Digestive poisoning. Food poisoning: symptoms, treatment. Proper food processing at home

Symptoms of food poisoning, what can be poisoned. What measures need to be taken urgently?

Products can be poisonous

Food poisoning is usually a sudden onset of an acute illness caused by the ingestion of various microorganisms or toxins. It can occur in both adults and children.

Basic symptoms

You can get poisoned by poor quality food

How long does it take for poisoning to show up? The first symptoms become noticeable after 30-40 minutes. But this process can take several days, it entirely depends on the state of the immune system of people and the general physical condition.
As noted above, food poisoning in humans can occur for several reasons, and the less it develops in almost the same way, and the symptoms are similar.
At the first stage poisoning of the organism as a whole occurs, on the second, the mucous membranes located in the stomach and intestines become inflamed. By the way, this is very dangerous, dehydration of the body occurs, and this can lead to the premature death of the sick person. This disease is especially difficult in children.
That is why it is very important to correctly diagnose in the first phase of the development of the disease.
Typical features include the following:

• pain in the abdomen, often near the navel;
• loss of balance (dizziness);
• nausea and urge to vomit;
• a sharp increase in body temperature;
• diarrhea;
• headache;
• copious release of gases;
• increased weakness;
• convulsions, chills, rapid pulse, etc.

Nausea and vomiting that appeared in the first hours can be triggered by Staphylococcus aureus. Severe cases are characterized by the following features:

• blurred vision;
• growth of lymph nodes;
• weakness;
• interruptions in the work of the respiratory system;
• weakening of the muscles.

Poisoning includes - botulism, salmonellosis and many others.

First aid

IMPORTANT! ONLY A DOCTOR CAN MAKE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS!!!

In case of poisoning, you need to call a doctor!

In the first minutes you need to call an ambulance. The fact is that some signs of intoxication are similar to the indications of a hypertensive crisis, for example, dizziness, excessive sweating and self-help can only aggravate the situation. So what to do in case of poisoning?
First aid in case of poisoning is provided after suspicions of food intoxication are confirmed, by the way, it can be massive, in other words, if during a family dinner there were unusable products on the table, then everyone who was at the table will most likely suffer.
In case of food poisoning, the first thing to do is to call the ambulance team. The arriving team will assess the situation and most likely will take all the victims after food poisoning to the infectious diseases hospital. There, everyone will be examined by a general practitioner and a gastroenterologist. All necessary analyzes will be collected. As a result, an accurate diagnosis will be made and a course of treatment will be prescribed, which will lead to a speedy recovery.
But before the arrival of the ambulance team, if there are signs of poisoning on the face, but there are no symptoms that indicate a dangerous development of events, then it is quite acceptable to provide first aid. But those who provide it must understand that they provide it at their own peril and risk.

What to do in case of food poisoning:

1. Washing. To do this, you need to prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate, you can add salt or baking soda to it. If one is not at hand, then warm water can be used. Thus, harmful microorganisms will be removed from the body. This process is cyclic in nature and must be repeated until clear water begins to come out of the stomach.
2. It is necessary to give a sick person medicines of the sorbent class, as a rule, it is activated charcoal.
3. The sick person needs to be provided with rest, if he is shivering, then it is necessary to warm him up, it is quite acceptable to use heating pads.

During food poisoning, dehydration occurs. These are the consequences of vomiting, diarrhea, so it is necessary to make sure that the sick person always has water nearby. This helps to compensate for the loss of water and will somewhat alleviate the patient's condition until the arrival of the ambulance team, which will take all necessary actions in case of poisoning.
By the way, treatment at home can be carried out guided by the instructions of the attending physician.

IMPORTANT! THE COURSE OF TREATMENT IS PRESCRIBED BY A DOCTOR AND THEREFORE THE USE OF ANY DRUGS IS NOT ALLOWABLE, THIS SITUATION CAN ONLY WORSE!

What causes poisoning

In fact, diseases of this type are divided into two groups:

• microbial;
• non-microbial.

Most often, poisoning is caused by harmful bacteria and microorganisms:

• staphylococci;
• salmonella and many others.

These microorganisms enter the body with:

• food that has been outside the refrigeration unit for more than two hours;
• food prepared from unsuitable foodstuffs;
• undercooked meat or fish;
• poor quality eggs
• products washed in unpurified water, or not washed at all;
• with ice cubes frozen from unpurified water, by the way, this applies to many exotic countries;
• unknown mushrooms or berries and other fruits.

And, of course, we must not forget that many sit down at the table without washing their hands after the street.
Food poisoning is one of those diseases that will manifest itself in the body quickly enough, the whole process can take several hours. The main reasons why it occurs are listed above.
Among the foods that most likely to cause poisoning- these are desserts with cream, sausages, pates, seafood, salads that were seasoned with butter or unsuitable butter, and many others. Consider the most common poisoning.

