Symptoms of poisoning from spoiled food. What to do if you have food poisoning in an adult? Symptoms and treatment at home. The reasons that most often provoke this disease

Food poisoning is one of the most unpleasant conditions. Everything hurts - stomach, intestines, temperature rises, bones ache, etc. The degree of departure can be so strong that it is impossible to do without medical intervention.

What nuances do you need to know about food poisoning, what to do in case of food poisoning, and how to help yourself or a loved one before the doctor arrives? Let's figure it out.

Generally speaking, food poisoning is a disruption of the normal functioning of human organs due to the ingestion of poisonous or toxic substances.

Food poisoning can be divided according to severity at several stages.

Moderate stage. Occurs when a small amount of a toxic substance enters the body. Manifests itself in the form of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, sometimes a slight increase in temperature is possible.
Acute stage. It is characterized by sudden and severe damage to the body and the rapid onset of symptoms. Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea - all these consequences appear quickly and abundantly within a short period of time.
Hyperacute poisoning. The most severe case of large amounts of poison entering the body. The consequences are extremely serious - depressed consciousness or its complete loss, seizures, convulsions, respiratory arrest.
Chronic poisoning. With prolonged exposure to small amounts of toxic substances, for example, with constant consumption of unsuitable foods, this type of disease is also possible. General passivity, drowsiness, malaise in the gastrointestinal tract, unhealthy complexion, nausea indicate chronic poisoning. Moreover, over time, a person’s well-being only worsens until the disease becomes acute.

Despite its sufficient prevalence, food poisoning remains a kind of blank spot in our lives. This happens for two reasons.

Firstly, the symptoms of poisoning are very extensive and characteristic of many other diseases, which means that diagnosis becomes difficult.

Secondly, and this is entirely on the conscience of the patients themselves, we often neglect what we eat. Snacks on the road, strange cafes, food of dubious quality, unsanitary conditions - nothing stops us from snacking.

The general signs of poisoning are known to many, but not everyone knows what symptoms are characteristic of this or that type of phenomenon.

To provide effective targeted assistance, it is necessary to take into account the following classification of poisonings.

Bacterial damage. Occurs when consuming food contaminated with E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. This poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms - vomiting, severe intestinal colic, diarrhea. Moreover, it should be taken into account that the listed consequences occur quite quickly after eating low-quality food - on average after 1-2 hours.
Chemical poisoning. To give an appetizing “fresh” appearance, many vegetables and fruits are treated with special chemical compounds. Or similar chemicals are already present inside the fruits, since synthetic fertilizers were used in large quantities when growing them. Such poisoning manifests itself as follows: dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, profuse salivation and sweating, pain in the stomach, blurred vision. Symptoms of chemical poisoning appear very quickly, within an hour.
Botulism. Fans of canned and pickled foods should be extremely careful. Microorganisms that appear in sealed jars can cause death. Botulism appears 10-15 hours after eating foods. The central nervous system bears the brunt of botulism. A person’s visual and speech functions sharply deteriorate, dry mouth appears and swallowing reflexes become difficult, followed by nausea and vomiting.

Any of the listed poisonings can be easy, but can cost your health and even your life. Do not waste precious time; if several signs of one or another poisoning appear, call an ambulance.

Treatment of food poisoning

Treatment of the disease is carried out in several stages.

First of all, This is gastric lavage. It is imperative to remove the toxic element from the body.
Secondly, it is necessary to take sorbent substances.
Thirdly, it is necessary to restore the water-salt balance. During gastric lavage and due to diarrhea and vomiting, a person loses a large amount of fluid that needs to be restored.
Final stage– restorative preventive procedures.

In case of severe poisoning, a person is placed in a hospital for several days, where he undergoes all the necessary procedures.

The question arises: they called an ambulance, but what should they do: sit back and wait? Of course not. It is necessary to provide the most comfortable conditions for the patient and help him with everything possible ways. What to do if you are poisoned at home?

As in the case of inpatient treatment, gastric lavage will be the first aid at home. But if the conditions of a medical institution allow the use of special devices for this procedure, then at home you will have to cope with improvised means.

In case of poisoning at home, it is necessary to induce vomiting artificially. To do this, you need to give the patient a weak solution of potassium permanganate or soda (15 g per liter) to drink and press the root of the tongue with two fingers. Repeat the procedure two or three times.

After the initial cleansing, it is necessary to get rid of remaining toxins as quickly as possible. Good for this activated carbon. It should be taken at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of patient weight.

Next, you need to provide the patient with plenty of fluids. You should drink salted water, weak tea, compotes, fruit drinks. However, it is better to avoid eating on the first day. And after recovery, start your diet with low-fat dietary and gentle foods - purees, dairy-free cereals, jelly, crackers.

After treatment, the patient requires rest and bed rest until complete recovery.

Prevention

The phrase has already been mentioned more than once and is familiar to everyone - it is better to prevent than to treat. Of course, it is wiser not to bring the situation to a critical point. To prevent food poisoning, you should follow a few simple rules.

