body as a whole. To restore strength, you need to adhere to a strict diet for the next few days. No one is immune from poisoning by certain substances. Knowing the sequence of actions in an emergency situation, you can help yourself, and possibly save another person’s life.
Most cases of poisoning are caused by rapid reproduction in food products Staphylococcus aureus And coli. Poisoning is most often caused by low-quality products with expired expiration date or those that were stored in inappropriate conditions or prepared in violation of sanitary standards.
Poisoning is also often caused by plants collected and consumed through ignorance or carelessness.Test yourself
The first signs of poisoning may appear half an hour after eating low-quality foods, but most often after 4-6 hours, and sometimes after a day.
Typical symptoms of poisoning: diarrhea (watery, foul-smelling stools with undigested food debris), severe nausea, repeated vomiting.
Also characterized by weakness, dizziness, fever, chills, heaviness or painful spasms in the stomach area, flatulence, excessive salivation.
Keep in mind
Most often, poisoning is caused by dairy and fermented milk products, cakes and pastries with cream, glazed cheese curds, soft cheese, boiled sausage, pates, eggs, homemade mayonnaise, salads dressed with mayonnaise or sour cream, tomatoes and tomato juice, soybean sprouts.
First aid
At the first sign food poisoning the patient's stomach must be rinsed to empty it. For rinsing, you can use a weak (pale pink) solution of potassium permanganate, filtered through a paper filter or four-layer gauze.
A solution of baking soda (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of boiled water) or table salt(2 level tablespoons per 5 liters of water).The washing solution must be prepared in advance in the amount of 8-10 liters. It must be warm (temperature - 35-37 °C) in order to prevent hypothermia of the body, as well as slow down intestinal motility, which will slow down the movement of toxic substances through the gastrointestinal tract.
At the first dose, you need to drink from 2-3 to 5-6 glasses, then induce vomiting by irritating the root of the tongue with two fingers.
The washing procedure must be repeated until the flowing water is clean.
We must try to provide the patient with complete rest; if he is shivering, wrap him up warmly.
The first day is better to abstain from food, on the second day you can introduce broth, pureed vegetable soups with rice, mucous decoctions, gradually expanding the menu. Until complete recovery, you should avoid pickled, spicy, salty and smoked products, which irritate the gastric mucosa. The patient is recommended to drink boiled water, weak sweet tea, berry fruit drinks, and jelly. Carbonated drinks are prohibited.
On a note
In case of poisoning, enterosorbents are taken. These drugs bind and remove toxins, poisons, germs and bacteria from the body, preventing toxic substances from entering the blood. They help relieve symptoms of poisoning and normalize a person’s condition.
To prevent dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea, special saline solutions, replenishing fluid loss and restoring acid-base balance, impaired due to loss of electrolytes. They are usually produced in the form of powders, which must be diluted in a liter of hot boiled water. The resulting solution in an amount of 10 ml/kg body weight should be drunk after each loose stool in small sips, spreading the portion over an hour.
If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, then after each attack of vomiting an additional solution of 10 ml/kg of body weight should be taken.By the way
In case of poisoning (including food poisoning, but especially with drugs or alcohol), the liver suffers, because it is this organ that has to neutralize toxins and remove them from the body. Restore normal work The liver is helped by hepatoprotective drugs - herbal or containing essential phospholipids.
Also, to improve liver function, dietary supplements are used containing lecithin, amino acids, antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, selenium and chromium, polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3.
To the doctor!
Most often, the symptoms of poisoning go away on their own within a week, just symptomatic treatment. However, in some cases, poisoning is dangerous. Be sure to seek medical help if:
- against the background of intestinal and gastric disorders, the patient experiences a severe headache, painful sensations in the area of the kidneys, liver or other internal organs;
- the patient has a high temperature, heavy sweating, feeling of suffocation;
- got poisoned Small child or old man;
- there is a suspicion that you have been poisoned by mushrooms;
- stored for two days severe vomiting, diarrhea;
- symptoms of poisoning last longer than a week.