Stale fish is a source of poisoning

If, after an evening in a Japanese restaurant, a painful condition occurred, nausea and abdominal pain appeared, then poisoning most likely occurred. It can be called:

• For the most part, these harmful microorganisms get into food if simple hygiene rules are not followed. In this case, all signs of food poisoning are on the face.
• Under certain conditions, the fish itself can become poisonous. So, during spawning, in fish - pike, beluga, burbot caviar, become poisonous and buying it can be seriously poisoned.
• Poisonings that look like allergies are not uncommon. If you eat some varieties of fish, your skin may turn red, your face will swell, and there will be a burning sensation in your mouth. This is due to the fact that fish contain substances such as histamine and others. As he finishes his action, and this is about 7 - 8 hours, after which all the unpleasant phenomena will pass. But to calm down, it makes sense to take anti-allergic medications and contact a doctor, it is possible that these are signs of a real allergy.

What you need to know to minimize the chance of fish poisoning?

• you can not eat fish with flying scales and clouded eyes;
• fish must be stored at minus one degree Celsius;
• it is not necessary to thaw the fish if it will not be fried or boiled, otherwise the active release of toxins will begin.

IMPORTANT! FISH POISONING IS A SEVERE AND ACUTE DISEASE AND THE SUCCESSFUL MUST PROVIDE URGENT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Poisoning with chicken meat, eggs, etc.

Spoiled chicken is a source of salmonellosis bacteria

This type of poisoning is caused by salmonella. She can live in meat up to 6 months, in eggs, about one year. Moreover, being in frozen meat, this bacterium not only lives, but also does not lose its ability to reproduce.

Salmonella dies when heated to 70 degrees, but it can survive in a piece of meat. The first signs of the onset of the disease include a sharp increase in temperature, a severe headache.

Cake poisoning

You can get poisoned by stale cake

Poisoning with confectionery products is not so much due to harmful microorganisms (staphylococcus), but because of the toxins that they produce. For the most part, it gets into finished products, from people who suffer from tonsillitis, various furunculosis, etc.
For this microorganism, milk and creams are, in fact, a breeding ground that promotes its reproduction. Staphylococcus produces an enterotoxin that causes poisoning. It does not change the taste or smell of confectionery products. Moreover, this toxin tolerates high temperatures and can tolerate temperatures of 100 degrees for 1 to 2 hours.
Food poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms:

• high rate of onset of the disease - from 30 to 60 minutes;
• continuous vomiting;
• severe pain in the navel;
• decrease in body temperature;
• diarrhea, which can last from 1 to 3 days.
  By the way, poisoning with confectionery products can lead to loss of creation and the appearance of convulsions throughout the body. We must always remember that this type of poisoning is often found in children and adults.

mushroom poisoning

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

This topic deserves a separate discussion, there are cases when poisoning occurs either with improperly cooked or poisonous mushrooms.
In this case, you definitely need to call an ambulance, because sometimes the bill goes literally for minutes and folk ways treatments are of little help.

Mushroom poisoning is not caused by harmful microorganisms, but by toxins. For example, gyromitrin, aminohexadienoic acid and many others.

Prevention of poisoning

What measures should be taken to avoid poisoning? In fact, it is enough to follow a few rules and the likelihood of poisoning will be minimized. In particular, it is necessary:

• utensils that are used in the preparation of food and from which it is then consumed
• keep clean. the same applies to the stove, tables, dining table, etc.;
• in order to cut the products it is necessary to use separate or specialized knives. That is, the knife that was used when cutting fish is unacceptable for cutting poultry or meat;
• use fresh ingredients for cooking.
• meat and fish products cannot be thawed in water;
• when purchasing food in stores, it is necessary to check the terms of sale and preparation. these dates are indicated on the label and must be clearly legible;
• food that has been warmed up must be consumed no later than two hours. Later it must be heated or boiled again;
• do not store raw foods, such as meat and already cooked food, on the same shelf.
• food containers must be tightly closed;
  it is necessary to observe hygiene measures and be sure to wash your hands after visiting the toilet or when you return from the street;
• the bucket in which the garbage is folded should be as often as possible and empty it as often as possible.

Video

How to help with food poisoning before the doctor arrives?

If, a few hours after eating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea suddenly begin, the temperature rises and weakness sets in, then it is likely that food poisoning occurs. It is necessary not only to be able to recognize the symptoms of ill health, but also to provide first aid in order to minimize the consequences of eating poor-quality food.