Follow your diet. By consuming food at a strictly defined time, you will save yourself from attacks of wild hunger, during which a person is able to eat anything and in large quantities.
Eat at home. Homemade food is the safest and healthiest. But if there is no way to eat homemade food, then visit only proven public catering places.
Drink plenty of fluids. Water helps get rid of toxins and poisons, so its consumption will be useful not only for those who have already been poisoned, but also as a preventive measure.
Buy products at trusted mass outlets - hypermarkets, markets, fairs. Tents with vegetables and fruits standing alone by the road are not the most reliable supplier of healthy products.

Mother of two children. I have been running a house for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.

People quite often prefer to be treated at home, and for any disease, if their condition is not completely critical, and during food poisoning, treatment at home is more the norm than the exception.

Poisoning itself is an acute disorder in the digestive system, a malfunction of the intestines and stomach, which is caused by the ingestion of low-quality or spoiled products.

It is not at all difficult to recognize this unpleasant illness; it is difficult to ignore it. But quite often, especially in the summer, people confuse it with a simple intestinal ailment.

Signs

Of course, the clinical picture of this unpleasant disease may have individual characteristics, depending on the health, the toxin that has entered the body and, mainly, the age of the affected person. But general symptoms and the signs of food poisoning in children and adults are the same:

prolonged severe nausea, the person literally “throws up”;
muscle spasms in the stomach and intestines;
uncontrollable vomiting;
diarrhea or diarrhea with pain in the intestines and a specific “sick” smell;
rapid increase in body temperature;
general weakness, especially in children, it can be difficult to simply get out of bed;
dizziness, sometimes incoordination and fainting, which is caused by dehydration;
a sharp drop in pressure, this is typical mainly for older people;
shaking, convulsions and other manifestations of dysfunction nervous system caused by general destabilization in the body.

Types of poisoning

Before taking independent actions aimed at treating food poisoning and their consequences, you need to remember that the classification of this disease involves two types:

Acute food toxicosis and toxicological infections.
Toxic species poisoning.

People get the first type of illness due to the fault of low-quality or expired, spoiled products, food contaminated with various microorganisms. Often, food poisoning of a microbial or bacteriological type can occur as a “response” to failure to comply with normal hygiene and basic sanitation, such as washing hands before eating.

This is what becomes common cause poisoning from snacks along the way, fast food products, all kinds of burgers, shawarma and the rest of the range of stalls. It is quite possible to cope with this type of illness on your own, consulting a doctor only when necessary, if the digestive disorder is extremely severe.

Poisoning of non-microbial origin, belonging to the second type, occurs when poisons and toxic toxic substances enter the body, for example, when eating inedible mushrooms, berries or chemicals, the same tablets.

If you think that the disorder may be due to precisely these reasons, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Intoxication that is not bacterial in nature cannot be treated at home, only under the supervision of specialists in a hospital setting.

Also, if poisoning occurs during breastfeeding Both mother and baby require professional medical assistance. This situation does not allow self-medication, since it can cause harm to both mother and baby.

First aid

When faced with misfortune, people are often lost and cannot immediately figure out what to do and what to do first in case of food poisoning.

The main thing for first aid for food poisoning is to rinse the victim’s stomach. While the stomach is full of those responsible for the disorder food products, intoxication of the human body continues and his condition, accordingly, worsens.

Freeing your body from leftover food is quite simple:

drink from one and a half to two liters of warm water;
wait a few minutes;
induce vomiting;
repeat until food stops coming out.

Instead of empty water, it makes sense to use a manganese solution; it helps additionally by disinfecting the stomach and walls of the esophagus. It is important that the resulting mixture is light, that is, the main thing when preparing this solution is not to overdo it with the amount of potassium permanganate.

For adults – a tablespoon per couple of liters of warm water.
A child has a dessert spoon or one and a half teaspoons per two liters, but the baby will drink only a liter at a time to induce vomiting.

The point of using soda is that it washes away the mucous membrane that already contains toxins from the walls of the esophagus and stomach. But quite a lot of people cannot tolerate soda, and if its amount in the solution is exaggerated, there is a risk of causing gastritis.

Treatment

After the stomach is washed out, it is necessary to begin treatment. The main treatment for food poisoning at home is taking sorbents.

The most famous, accessible and in demand of them is, of course, activated carbon. The composition of this unique and very ancient medicine is completely of natural origin:

coke products;
recycled wood;
shells of walnuts, hazelnuts, coconuts and other nuts.

This sorbent can be given to pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding (BF), can be given to a child. But, like any medicine, it is important to calculate the dosage correctly.

This drug is dosed simply - 1 tablet for every 10 kg of a person’s weight, for pregnant and lactating women 1.5 carbon pucks per 10 kg.