SOS!
Poisoning with home canned food is especially dangerous, in which, due to violations of cooking technologies, botulinum toxin has been formed, causing serious disease- botulism.
Symptoms
: increasing muscle weakness, frequent shallow breathing, dilated pupils, muscle paresis or paralysis, dry mouth, vomiting, loose stools, visual impairment, speech impairment, lack of facial expressions, pale skin.The muscles of the eyes and larynx are affected first, then the respiratory muscles. Botulism can lead to fatal outcome, therefore, if you suspect it, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Prevention
The best prevention of food poisoning is compliance with hygiene rules when preparing food, proper storage of food and basic vigilance.
Pay attention to the color, smell and taste of food. An unpleasant putrid smell, a sour taste, and a tingling sensation on the tongue should alert you. A sign that the product is spoiled may be a change in its consistency or the appearance of mucus on its surface.
Without regret, throw away moldy foods, spoiled vegetables and fruits, even if only a tiny barrel, swollen cans and bags of juices or dairy products have rotted.
A jar “rolled up” with an iron lid should open with a characteristic pop, indicating that it was sealed hermetically. If there was no cotton, the canned food should not be eaten.
When purchasing, be sure to check the production dates and shelf life of the products, and the integrity of the packaging.
Check your refrigerator regularly.
Do not buy ready-made salads dressed with mayonnaise: they spoil very quickly.Observe the temperature conditions for cooking food.
Wash vegetables and fruits, dishes and cutlery, and hands thoroughly before eating and preparing food.
Before breaking an egg, wash it with soap.
Change kitchen towels and dishwashing sponges more often, because they accumulate pathogenic bacteria.
Get some cutting boards. Greens, vegetables and fruits, cheeses and sausages should not be cut on a board on which raw meat and fish were cut.
Do not store raw meat and fish and prepared foods in the same compartment of the refrigerator.
Don't prepare a lot of food for future use. Prepared foods should not be stored in the refrigerator for longer than three days.
Be picky when choosing food outlets.
| Drugs | |
Remember, self-medication is life-threatening, seek advice regarding the use of any medicines consult a doctor.
At the first symptoms of food poisoning, try to limit all possible movements. Next you need to start cleaning. Thus, the substances that caused the poisoning will not penetrate further. Proven and effective remedy- Activated carbon. It should always be in your home medicine cabinet.
These tablets are taken at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight. If your weight is 50 kg, you should take 5 tablets activated carbon washed down exclusively with water.
A weak solution of potassium permanganate, although unpleasant in taste, can disinfect the stomach and suffering. The nausea should subside soon. However, this is not a reason to take a break from treatment. To quickly get rid of food debris, you can induce vomiting yourself. The unpleasant and painful process of gastric lavage is the main way to rapid recovery body.
As first aid for food poisoning, your first aid kit should always include: “Smecta”, “No-shpa”, “Polifepan”, “Regidron” or others.
Remember: when the patient is on food, complete rest. It would also be a good idea to apply a towel soaked in water to your forehead. cold water.
After acute food poisoning (vomiting) has passed, try to sleep. After 3-5 hours the patient should feel significantly better. But this is not a complete recovery. Already at the first symptoms of food poisoning, you need to drink as much as possible more water. It will remove all toxic substances from the body.
Naturally, the first day after food poisoning you must remain calm. You shouldn't binge on food as soon as you feel better. Remember: the diet in this case must be special.
On the first day, under no circumstances should you eat fried and stewed foods, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. During this period, low-fat chicken broth and sweet, strong tea are perfect. Try not to overload your stomach. The next day, you can add porridge in water to the menu with the addition of small quantity salt and sugar.
You should try to eat only light foods throughout the week. These can be vegetable soups, various cereals, vegetables, boiled eggs. Carefully monitor the freshness of the foods you eat. This way you will protect yourself from possible food poisoning.