Causes of food poisoning

If the temperature regime and the shelf life of food products are not observed, an environment favorable for the development of pathogenic microflora arises in them. Bacteria, among which are Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and others, not only actively multiply, but also release toxins as waste products.

When ingested in the human digestive tract, such food leads to a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract with accompanying signs of ill health.

The most common poisoning is poor-quality dairy, meat, fish products, pastries with creams, salads with mayonnaise dressing, home-made canned food, as well as poisonous mushrooms and berries.

Types of food poisoning

The classification of food poisoning includes three groups:

microbial contamination

• toxic infections (E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, enterococci, parahemolytic vibrio, etc.)
• bacteriotoxicosis (staphylococci, botulinum bacillus)
• mycotoxicoses (microscopic fungi)

Non-microbial contamination

• a priori poisoning by poisonous plants and animals;
• poisoning by toxic products formed in food as a result of exposure to certain conditions (solanine in potato tubers exposed to sunlight)
• chemicals in food (pesticides, nitrates, food additives)

Bacterial poisoning is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, the route of infection is through food.

Signs of food poisoning

The severity of poisoning depends on several factors:

• age
• body weight
• health of the gastrointestinal tract and the state of the immune system;
• type of pathogen;
• the amount of spoiled food ingested

As a rule, the first signs of food poisoning appear after 4-5 hours, but in some cases, symptoms may appear within an hour or, conversely, a day or later.

You can suspect food poisoning by the following signs:

1. Discomfort, pain, spasms in the stomach, intestines;
2. Nausea, vomiting;
3. Bloating, flatulence;
4. Diarrhea (the stool has an unpleasant pungent odor, in the feces - undigested pieces of food);
5. Weakness, dizziness;
6. Clouding of consciousness;
7. Salivation;
8. Tachycardia, shortness of breath

Body temperature may rise.

What to do about food poisoning

First aid for suspected food poisoning should be provided immediately, at home. It includes the following actions, regardless of whether the symptoms are in an adult or a child:

• gastric lavage is necessary to remove junk food and, if possible, toxins from the body. For this purpose, a solution of baking soda or a slightly colored solution of potassium permanganate is used. The victim drinks the liquid, and then stimulates repeated vomiting until the contents become transparent, without food impurities;
• The remaining toxins from the body are removed by enterosorbents - substances with a huge absorbent capacity. These include activated charcoal tablets, polyphepan, enterosgel;
• Due to vomiting and diarrhea, the body loses fluid, so it is important to restore water balance by drinking plenty of fluids. Along with warm boiled water, rehydron and other drugs can be used, the composition of the solutions of which is close to the composition of physiological body fluids. It is important to drink the patient in small portions so as not to provoke repeated vomiting;
• with food poisoning, bed rest and rest are indicated.

Symptomatically, you can use antipyretics, antispasmodics.

At the first sign of food poisoning in a child, you should call an ambulance. Self-administration of antibiotics is not permissible: what to take, and in what dosage the doctor should tell.

In this video, Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes the danger of food poisoning for a child's body, especially under the age of three. With severe intoxication, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, impaired vision, orientation may occur. Children need to call an ambulance immediately, the risk of death is high!

Nutrition for food poisoning

A sparing diet is important for the patient, helping to restore the water-salt balance of the body, not irritating the inflamed mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, easily digestible and nutritious.

What can you eat

• on the second day, in addition to drinking plenty of water, broth (without meat), vegetable puree (100 g) is added
• the following shows rice porridge boiled in water, without adding salt, seasonings, oil (200 g), rice water, vegetable soup without meat, a few crackers
• vegetable casserole (no eggs added), broths, boiled fish

• porridge on the water (rice, buckwheat)
• broths (meat, vegetable)
• meat and fish in the form of steam cutlets
• boiled or baked vegetables
• crackers, fresh cookies
• mineral water
• herbal teas

The list of prohibited products includes:

• dairy products without exception
• fatty broths
• raw vegetables
• fruit
• fried meat, fish
• biscuits, pastries, cakes, pastries
• oatmeal, millet, barley porridge
• sausages
• sugary drinks, soda, juices

Prevention of intestinal poisoning

To avoid the disease and reduce the likelihood of poisoning, you should:

• pay attention to the expiration date, especially for perishable products;
• do not take products with improper storage conditions;
• food products in which the integrity of the packaging is violated (dented, torn) should not be purchased;
• refuse to eat foods that have an unpleasant or uncharacteristic smell, color, texture;
• sediment in liquid and puree products, gas bubbles, delamination indicate the occurrence of chemical reactions, changes in composition and properties;
• on vacation, excursions, you should carefully try unfamiliar food, if possible, refuse it if you are not sure of the quality;
• observe personal hygiene, wash hands after visiting the restroom, the street, before eating;
• wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly;
• use separate cutting boards for raw meat, fish, vegetables, bread;
• audit the refrigerator and ruthlessly destroy foods that should not be eaten

Now you know what causes food poisoning, what measures should be taken in the first place, what to eat to restore strength. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, if necessary, the patient is left in the hospital.