There is also nothing complicated about how to treat coal poisoning:

Calculate the required number of tablets, taking into account the weight and general condition sick person.
Mash the charcoal, dilute the resulting powder in half a glass of warm water; a larger volume of water will provoke nausea.
Drink the medicine 4-6 times a day for three days, and in the future, depending on the patient’s well-being, the longest time to remove toxic substances and normalize digestion is one week.

It is not necessary to crush the tablets, but given the esophagus weakened by vomiting and difficulties in the swallowing reflex, it will be easier for the sick person to take the solution than hard washers.

Situational tasks arising from any illness sometimes require quick solution, even if it's an eating disorder. For a quick, safe solution to the problem that does not require bed rest, you can take a sorbent alternative to the usual coal - white coal.

Its dosage is for an adult from 2 to 5 tablets at a time, 2-3 times a day; when taking it, you need to focus on the severity of the condition.

Here's what else you need to take during treatment at home for a faster recovery:

lactofiltrum;
smecta;
enterosgel.

These medications also have a sorbing effect, and they should be taken according to the instructions included with the medications. However, no matter what medications are chosen, you should always read the paragraphs in the annotations that tell you how the drugs are combined with each other.

After the first necessary aid has been provided, treatment has been determined and started, a number of other questions arise:

When and what you can eat after poisoning.
After how many hours does the effect of treatment appear?
What else needs to be done to help a poisoned body.

The answer to these questions is also simple.

As a rule, on the first day, the patient does not want and cannot eat. To maintain the body, it will be very useful to drink vegetable or cereal broths, without spices, slightly salted.

As soon as a symptom such as vomiting goes away, you need to start eating - liquid mashed potatoes, the same gruel from other vegetables, liquid porridge with water - rice or buckwheat. Food should be lean, without oil or flavorings, and easy to swallow and digest.

Experts do not have a consensus on how to eat on the first day after poisoning and at the beginning of the second day, but they agree on the prohibitions:

You can't do anything extreme - pickles or marinades will lead to severe cramps.
All dairy foods are prohibited - it will return diarrhea and nausea.

Gradually, as your health improves, food should become more familiar. Usually, by the end of the week, nutrition after poisoning is no longer relevant.

What can you eat after poisoning and what is better to drink:

Teas without sugar.
Cereal and vegetable broths without oil and spices.
Liquid vegetable purees and porridges.
Decoctions of chamomile, rose hips or St. John's wort.
Mineral water without gas.
Crackers or cookies without butter, sugar, additives - homemade is better.
Blueberry or cherry jelly, preferably unsweetened.
By the end of the third day, boiled chicken and chicken broth.

Not allowed in the first 3-4 days:

Dairy.
Meat.
Eggs.
Salted and pickled.
Apples and other fruits.

A mandatory part of the patient’s diet is drinking, because the intoxication process leads to severe dehydration. It is very good to drink a decoction of rosehip berries often in small quantities - this is a product that helps to recover and has an independent healing effect.

Preventive measures

Prevention of food poisoning and intestinal infections becomes relevant for any person who has at least once experienced very unpleasant moments of food or drink poisoning.

The actions you need to take on a subconscious level and make a habit are simple:

Wash your hands before eating and preparing it, while cooking, when changing food, after returning from outside or visiting the toilet.
During the hot season, it is better to use disposable paper towels in the kitchen or change fabric towels daily.
Carefully read the expiration dates and storage conditions of all purchased products; for example, many ketchup spoil without refrigeration.
It is good to work on meat, poultry, fish and eggs - a steak with blood, of course, is beautiful, but it can put you in bed with a diagnosis, after which a completely unromantic pastime ensues.
Do not forget to change the washing sponges without waiting for them to wear out, but it is better to wash the dishes with brushes, which are then rinsed to remove food residues.
Ensure and make a habit of hygiene and sanitation not only in the kitchen, but in general in everyday life and behavior.
Do not eat in questionable establishments or on the go, with dirty hands.
Do not drink juices whose packaging is swollen.

Food poisoning and its prevention today are a hot topic for doctors, teachers in schools, educators and nannies in kindergartens and simply in many families. However, it is important not only to know preventive measures, but also to follow them in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Video: food poisoning.

Foodborne infections

However, just like poisoning, symptoms of any of the following diseases may appear:

Dysentery.
Salmonellosis.
Botulism.
Orthoviruses.
Stomach flu.
Enteroviruses.
Rotaviruses.
Typhoid fever.

These diseases require hospitalization, but their first manifestations are disguised as simple poisoning from spoiled food. You need to start worrying and call doctors if:

vomiting that does not go away for more than three hours despite all measures taken;
diarrhea with blood;
diarrhea lasting more than six hours;
raising the temperature to 38 and not falling below 37 during the day;
persistent severe pain in the intestines;
progressive weakness and fainting.

Also, doctors should always be called immediately for children under five years of age, pregnant women and very elderly people.

Although food poisoning can be successfully treated at home, it is always better to be on the safe side and avoid it by practicing basic sanitation and exercise normal caution.