In this article, we would like to tell our readers about food poisoning in an adult, the symptoms and treatment of this condition, and its prevention. Why do products become poor quality?

What happens in the body if bacterial toxins get into it with food? What to do in case of poisoning in the first place? Does fever occur during poisoning? Is this condition contagious?

Causes of food poisoning

All food poisoning is caused by bacteria. Once in food, bacteria multiply in them. Cause of poisoning different types conditionally pathogenic microbes. They are quickly and easily defeated by immunity healthy body, and in the external environment they die under the action of sunlight and high temperature.

Reproducing in products, they release toxic substances. Therefore, such poisonings have another name - food poisoning. In case of poisoning with spoiled food products, for example, a cake or pastry, bacterial reproduction and the release of poisons from food occur. It continues in the intestinal cavity, causing signs of intoxication.

Poisoning occurs most often in the warm season, when the products are warm for some time. This happens in the following cases:

• Non-compliance with the rules of preparation and storage of dishes.
• Contact with microbes in food from dirty hands.
• The spread of infection by flies that feed on human food.

There are products that after 3-4 hours of violation of the temperature regime of storage can cause poisoning. You need to be very careful with the following products:

• Confectionery creams, cakes.
• Cold smoked meat products, lard, boiled meat, fish.
• Mayonnaise, cheeses, chips and pizza.
• Kvass from a barrel.

When eating the same dish, there may be a situation where one person gets poisoned, and the other does not notice the appearance of even the slightest symptoms. The reason is the uneven distribution of bacterial colonies over the entire volume of the dish. Accordingly, it is easier to get poisoned by someone who eats a fragment with the largest number of bacteria and their toxins.

How food poisoning develops

From the moment the spoiled product enters the intestines until the moment when symptoms appear, no more than a day passes. The average incubation period is several hours.

The initial stage proceeds in the form of acute indigestion. With food poisoning, the following phenomena occur:

If at this stage the patient is not provided with medical assistance, then the further development of poisoning will lead to a serious loss by the body of minerals responsible for conducting a nerve impulse. Seizures begin, a violation of brain activity up to loss of consciousness. Foodborne illness can be contagious to other people, but only through food.

Varieties of food poisoning

There are the following types of food poisoning:

1. Toxic infections of mixed nature (products infected with enterococci, Escherichia coli).
2. Specific toxic infections: botulism and salmonellosis. Botulism can persist in canned food. Even stew can be poisoned. The consequences of such intoxication are extremely severe, up to death.
3. Non-microbial intoxications. Occur when using inedible mushrooms, poisonous berries, garden plants grown with an excess of synthetic fertilizers. This also includes poisoning with products that were stored in low-quality plastic containers and soaked with toxic plastic (polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride).

Signs of poisoning

The main symptoms of food poisoning are:

• Nausea and vomiting- the first characteristic signs of food poisoning in adults. The body gets rid of toxins, and the first portion of vomiting always contains the remnants of undigested food. But even when the stomach is already empty, with food poisoning, vomiting does not immediately stop. Vomit contains mucus, gastric juice, sometimes bile and intestinal contents.
• Hyperthermia (high temperature). Salmonellosis, botulism - these diseases are food poisoning and occur with temperatures up to 40 degrees. There is a tremor of the whole body, the patient freezes. Such poisoning is easily confused with an intestinal infection, but they are different things. In case of poisoning, the value of body temperature depends on the type of microorganisms and on the volume of toxic substances that have entered the bloodstream. In the case of mild poisoning, hyperthermia may not be.

• General malaise, headache and aches all over the body, like the flu. Therefore, food poisoning can be mistaken for intestinal flu.
• Severe abdominal pain, bowel spasms.
• Drop in blood pressure. Under the action of toxins, the walls of blood vessels lose their tone. There is oxygen starvation. This condition is especially dangerous for the brain. It is fraught with dizziness and fainting.
• Loose stools, sometimes with an admixture of blood. Blood in the feces is a symptom of necrotic changes in the intestinal wall.
• General dehydration. The skin becomes pale and dry, the patient is tormented by constant thirst, dizziness.

Infusion therapy It is carried out in situations where it is impossible to take the drug orally or it does not help. For example, with uncontrolled vomiting and persistent diarrhea, it is better to infuse electrolyte solutions (trisol, isotonic sodium chloride solution, glucose and others) immediately into the blood. The patient for these purposes is placed in a hospital. This condition can at any time be complicated by sepsis. It is important not to miss this moment in order to prescribe antibiotics to the patient in time.

Trisol

Sodium chloride

Antiemetic and antidiarrheal therapy. It is prescribed by a doctor when nausea and diarrhea do not stop after the stomach is completely empty and intoxication is removed. Preparations - Motilium, Loperamide.

Motilium

loperamide

After stabilization of the patient's condition, probiotics are prescribed (Bifidumbacterin, Lactobacterin, Lineks), and enzymes are needed to normalize digestion processes.

Bifidumbacterin

Lactobacterin

How to treat food poisoning at home

At home, you can rinse the stomach with boiled water with a temperature of 20-25 degrees. The patient should drink 500-1000 ml and induce vomiting. Repeat the manipulation until the gastric contents become clear, clear water should come out with vomiting.

But self-treatment at home is possible only with a mild course of poisoning. If the condition continues to worsen, it is necessary to stop home treatments and consult a doctor. Only a specialist can decide which medicines are needed for severe poisoning.

It is impossible to use any remedy that stops vomiting and diarrhea in case of poisoning. In case of poisoning, the symptoms are protective for the body and help to get rid of toxins. Without diarrhea and vomiting, intoxication is aggravated.

In the first day, the patient should not be given food. On the second day, you can switch to a sparing diet. When vomiting and diarrhea stop, you need to drink a course Linexa, Bifiform or Acipola to restore the intestinal microflora.

Bifiform

A gradual return to normal nutrition should be accompanied by the intake of enzyme preparations (tablets Mezim, Festal, Pancreatin).

Mezim

Festal

Pancreatin

The treatment of mild forms of coconut poisoning has been described. The fluid inside this fetus acts as a rehydration agent.

For an adult, food poisoning can be cured at home, but this should not be done if the victim - old man, or a pregnant woman, since they can be treated only under the supervision of a doctor. The same goes for small children.

Video

Food poisoning in pregnant women

During pregnancy, the sensitivity of the gastrointestinal tract increases. A woman needs a complete protein nutrition, but in case of poisoning it is temporarily contraindicated.

Some toxins can cause poisoning in the unborn child through the placenta. The most dangerous are fungal toxins. With mixed nonspecific toxic infections, toxins do not enter the fetus, but they still pose a danger to it:

• In case of poisoning in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, there is a high probability of miscarriage or intrauterine death of the fetus.
• If a woman was poisoned in the last trimester, frequent vomiting can provoke contractions and premature birth.
• Poisoning can lead to bleeding from the vessels of the placenta.
• With oxygen starvation, the fetus may experience various pathologies of the brain, and in case of severe oxygen starvation the fetus dies.

In pregnant women, self-medication is contraindicated! It is possible to be treated at home only if the woman's condition is mild, but still under the supervision of a doctor throughout the entire time that the painful condition lasts. Gastric lavage without medical staff can not be done.

Be careful with medicines. Fearlessly during pregnancy, you can only use activated charcoal tablets. Other medications- by agreement with the doctor. Many drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women.

It is important to help the pregnant woman to remain calm and prevent the development of a stressful state.

If a pregnant woman is being treated in a hospital, standard tests are performed and an ultrasound of the fetus is additionally done.

Consequences of food poisoning

If the food poisoning is delayed, the patient may begin complications, which are very difficult to recover from:

1. Intestinal dysbacteriosis - the death of beneficial microflora.
2. Blood poisoning. When immunity is weakened (which is facilitated by an unhealthy lifestyle, alcohol, smoking), the intestinal wall ceases to protect against bacteria entering the bloodstream. The microbes cause a life-threatening sepsis condition.
3. Infectious-toxic shock. It can be triggered by the ingestion of a large amount of toxins into the blood, which cause paresis of the vascular walls up to general cardiovascular insufficiency.
4. hypovolemia and hypovolemic shock. Due to a decrease in circulating blood volume, cardiac output decreases, which affects all tissues of the body. An acute condition - hypovolemic shock - poses a threat to life and requires urgent medical intervention. There is a violation of breathing, dizziness, loss of consciousness is possible.