Food poisoning is a name that combines acute digestive disorders caused by food and drinks of poor quality.

General symptoms

The following symptoms are typical for all food poisoning:

nausea;
vomit;
diarrhea;
general weakness, apathy;
loss of appetite;
pale skin (easily identified by the color of the lips and face);
sharp pain in the epigastric region or abdomen;
increased sweating;
dehydration;
slight increase in temperature (37.5–38.0).

Symptoms of food poisoning can appear either a couple of hours after eating or the next day, depending on the type of poison present and individual characteristics. In young children, symptoms occur more quickly and are more severe than in adults. When the first symptoms of food poisoning appear, the patient’s condition cannot be ignored, but immediate first aid must be provided.

You cannot do without calling a doctor if you have the following symptoms:

symptoms of intoxication do not go away within two or more hours;
body temperature stays at 39 and above;
there was a very sharp pain in the abdomen, severe cramps;
traces of blood are visible in the stool or urine;
a skin rash appears on the body;
inflammation and pain in the joints;
the patient is unconscious;
headache started;
the patient's stomach became hard to the touch and swollen;
the victim has difficulty swallowing and has increased breathing;
you suspect, berries or.

In particularly severe symptoms, increased drooling, impaired muscle tone, double vision, and decreased urine volume are likely.

Classification and features of food poisoning

While you wait for the doctor, try to figure out the source of the toxins to make diagnosis and treatment easier. Food that the victim has consumed should not be thrown away under any circumstances - it must be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Save a small amount in an airtight container.

There are two types of food poisoning.

Infectious poisoning is caused by viruses, microbes, protozoa, as well as the results of their vital activity in food. Such poisoning occurs due to non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards, violation of the rules of preparation and storage of food. The concentration of microbes in food should be quite high (over 10 thousand units per gram of product).

Until the symptoms of food poisoning are clarified, the victim must be isolated from other family members, providing him with separate cutlery and dishes. It is advisable to treat the most frequently used items in the house (for example, door handles) with a disinfectant.

Ignore the symptoms and do nothing.
Treat the patient traditional methods– herbal decoctions, tinctures.
Give the victim antibiotics and other medications without consulting a doctor.
Drink alcohol.

Possible consequences

The consequences of food poisoning depend on several factors: the type of toxic substances, the severity, and the time of assistance.

Women are especially dangerous. Some types of microbes are able to penetrate the placental barrier and cause harm to the fetus.

Food poisoning can cause illness.

Dysentery (caused by the Shigella bacterium) is a severe intoxication, characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause ruptures;

Salmonellosis (caused by Salmonella) – affects gastrointestinal tract, subsequently causes chronic renal failure;

Escherichiasis - disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to the development of acute enterocolitis and enteritis;

– one of the most dangerous types of intoxication, it can cause irreversible pathologies of the nervous system, and even death.

Non-infectious food poisoning is no less dangerous and can worsen the functioning of all body systems. Thus, it destroys liver cells and leads to toxic hepatitis and acute renal failure. The least possible evil is dysbiosis, which can be eliminated by prescribing an appropriate diet. Full recovery from any food intoxication should be under medical supervision.

10 rules of prevention

To avoid food poisoning, try to adhere to preventive measures:

Be conscious about choosing where to purchase your products. You should not buy them at spontaneous markets, in subway passages, or stalls. This is especially true for meat, fish, milk and other perishable ingredients.
Check expiration dates before purchasing. Often dishonest sellers counterfeit labels. If in doubt, request confirmation (receipt note for the shipment of goods) or choose another store.
Don't buy alcohol without a license.
Avoid so-called “dangerous products” - wild mushrooms, if you are unsure of their quality, raw eggs, perishable and fatty foods in the summer heat. Follow a proper diet.
Wash fruits and vegetables before eating.
Keep cutting boards, knives, and utensils clean, especially after processing raw meat. Change your kitchen towel regularly and eliminate insects from your home.
Store cooked dishes in the refrigerator for no more than three days, and if an unpleasant odor appears, throw them away. Even long-term heat treatment is not capable of destroying all types of pathogenic microorganisms.
Always filter and boil your drinking water.
Monitor the integrity of the cookware - scratched enamel or non-stick coating can add heavy metals to your diet.
Observe the rules of personal hygiene and teach them to all family members, regardless of age.

Symptoms of food poisoning can vary depending on what exactly triggered the toxicosis. However, in most cases they are similar. How does food poisoning manifest?

Causes of poisoning

Food poisoning is the most common. Such intoxications are repeatedly diagnosed in children and adults. Why is food overdose possible? There are several reasons that provoke this phenomenon.