Prevention of food poisoning

There is no vaccine against foodborne illness. It is impossible to make sure that poisoned food does not pose any danger to a person. All prevention consists in observing some rules:

• Sanitary control at catering establishments. The control service should monitor compliance with the technology of cooking, storage of products, compliance with the deadlines for implementation.
• Checking workers in contact with food for carriers of foodborne pathogens once every 6 months. Workers' hands are checked daily. If ulcers and pustules are found, such an employee should not be at work. He is sent to the hospital. Upon completion of treatment, the employee must provide a certificate from the doctor to the enterprise. Each entrepreneur in his company must organize such control.
• Compliance with personal hygiene, timely cleaning of premises where food is stored and food is prepared. Fight against rodents and cockroaches.
• Scald cutting boards with boiling water. There should be a separate board for each type of food so that, for example, raw meat particles do not fall on salad vegetables.
• At home, do not store perishable foods for a long time, even in the refrigerator. Dispose of unused products after the expiration date.
• Store food separately from household chemicals.
• When buying in a store, always pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions.
• Dairy products must be fresh, and milk must be boiled or pasteurized.
• Drink only boiled water.
• In hot weather, it is better not to take food in cafes and outdoor tents.

If some time after eating, discomfort in the stomach appears or slight nausea is noted, then know that the most common cause of such signs is household food poisoning. It develops after food enters the stomach, contaminated with harmful bacteria or their toxins, or contaminated with impurities of any chemicals.

Such a pathology develops very quickly, and in some cases, delay in treatment can be fraught with serious complications. Consider what other signs of food poisoning a person has and what needs to be done to help the patient.

Food poisoning or food intoxication is a condition that is an acute disorder in the functioning of the digestive system as a result of eating food contaminated with pathogenic microbes or their toxins, and sometimes other non-microbial toxic substances.

It is important to know what kind of food can be poisonous. In this regard, there is a rating of products that most often cause pathology:

1. Mushrooms (see).
2. Canned food.
3. Dried and smoked fish.
4. Meat semi-finished products.
5. Salad Olivier.
6. Eggs.
7. Cakes and cakes with cream.
8. Greenery.

Before consuming products from these categories, you need to be more careful about their selection and processing.

Important: Even if the product looks and tastes normal, it can still be the cause of poisoning, because sometimes contamination with dangerous microbes occurs in the process of preparing food from a sick person.

How long does it take for food poisoning to show up?

The first signs of intoxication can make themselves felt within half an hour after the ingestion of the "doubtful" product. A short period of incubation, i.e., the time from the entry of a poisonous agent into the body until the first symptoms of the disease appear, is precisely the main distinguishing characteristic of food poisoning.

They develop quite rapidly and after 2-6 hours they usually reach their peak. Therefore, first aid for food poisoning should be provided correctly and without delay.

Important: If it was possible to identify the dish that caused the gastrointestinal upset, you need to save part of this product for medical research. This will help to quickly identify the pathogen and prescribe the correct treatment.

Main clinical signs

Symptoms of food poisoning depend on a number of conditions: the type of microorganism and toxin, the amount of poison that has entered, the general health of the body, etc.

But at the same time, a number of standard signs of poisoning can be distinguished, which are noted in 95% of cases:

• nausea is usually the body's first signal that a toxin has entered it;
• vomiting - follows nausea, is aimed at removing a toxic substance through the mouth in order to prevent its absorption into the bloodstream and further spread throughout the body;
• painful abdominal cramps - localized in the stomach, below the navel or in the upper abdomen;
• diarrhea - appears due to irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa under the influence of toxins;
• subfebrile body temperature - inhibits the activity and reproduction of bacteria and viruses, triggers immune defense mechanisms;
• general weakness;
• lack of appetite.

All these processes have a cleansing function and are aimed at quickly ridding the body of trapped toxins and poisons. You don’t need to prevent them, but you also can’t be inactive either. Therefore, everyone should know what to do when they are poisoned by food. Learn more about this in the video in this article.

Rare Symptoms

But the clinical picture of food poisoning does not always fit into the framework of the listed signs, in some cases, for example, when confronted with neurotoxic poisons, other symptoms appear:

• visual impairment;
• diplopia (doubling of objects);
• violation of muscle tone;
• fainting;
• increased salivation (hypersalivation);
• neurological disorders (hallucinations, delusions, coma, etc.);
• paresis or paralysis.

Important: These diseases often cause death, therefore, treatment of food poisoning in this case should be started as early as possible.

Signs of salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is an acute intestinal foodborne infection caused by bacteria of the Salmonella genus. Its symptoms usually begin within a few hours after ingestion of contaminated food, but in some cases, the disease may begin only after 1-2 days.

Poisoning develops quickly, it can manifest itself in different ways, depending on the form of intoxication:

1. Gastrointestinal - the most common, characterized by standard signs of food poisoning (nausea, vomiting, pain and bloating in the abdomen), and is also accompanied by hyperthermia and the presence of blood or mucus in the feces. In some cases, there may be severe headaches, delirium, convulsions and loss of consciousness.
2. Typhoid - rare, first manifests as a common eating disorder with fever, after which hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver) and splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen), cough and sore throat develop, sometimes a slight pink rash appears on the body.
3. Septic - the rarest and most dangerous variant, characterized by prolonged fever, which is complicated by the development of purulent foci in various organs and tissues.