Why does it happen:

Consumption of products with bad expiration dates. After the end of this date, the structure of food often changes and harmful microorganisms multiply in it, releasing toxic substances.
Poor quality heat treatment of some products. Without exposure to high temperatures, harmful bacteria remain in food and enter the human body.
Meat products and eggs may contain bacteria that cause signs of poisoning.
Failure to comply with the rules for storing prepared meals and other food.
Poisoning with inedible mushrooms is common when a person consumes them unknowingly.
Infection with the botulism virus is possible when consuming low-quality preserves. This microorganism causes damage to the nervous and digestive systems.
You cannot re-freeze food. This action leads to disruption of the food structure and promotes the growth of bacteria.
Poisoning can be caused by cooking food without following hygiene rules - dirty hands, poorly washed fruits and vegetables, unclean dishes.
People with an intestinal infection should not cook food due to the fact that they are carriers of harmful bacteria.

Thus, food poisoning is possible for various reasons.

Symptoms and clinical picture

Food poisoning is characterized by the manifestation of certain symptoms that are difficult to miss. What is recommended to pay attention to?

Signs:

Pain in the head. Often accompanied by paleness of the skin, weakness, and dizziness.
Painful sensations in the abdomen. They can be diagnosed in one part or over the entire area. In some cases, there are spasmodic manifestations throughout the intestines.
Nausea and urge to vomit. They are present in almost any food poisoning. Vomiting cannot be stopped by any means; the body independently tries to get rid of toxins. After the release of food debris, the patient experiences relief. When intoxicated with mushrooms, vomiting develops due to irritation of the vomiting center. Emptying the stomach in this case does not bring relief.
Intestinal disorder. Many food overdoses are accompanied by intestinal upset and severe diarrhea. The victim has increased gas formation, spasmodic manifestations in the abdomen, and the presence of blood in the stool.
Increase in temperature. Occurs as a result of the spread of toxins in the body. Can reach high levels.
In case of poisoning, rapid heartbeat is often diagnosed, which occurs as a result of the effects of toxins on the body.
There is a disturbance in the respiratory process, and the patient may develop shortness of breath.
The person becomes lethargic, apathetic, lethargic, and has no appetite.

The appearance of such symptoms is a reason to provide first aid to the victim.

Clinical picture

Foodborne infections have a short incubation period reaching six hours. Symptoms appear intensely. In case of severe poisoning, the first signs appear half an hour to an hour after consuming a low-quality product.

Symptoms of botulism are diagnosed after a couple of days, mushroom poisoning after fifteen minutes.

When pathogenic organisms enter the body, irritation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines occurs. The result is organ dysfunction digestive system. Toxic substances begin to spread throughout the body through the blood, leading to the development of poisoning.

Possible complications of intoxication

What can cause severe food poisoning? There are a number of complications that interfere with rapid recovery.

What's stopping you:

Pancreatitis. Inflammation of the pancreas is accompanied by severe abdominal pain and fever. The acute phase can only be cured surgically.
Gastritis. The penetration of harmful bacteria into the stomach can cause irritation of the mucous membrane. The presence of heartburn, pain, and high temperature is noted.
In middle-aged children, the amount of ketone bodies in the blood may increase. The child's urine smells like acetone and there is bad breath. Provokes inflammatory process in the pancreas.
With severe dehydration, infectious-toxic shock may occur. Characterized by a sharp decrease in blood pressure, breathing problems, and loss of consciousness.
When poisoned by mushrooms, the kidneys malfunction. The patient is diagnosed with severe swelling, inability to pass urine, and yellowing of the skin.
People with stomach problems may experience bleeding from the stomach. The vomit turns black, the skin becomes cold, and the blood pressure drops.
Malfunctions of the liver are not uncommon with. The victim has nausea, pain in the right side, and fever.

Similar complications are possible with severe food intoxication.

First aid and treatment of poisoning

If symptoms of food poisoning appear, first aid must be provided to the victim as quickly as possible. A set of specific actions is carried out aimed at quickly removing toxic substances from the body and restoring overall functionality.

Actions:

First of all, a medical team is called. If this option is not available, the victim is sent to the hospital on their own.
At home, it is possible to alleviate the condition by performing gastric lavage. The person is given several glasses of water and then vomited. The procedure is carried out until the emerging water is clean.
In some cases, the use of laxatives and cleansing enemas are allowed.
After cleansing the stomach of a toxic product, the patient is given a drink that promotes the rapid removal of residual toxins from the body.
To avoid dehydration, it is necessary to give the victim more fluids to drink - clean water, unsweetened tea. You need to drink often, in small sips.
It is recommended to use the drug. It will help restore the water-salt balance and prevent the development of dehydration.
If a person is unconscious, they are placed on their side and the position of their tongue is monitored. Gastric lavage is not performed.

Correctly and timely first aid will help you quickly cope with unpleasant symptoms and avoid negative consequences. In children, food intoxication occurs in a more severe form. Mild poisoning can be treated at home, following all doctor's prescriptions.

In severe cases, treatment is carried out in the department of a medical institution. Various medications are prescribed aimed at restoring the functionality of organs and systems; if necessary, resuscitation is carried out in case of poisoning, and antibiotics are used.

Irritation, a feeling of sand in the eyes, redness are only minor inconveniences with impaired vision. Scientists have proven that decreased vision in 92% of cases ends in blindness.

Crystal Eyes is the best remedy for restoring vision at any age.

IN recovery period proper nutrition and vitamin therapy are required. It is recommended to take medications that restore intestinal microflora. The recovery process depends on the patient’s condition and the degree of poisoning.

Consequences and prevention

In most cases, symptoms of food poisoning go away within a couple of days. Without causing negative consequences. However, in severe cases, exacerbation is possible chronic diseases, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver. Botulism and poisonous mushrooms can cause death. In case of severe intoxication with products, disturbances of consciousness, comatose states, and disruptions in the functioning of the cardiac system are not excluded.

To avoid food intoxication, it is recommended to follow preventive measures.

Measures:

Do not eat foods with bad dates,
Before eating food, check its quality,
Follow food storage rules
Prepare dishes in clean dishes, with clean hands,
It is good to wash all dishes after raw meat,
Cook food if required.

Food poisoning can cause a lot of trouble for a person. It is recommended to follow preventive measures. If unpleasant signs appear, you must provide first aid and go to a medical facility.

Video: top causes of food poisoning

In case of intoxication, it is important to begin taking measures aimed at removing harmful substances from the body as early as possible, so the question of what drugs can be taken in case of poisoning at home is very relevant.

Why you can get food poisoning

Food intoxication is generally understood as a dysfunction of organs and systems caused by the ingestion of toxins or poisons. By severity There are three types of poisoning: severe, moderate and mild.

The most common pathogens include:

Clostridium perfringens, enters the body as a result of poor-quality processing of meat, poultry, and fish;
Stophylococcus aureus actively reproduces at room temperature. The most likely habitats are salads, fermented milk products, cakes, pates, sauces;
Bacillus cereus, all perishable products that have not been stored at temperatures up to 6 ° C are susceptible.

Particularly dangerous natural and chemical toxins that can cause food poisoning in domestic conditions are contained in poisonous mushrooms and berries, low-quality, expired food products. Poisoning can also be caused by carelessly washed fruits and vegetables that have previously been treated with pesticides used to fertilize plants. Alcohol and surrogates can also be included in this category. Thus, there are known cases of death from methyl alcohol poisoning. Food chemical intoxication occurs when vinegar enters the stomach.

Symptoms of food poisoning:

Bacterial: vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and colic, diarrhea.
Viral: fever, chills, trembling, stomach pain, vomiting, fever.
Chemical: increased sweating, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, pain in the eye area.
Botulism: the central nervous system is affected, vomiting, dry mouth, and weakness appear.

If you suspect food poisoning, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if it concerns children. However, the opportunity to receive medical care is not always available.

In case of acute pathology, it is necessary to take emergency measures, including gastric lavage, taking sorbent drugs and restoring the water-salt balance. Of great importance is the organization of the correct dietary nutrition. Final stage treatment – restorative procedures, including taking multivitamin complexes. As a rule, recovery occurs within 3-5 days.

Clinical picture of food poisoning

The first symptoms of the disease appear during the first 2-6 hours after eating contaminated or low-quality food. In case of severe food poisoning, clinical signs may develop in the first hours.

Please note that in the case of botulism, the first signs of the disease may develop within 1-2 days.

In case of food poisoning, the following symptoms develop:

nausea followed by vomiting. Vomit may consist of remnants of food, bile, and gastric juice. Vomiting brings temporary relief, but then nausea returns;
abdominal pain can be localized in the stomach or be like intestinal colic;
An increase in body temperature is possible with an intestinal infection or with the development of inflammatory complications such as gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis. With salmonellosis it can rise to 39.5 degrees;
diarrhea develops in the first hours of the disease. With salmonellosis, the stool is foamy and greenish, and with dysentery, the stool is watery and streaked with blood. Diarrhea may be accompanied by abdominal cramps. profuse diarrhea leads to a rapid increase in dehydration;
flatulence and increased discharge of gases are accompanied by pain in the intestinal area;
general weakness and dizziness accompany intoxication syndrome. The patient becomes lethargic and drowsy;
tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), hypotension (low blood pressure) are signs of the toxic effect of food and fluid loss on the body. Poisoning with certain types of mushrooms may cause an increase in blood pressure. With severe dehydration, the pulse becomes weak and arrhythmic;
breathing problems develop when the body is intoxicated. The person breathes quickly, shallowly, complains of shortness of breath;
convulsions throughout the body, similar to an epileptic seizure, are characteristic of damage to the nervous system by toxins. This is possible due to intoxication with mushrooms, fish, alcohol;
impaired consciousness, deep coma are signs of a serious condition of the patient. They develop in acute poisoning, infectious-toxic shock.

Please note that in small children the condition worsens faster than in adults. It is very difficult for their body to cope with toxins and loss of fluid and electrolytes.

Why is food poisoning dangerous?

Many people are accustomed to considering food poisoning as a non-dangerous and trivial condition for which there is no need to seek medical help. Indeed, mild poisoning in most cases does not pose a danger to human life, but only a doctor, after examining the patient, can specifically assess the severity of the disease and the patient's condition.

The following are conditions that often develop against the background of severe food poisoning:

Infectious-toxic shock is a condition caused by severe intoxication and excessive loss of fluid. Shock is accompanied by disruption cardiovascular system, breathing, brain and kidneys.
Acute gastritis develops with severe stomach poisoning by toxins. The mucous membrane of this organ becomes inflamed. The patient's temperature rises and his condition worsens.
Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The patient feels unbearable girdle pain in the abdomen, he experiences uncontrollable vomiting, the level of glucose in the blood may decrease and bruises may appear on the skin near the navel. The temperature rises above 38 degrees. This condition requires urgent surgical intervention.
Acute renal dysfunction is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of urine, swelling, and lower back pain.
Gastrointestinal bleeding is a complication of food poisoning that often occurs in patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer. Black vomiting and stool develop, severe weakness, pale skin, tachycardia.

Cleansing the body

These procedures are necessary, and it is with them that treatment for food poisoning should begin. The purpose of the manipulation is to help the stomach get rid of food debris that has caused intoxication and harmful toxins.

Even if poisoning is accompanied by severe vomiting, this is not enough to completely cleanse the body. It will have to be induced naturally using a special solution.

Washing should take place in the following order:

Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (the water should be pale pink). If potassium permanganate is not available, you can use regular baking soda (1 tablespoon per 2 liters of boiled water at room temperature).
Drink 300-400 ml of solution.
Induce vomiting artificially by pressing your fingers on the root of the tongue.
Repeat the procedure several more times. The number of doses of the solution drunk at one time should be at least 500 ml.

During the first vomiting, the bulk of the food will be released, but gastric lavage can be stopped only when the liquid ejected from the stomach becomes absolutely clean and transparent.

The absence of the urge to vomit means that the product that caused the poisoning has moved from the stomach to the intestines. In this case, the washing procedure is no longer effective and pointless.

Diarrhea, like vomiting, is nothing more than the body’s protective reaction to toxins entering the gastrointestinal tract. Some patients make a common mistake - they try to medicines, for example, imodium and its analogues, stop this phenomenon. It should be understood that diarrhea is the fastest and most effective way get rid of harmful substances. Retention of feces will lead to the fact that the processes of absorption of toxic poisons and their decay will continue, therefore, the patient’s condition will worsen. The question of taking antidiarrheal medications can only be decided by the attending physician.

If the patient does not have diarrhea, it must be induced with laxatives or an enema. But folk remedies, which can cause diarrhea, it is better not to use so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.

Reception of sorbents

The next step in the treatment of food poisoning is the introduction of sorbent drugs into the body. The action of these products is aimed at absorbing harmful elements., contained in the stomach, and their rapid elimination.

The most common sorbent used for intoxication is activated carbon. This medicine in the form of standard black tablets can be found in any home medicine cabinet and is an excellent remedy for poisoning. Coal should be used at the rate of one tablet per 10 kilograms of weight. The medicine can be taken in two ways: chewed and washed down with plenty of liquid or diluted in boiled water.

In case of poisoning, you can also take white activated carbon, available in tablets or powder. It is believed that, unlike black, it removes toxins, but does not affect the beneficial elements found in the body.

Another advantage of the white sorbent is the dosage: 2-3 tablets are enough (depending on the age and individual characteristics of the patient, the degree of poisoning).

smecta;
enterosgel;
lactofiltrum;
attapulgite;
polysorb;
polyphepan.

These drugs promote the rapid elimination of toxic substances through adsorption. They should be used in the interval between doses of other drugs, during the absence of vomiting. Contraindications to taking such drugs include high fever and stomach ulcers. Elderly people and young children should use it with caution, after consulting a doctor.

Restoring water-salt balance

Vomiting and diarrhea, being a natural reaction of the body to toxins, nevertheless contribute to the excretion of beneficial substances and fluids. Its volume should be replenished. During illness the patient should drink a lot to maintain fluid balance. Best suited for this purpose mineral water without gas.

To maintain electrolyte balance, it is recommended to drink water with a small addition of table salt (not sea salt). The solution is prepared from 1 liter of water and 1 tsp. salt. You should drink at least 2-2.5 liters of salted water per day. In this case, you need to follow a certain rule: a glass of water an hour before a meal, and after a meal you cannot drink for an hour. In this way, the stomach will be prepared for the next meal and will begin to secrete gastric juice correctly.

To restore mineral balance, the use of the drugs rehydron and oralite is indicated(contain microelements, glucose and salts).

In case of poisoning, you can also drink weak sweet black or green tea, a decoction of chamomile or rose hips.

Drug treatment for poisoning

After cleansing the body, restorative therapy with probiotics is indicated to restore the intestinal microflora. The normal intestinal biocenosis after intoxication is almost always disrupted, therefore After recovery, it is recommended to take medications containing beneficial bacteria. These include “Hilak Forte”, “Linex”, “Bionorm”, “Bioflor”.

If food poisoning is accompanied by fever, you should take antipyretic drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol).

Self-medication is dangerous! Antibiotics, painkillers, as well as specific drugs (antiemetics and antidiarrheals, etc.) are prescribed by a doctor!

Therapeutic diet

During the period of acute intoxication, the patient, as a rule, does not feel the desire to eat. However, this does not mean that he should refuse to eat. A weakened body needs strength to fight the disease. Besides the stomach and intestines cannot fully restore the epithelium, without food it is problematic. Of course, neither an adult nor a child who does not want to eat should be forced, but hunger is not practiced specifically for medicinal purposes.

During poisoning, you should adhere to a strict diet, since the gastrointestinal tract does not work properly and cannot cope with large volumes of food.

During the period of poisoning, the following are prohibited:

fatty, salty, heavy foods;
fermented milk products, including milk;
products instant cooking, semi-finished products;
alcohol;
sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise;
raw fruits, vegetables, berries;
sweet.

You need to eat 5 times a day, in small portions. Food must be boiled or steamed. Fried foods are excluded.

The patient's diet should consist of:

mashed potatoes with water, without oil;
boiled rice;
oatmeal, semolina porridge (with water);
chicken meat;
crackers, biscuits;
low-fat broths.

It is allowed to eat bananas, as fruits enriched with nutrients, and watermelons, which have a diuretic effect.

In what cases is hospitalization necessary?

Food poisoning can be successfully treated at home, but in some cases qualified medical assistance is necessary. Hospitalization is indicated for children under three years of age. In children, treatment of intoxication should be carried out only under the supervision of medical personnel, since diarrhea and vomiting will very quickly lead to dehydration. It is almost impossible to force a small child to drink, and in the hospital he will be given intravenous rehydration solutions. Pregnant women and elderly people are also hospitalized.

Treatment in a hospital setting is indicated for:

intoxication caused poisonous plants and mushrooms;
severe form of poisoning;
diarrhea (more than 10-12 times a day);
high temperature;
diarrhea with blood;
persistent vomiting;
increasing symptoms of the disease;
bloating;
loss of consciousness;
excessive weakness.

If any of these signs occur, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Rehabilitation period after poisoning

Any poisoning is stressful for all organs and systems. It is important to know what to do after poisoning. When discharged from the hospital, the doctor will give you recommendations on proper nutrition and outpatient treatment.

In the first 2 weeks, the patient should adhere to a diet, stop smoking, drinking alcohol, fried, smoked, fatty and spicy foods.

To restore the intestinal microflora, probiotics are prescribed - preparations that contain beneficial bacteria. If complications develop (gastritis, cholecystitis), they are treated.

Traditional methods of treating food poisoning

Folk methods of combating intoxication have not been canceled, however You should resort to them after consulting a doctor and only in cases of mild poisoning..

Cinnamon infusion

Cinnamon is a natural antispasmodic and natural absorbent. Cinnamon infusion is prepared as follows: pour a pinch of dried and crushed bark into 250 ml hot water, let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Drink the strained broth in small doses throughout the day. Recommended volume is 1.5 liters.

Decoction of yarrow and wormwood

Brew 1 tablespoon of medicinal plants that effectively cleanse the stomach of toxins and pour a liter of boiling water. Let it brew for 15 minutes, strain. Divide the decoction into 5 equal parts and drink throughout the day.

You can use all types of plants - roots, flowers, leaves, as they contribute to a speedy recovery. Marshmallow (1 teaspoon of roots or 2 tablespoons of flowers and leaves) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Drink 3 times a day. You can add half a teaspoon of honey.

Dill decoction with honey

Honey helps retain potassium, which is excreted during diarrhea and vomiting.. Dill reduces abdominal pain, facilitates vomiting, and promotes the rapid elimination of toxins. Brew a teaspoon of dill seeds with 1.5 cups of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes. Cool, strain, add a teaspoon of beekeeping product to the warm broth. In case of food poisoning at home, the infusion should be taken at least 1 liter per day.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning

Preventive measures to prevent intoxication come down to observing the necessary hygiene procedures, eating only high-quality products, the right time their storage.

Maintain personal hygiene.
Process vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
Do not buy products with damaged sealed packaging.
Do not eat expired food.
Do not hesitate to throw away cloudy drinks with sediment, foods with an unpleasant odor or taste, and ready meals that have been in the refrigerator for more than three days.
Eat only those mushrooms and berries that you are confident in.
When preparing food, follow the rules of heat treatment.
Boil homemade milk first.
Drink boiled water.
Eliminate cockroaches, flies, and rodents in your home - they are carriers of bacteria.
Store raw and cooked meats on separate shelves in the refrigerator.

Follow these simple precautions and you will never experience food poisoning.