With timely diagnosis, salmonellosis is treated fairly quickly. The difficulty lies in the fact that often this toxic infection is mistaken for a mild eating disorder and seek medical help when the disease has already reached its peak and becomes dangerous.

Signs of listeriosis

Listeria food poisoning differs from all others in that these microbes are able to affect the lymphoid tissue and the nervous system. Such an influence gradually disrupts the functioning of many organs, and, if left untreated, can lead to disability or even death.

Listeriosis is characterized by a long incubation period, from the moment the pathogen enters the body, until the first signs of the disease appear, it can take from several days to 1.5 months.

Symptoms of listeria poisoning depend on the form of this infection:

• anginal-septic

  - when the tonsils are primarily affected, which is accompanied by their enlargement, redness, general hyperthermia, pain when swallowing and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, sepsis may develop;

- manifests itself in neurological symptoms: headaches, delirium, confusion, vomiting, hallucinations, convulsions and seizures. in the form of meningitis, meningoencephalitis or brain abscess. It provokes the development of a brain abscess, meningoencephalitis and meningitis;

• septic-granulomatous

  - occurs mainly in children, first manifests itself in the defeat of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It develops rapidly and eventually captures the central nervous system.

Listeriosis can only be treated with antibiotics. The doctor prescribes the specific drug and its dosage. Therefore, at the first symptoms of such poisoning, you should immediately seek medical help, because the death rate from listeriosis is quite high and amounts to 30% of cases.

Signs of botulism

Botulism is a deadly poisoning that is characterized by a rapid defeat nervous system botulinum toxin. This is one of the most dangerous natural poisons, synthesized by bacteria of the genus Clostridium botulinum. The first symptoms of botulism begin to appear within a few hours after the toxin enters the body, but sometimes the incubation period reaches 10 days.

Symptoms appear in this order:

• visual impairment: double vision, loss of clarity;
• muscle weakness;
• decreased reflexes;
• respiratory failure;
• nausea and vomiting;
• stool disorder;
• neurological disorders: dizziness, insomnia, headache.

The final symptomatology is reduced to the development of paralysis, which affects the muscle layers of the internal organs and often leads to death.

Treatment

The effectiveness of the treatment of any ailment largely depends on how quickly first aid was provided to the victim. Therefore, we will get acquainted with the main recommendations on what to do if you are poisoned by food.

Gastric lavage

If less than half an hour has passed since the ingestion of the poisoned product, then treatment should begin with gastric lavage. Thus, it will be possible to remove the toxins that have got inside, and they will not have time to be absorbed into the blood.

After this procedure, bouts of vomiting usually stop, so it already makes sense to take medications.

Reception of enterosorbents

The main treatment for food poisoning at home is the intake of enterosorbents. Such drugs are usually completely harmless, they do not require a doctor's prescription, and most of them can be used even in children from the first month of life.

Important: Before taking any drug on your own, you must definitely read the list of contraindications, which always contains instructions for use.

At present, there are a lot of sorbent drugs, but their main effect is reduced to one thing: these drugs absorb toxic substances on their surface and remove them from the body.

Rehydration

The next step in the treatment of poisoning is the restoration of water and electrolyte balance. Vomiting and diarrhea contribute to the development of dehydration, so the restoration of fluid is simply vital.

But what should you drink in case of food poisoning?

The best way to restore fluid is to take special rehydration drugs. These medicines help to quickly and effectively replenish not only the loss of water, but also electrolytes. Their price is low, so it is better to take care of their presence in the home medicine cabinet in advance.

Restoration of microflora

Another important component of the treatment of food poisoning is taking drugs to restore the microflora, since any eating disorder contributes to the development of dysbacteriosis. Violation of the microflora always causes discomfort and delays recovery. And special preparations, prebiotics and probiotics can speed up this process. They have a natural composition and most of them are used even in children from birth.

Usually, the groups of drugs listed above are sufficient for the treatment of most food intoxications. In combination with them, a special diet is prescribed for food poisoning, which allows you to recover much faster and return to a full life. The table below shows photos of the most popular drugs from each category.

In the home first aid kit, you must always have at least one drug from each group of listed drugs. This will allow you not to waste time and help the victim of poisoning much faster.

Food poisoning in children

Since the young organism is still developing, and all its organs and systems have not reached maturity, almost any infection in a baby is much more severe than in an adult. That is why any food poisoning in a child requires mandatory medical supervision.

Important: It is categorically unacceptable to independently treat poisoning in children under one year old, even with minor health problems.

What are the signs of food intoxication in a child? It manifests itself primarily as symptoms of irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.

This is accompanied by the appearance of discomfort in the abdomen, weakness and lethargy, drowsiness and nausea are noted. The temperature almost always rises, sometimes up to 39.5˚ C. After that, vomiting and diarrhea begin.

The most dangerous thing in case of poisoning in children is the development of dehydration. Its symptoms are:

• pallor;
• dry skin and mucous membranes;
• convulsions;
• anuria (lack of urine);
• hypotension (low blood pressure).

Dehydration gradually leads to disruption of all systems and organs, so this condition requires immediate medical intervention.

Signs of food poisoning usually appear immediately, they grow rapidly, with a rapid deterioration in the condition of the victim. Therefore, you must always remember what to do when signs of intoxication appear and what to take to alleviate the condition.

Every person at least once in his life faced such an unpleasant phenomenon as food poisoning. Most often, poisoning occurs when eating poor-quality food products that have expired, or products that have been prepared and stored in violation of sanitary standards. There are also cases of poisoning by mushrooms, poisonous plants, when eating poisonous animals, as well as chemicals.

Signs of food poisoning

The first symptoms of poisoning may appear 30 minutes after eating poor-quality foods, but sometimes more than a day can pass before signs of the disease appear. Typical signs of food poisoning:

• painful nausea;
• repeated vomiting of food eaten, gastric juice, and after ineffective urge to vomit;
• profuse salivation;
• , offensive, contains remnants of undigested food;
• fever, chills;
• weakness, dizziness;
• disorders of the functions of the central nervous system, which may be characteristic of botulism.

Symptoms may persist for 1-3 days, gradually subsiding. Within a week after food poisoning, the victims may be disturbed by weakness, abdominal pain, and flatulence.

Help with food poisoning

1. At the first signs of poisoning, it is necessary to make the victim gastric lavage. To do this, you can use boiled water, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or soda. Gastric lavage should be done until clear water begins to come out.
2. After gastric lavage, the patient is recommended to take activated charcoal 2-3 tablets every 15 minutes for an hour. It should be washed down with boiled water.
3. Plentiful drinking is necessary in order to prevent dehydration of the body as a result of fluid loss with vomit and stool. It is recommended to drink boiled water, weak sweet tea, fruit drinks, jelly. Carbonated drinks should be discarded, and alcohol consumption is completely unacceptable.
4. During the first day and until the symptoms of food poisoning subside, it is necessary to provide the patient with rest. If the victim is worried about chills, you need to warm him up, the use of heating pads is allowed.

After poisoning, you should refrain from eating food for some time, from the second day you can gradually introduce rice soups and mucous decoctions. Products that irritate the gastric mucosa (spicy, pickled, salty, smoked meats) until the symptoms of food poisoning disappear completely, it is not recommended to use. Symptoms of poisoning usually go away on their own within a week.

It is necessary to immediately seek medical help in case of mushroom poisoning, if botulism is suspected, and also if a small child or an elderly person is sick. Qualified assistance is also required for victims whose symptoms of poisoning do not go away within a week, or for 1-2 days there are profuse vomiting and diarrhea that do not stop with self-medication.

How to tell if food is contaminated

First of all, you need to pay attention to the color, smell and taste of food. Spoiled foods smell bad and have a sour taste. In addition, their consistency may change. One of the signs of the unsuitability of the product are gas bubbles, which is especially noticeable on spoiled liquid food. Mold often appears on spoiled products. When opening canned food, especially homemade and with baby food, it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of characteristic cotton when opening the lid. If there was no cotton, then such a product should not be eaten.

It should be noted that you can also get poisoned by products with normal properties and an expiration date. Most often this happens when food is prepared by an infected person in conditions where sanitary standards are not observed.

Prevention

• It is forbidden to eat foods that have expired, stored and transported in improper conditions;
• when buying dairy products, you should check the integrity of the packaging;
• do not eat unfamiliar foods;
• thorough washing of vegetables, fruits, herbs;
• thorough washing of dishes, cutlery;
• personal hygiene (washing hands before eating and before preparing food);
• high-quality heat treatment of food (especially fish and meat);
• compliance with the rules for storing food in the refrigerator (separate storage of fresh and cooked meat products, you should not store cooked food for more than 3 days);
• vector control (cockroaches, flies, mice).

Which doctor to contact

In case of severe food poisoning, you need to call an ambulance, which will take the patient to the infectious diseases hospital. If necessary, the patient will be examined by a therapist, a gastroenterologist.

Gennady Malakhov about food poisoning and methods of treatment: