Signs of poisoning. Light poisoning: causes, main symptoms and methods of treatment. Video: Folk recipes for food poisoning

Poor quality food is the cause of food poisoning, a disease that is quite common today. Some end up in a hospital bed with him, others try to cope on their own, having little idea of ​​what to do. We will deal with its causes and manifestation, diagnosis, first aid, treatment and preventive measures.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The severity of the clinical picture depends on the following factors:

• The amount of food eaten.
• Type of toxin.
• infectious agent.
• Accompanying illnesses.

Discomfort in the stomach area occurs 4-8 hours after eating unhealthy food. With botulism, the first signs appear after 1-2 days. In case of poisoning with poisonous mushrooms, the initial symptoms disturb much earlier, after 15 minutes.

Typical signs of poisoning include:

• Pain in the abdomen. May be sharp, aching, or dull. With damage to the pancreas, it becomes unbearable and shingles.
• Intensive diarrhea, up to 10 or more times a day. Accompanied by rapid dehydration. With salmonella infection, the stool has a greenish tint. Dysentery is characterized by watery stools streaked with blood.
• Fever, sometimes up to 40 °C.
• Lack of appetite.
• Tachycardia as a result of intoxication.
• Superficial rapid breathing, shortness of breath.
• Pale skin, weakness, headaches.
• Nausea, frequent urge to vomit. They bring some relief, but after a while they return again.

The acute form is distinguished by the following factors:

• Serious debut.
• Several victims from the same source of infection.
• Connection with a specific product or dish.
• Limitation of the territory of poisoning.
• Not contagious unlike infection.

This condition is not always characterized by a short course and an acute onset. The non-microbial form takes a long time, and recovery sometimes stretches for several months. With damage to the nervous system, more serious signs of poisoning are possible:

• Seizures.
• Vision problems.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Rave.
• Paralysis.
• Coma (for critical cases), possible cardiac arrest.

The consequence of diarrhea and vomiting is often dehydration, which leads to loose dry skin, decreased urination, and a drop in blood pressure.

With the development of such symptoms, urgent medical attention is required. Only a doctor can assess the condition of the victim and decide on hospitalization. Self-treatment of children, the elderly, pregnant women, chronically ill often leads to serious consequences.

Causes of poisoning

The classification of state sources is based on its nature. It can be microbial (botulism, salmonellosis), as well as provoked by poisonous plants or toxins of animal origin. The reason may be pesticides, salts of heavy metal elements, high concentration food additives.

It is potentially dangerous to consume expired products. Microorganisms multiplying in them replenish the level of toxic substances. It is difficult to detect infection in such food.

The incubation period of many pathogens is relatively short: from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Food poisoning can be single or in the form of an outbreak. In summer, there are optimal climatic conditions for this.

More often, poisoning occurs with children, the elderly, patients after surgery. And also with those who are sick with chronic pathologies or have a weakened immune system after a course of antibiotic therapy.

Accurate diagnosis

The doctor carefully interrogates the victim to find out the cause of the poisoning. Employees of the SES are investigating the factors that contributed to the pathological condition and its spread. Suspicious products are seized, samples are taken for research. To determine the type of infectious agent, the victim donates biomaterials: feces, vomit, blood.

The applied microscopy methods allow to examine and determine the type of pathogens. This is easier to do in the case of a bacterial nature of poisoning. Viruses undergo additional staining. According to clinical criteria, the latter differ from bacteria. Intoxication syndrome prevails in them, markers of intestinal dysfunction are less pronounced.

First aid

Before the doctor arrives, help the victim quickly clear the stomach. To do this, they give him a drink of 1 liter of water and induce vomiting. The procedure is repeated several times. This often helps save a person's life.

Black masses emitted indicate internal bleeding. In such cases, gastric lavage is strictly prohibited. Boiled water enemas are used to cleanse the intestines.

Sorbents are taken to absorb toxins and bacteria. Among the most popular:

• Activated carbon.
• Polysorb.
• Smekta.
• Enterosgel.

Phosphalugel also has an adsorbing effect. The benefits of these funds are undeniable, the main thing is to read the instructions before taking them and check their expiration date.

Sorbents, as a rule, pass through the digestive canal without damaging the mucosa and without changing the balance of microorganisms in the intestine. Most of the products of impaired metabolism and the inflammatory process are inside the absorbent tablet or powder. Preparations with such properties also help with liver dysfunction and dysbacteriosis.

In the absence of diarrhea, enterosorbents are combined with laxatives in order to remove all toxins from the intestines as quickly as possible. Antidiarrheals should not be taken in case of poisoning, so as not to interfere with the cleansing of the digestive canal along with liquid stools.

An important point in the treatment of poisoning is the replenishment of water that the body has lost during vomiting and diarrhea. To do this, they drink it, and slowly, often and little by little. This allows you not to provoke new bouts of vomiting.

If the victim has lost consciousness, he is laid on a hard surface, his head is turned to one side so that his tongue does not sunk and he does not choke on vomit. The legs are slightly raised to ensure greater blood flow to the brain and heart. A person can be awakened by the pungent smell of ammonia. Before the arrival of doctors, control of breathing and pulse will be required. When the heart stops, an indirect massage is done.

When to Call a Doctor

Do not delay contacting a doctor if the following symptoms occur:

• Deterioration of well-being.
• Prolonged cramps in the abdomen.
• Symptoms that do not go away within 3 days.

The therapist will determine the cause of the poisoning and prescribe adequate treatment, and this will help eliminate possible complications:

• Dehydration of tissues, which is recognized by sunken eyes, thirst, dry tongue, poor urination.
• Paralysis of the respiratory tract in case of infection with botulism.
• Lethal outcome is not excluded.

Actions of the ambulance team that arrived at the call:

• Examine the patient.
• Collect history data.
• Measure pressure.
• Check breathing and pulse.

A dropper with solutions that reduce intoxication and eliminate dehydration, as well as antispasmodics to relieve pain can be prescribed.

Treatment at home

The victim, regardless of the intensity of the manifestations of poisoning, will need the help of an infectious disease specialist. The drug correction prescribed by him will help to avoid the growth of intoxication and the development of chronic pathologies of the digestive canal. Dysentery and botulism can only be cured in the infectious disease department of a hospital.

Home treatment is effective for victims with a mild form of poisoning. Medications and diet are prescribed by the local therapist or family doctor. Attempts to solve the problem on your own are strictly prohibited. All medications must be taken in consultation with the doctor. Among the main requirements for home treatment are the following:

• Complete rest, bed rest.
• Ventilation of premises.
• Dieting. Smoking, alcohol, soda, coffee are prohibited. You can not eat spicy, fatty foods, smoked meats, muffins. Fractional meals and small portions are recommended.

Strictly according to the scheme, take antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. With pain, antispasmodics are used to cope with flatulence, intestinal colic. Enzyme preparations (Mezim, Creon) provide better functionality of the pancreas and regulation of the breakdown of nutrients.

To restore the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, take probiotics:

• Bifidumbacterin.
• Linex.

In case of a serious condition, hospitalization is carried out in the intensive care or infectious diseases department.

Diet after poisoning

Correction of nutrition helps in the treatment and rehabilitation of the patient. It is designed to prevent inflammation and atrophy of the digestive organs, involves the use of products that do not irritate the gastrointestinal tract.

On the first day, only liquid is taken, on the second - vegetable broth (200 ml). Gradually, crackers are included in the menu. With food poisoning, you can eat viscous porridge, such as rice, and casseroles. After 4 days, chicken broth is allowed.

• Cracker.
• Stale bread.
• Kissel.
• Kashi (buckwheat, oatmeal).
• Vegetables boiled or stewed.
• Baked apples.
• Chicken broth, brisket.
• Omelette.
• Soups.

After poisoning, expand the drinking regimen. They take simple purified water, herbal decoctions, special medicinal solutions.

Prevention

Hygiene will help prevent food poisoning in an adult:

• Drink boiled water.
• Ensure cleanliness in the kitchen.
• Cook with fresh ingredients.
• Be careful when eating catering food.
• Reheat dishes to a temperature of 60 °C.
• Wash boards thoroughly after cutting raw meat.
• Thaw frozen poultry in a refrigerator.
• Exclude the presence of insects in the premises.
• Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods.

A huge number of people face poisoning every day and, unfortunately, nothing can be done about such horrific statistics. This kind of problem is understandable, because the modern world is full of a variety of products that contain dyes, chemicals, preservatives, and sometimes poisons. Poisoning is especially relevant in the summer, when the air temperature is quite high. Treatment in this case does not require delay, so we will devote our article to this problem, namely, what is the treatment of food poisoning at home?

In order to understand how to treat food poisoning at home, you should understand the cases in which it occurs. Food poisoning occurs when the poison enters the body with poisoned, stale or low-quality food. Also, as is the custom in our modern world, many unscrupulous manufacturers add prohibited substances to their products and do not indicate them on the packaging in the “product composition” column. Therefore, below we will consider in detail what constitutes food and treatment, types, classification), and also we will understand in what cases urgent medical care is required?

Symptoms of food poisoning

1. Nausea, vomiting.
2. Diarrhea.
3. Headache.
4. Increased body temperature.
5. Abdominal pain.
6. Dehydration.
7. Reduced blood pressure.

The most common causes of this disease

1. Toxins that are found in plants and animal meat, in particular mushrooms, as well as improperly cooked seafood - fish, shellfish.
2. Infections (bacteria, viruses).
3. Pesticides that are found in food, or poisons with which they are processed.

These are the most common causes of food poisoning.

What to do, symptoms and treatment at home?

The first symptoms occur within 48 hours of eating the poisoned foods.

Urgent first aid is very important, because the sooner treatment begins, the faster the body will cope with intoxication.

First aid

Below we will understand what is food poisoning in children, home treatment, emergency care.

Children

If you are interested in the question of how to cure food poisoning at home in children, then you need to be extremely careful here. It should be remembered that any manifestations of poisoning in children should serve as a reason to consult a doctor.

In the meantime, the doctor has not come, help the baby.

"Ambulance"

1. If half an hour after eating food, the first symptoms of poisoning appear, but there is no vomiting, call her. To do this: - Give the baby to drink 1-2 glasses of water. After that, hold it firmly with one hand, and with the other, insert two fingers as deep as possible into the mouth and press on the root of the tongue. If you don't vomit after this, wiggle your fingers. - Instead of fingers, you can use a spoon. - Despite the resistance of the baby, attempts to induce vomiting must be carried out without fail.
2. Don't feed the baby. Treatment of poisoning at home will be effective if the body at this time has a rest from food. Never force your baby to eat.

Drink your child actively. For this, the treatment of food poisoning at home in children should be accompanied by the following actions: - do not give a lot of water, so as not to provoke distension of the stomach, it is more expedient in this case to drink the child several sips every few minutes; - the temperature of the water should correspond to the temperature of the child's body, so the liquid will be absorbed into the blood faster; - do not add sugar to the drink and do not give sugary drinks; Give your child an oral rehydration solution if possible. - optimal drinks can be tea, mineral water without gas, compotes; - if the child refuses to drink what you give him, then let him drink what he wants (dilute juices and sweet drinks with water as much as possible).
1. Give the baby activated charcoal or Smecta. About 1 g of coal should fall on 1 kg of a child's weight. That is, for 15 kg you should give 15 g of the drug. This is 30 tablets. Of course, this may not be possible due to such a large number. Therefore, give as much as the child can eat. And remember, activated charcoal is almost impossible to overdose.
2. If you are concerned about the question of how to treat food poisoning, if the child has a fever, then the answer is obvious. With any, even a slight increase, the use of antipyretic drugs is required.

Cases requiring medical attention

1. The child is less than 3 years old.
2. Symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days.
3. Increased body temperature.
4. Poisoning is present in several other family members.

When is it necessary to call an ambulance immediately?

1. The child cannot drink water due to profuse and constant vomiting.
2. If you know that the baby was poisoned by mushrooms or seafood.
3. A rash appeared on the skin.
4. Swelling appeared on the joints.
5. The child has difficulty swallowing.
6. The kid is talking incoherently.
7. The skin and mucous membranes turned yellow.
8. Blood in vomit and feces.
9. No urination for more than 6 hours.
10. There was weakness in the muscles.

Diet after poisoning

Treating food poisoning at home should be accompanied by diet. You can not eat fatty and spicy food. You should limit the consumption of dairy products. Alcohol and smoking should also be avoided for a long time. Meat, vegetables and fish should be steamed. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours. The diet should include cereals boiled in water, especially those that contain a large amount of fiber in their composition. Drink strong black tea, decoction of chamomile, rose hips.

Prevention of food poisoning

Earlier we figured out how to treat food poisoning. Symptoms and first aid are also discussed in detail. Therefore, below we present a few useful rules that will help you avoid this unpleasant and fairly common problem.

What not to do with food poisoning?

1. Put a heating pad on the abdomen.
2. Drink fixing drugs for diarrhea.
3. Give an enema to pregnant women, children, the elderly with diarrhea.
4. Drink milk or water with gas.
5. Never induce vomiting if:

• an unconscious person;
• there is confidence that the person was poisoned by alkali, kerosene, gasoline or acid.

If all of the above recommendations have been followed, then the likelihood that you will quickly cure food poisoning is quite high. Do not forget that only a doctor should assess the severity of poisoning, because timely medical assistance will help to avoid serious health problems. It should be remembered that at the first symptomatic manifestations of poisoning in children and the elderly, you should consult a doctor.

Food poisoning is a fairly common pathological condition. If not properly treated, it can lead to severe and dangerous consequences. This disease is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women.. In this article, we examined in detail the symptoms of food poisoning, first aid rules, situations in which you should urgently go to the hospital.

What can cause food poisoning

There are many reasons why acute food poisoning can develop. Any product, if not properly prepared or stored, can be dangerous. for the human body. The following are the main causes and risk factors for the development of food intoxication in humans:

• Eating foods that have expired. In expired food, putrefactive bacteria begin to multiply, which are capable of producing toxins that cause an intoxication syndrome.
• Poisoning with meat and products contaminated with bacteria that cause an intestinal infection in humans, such as salmonellosis, dysentery. Dairy and meat products are especially dangerous.
• Incorrect and insufficient heat treatment of meat, fish and eggs can cause poisoning. Most of the dangerous microorganisms found in these products are killed by prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
• Storing food at the wrong temperature. Perishable food should only be kept in the refrigerator.
• The use of low-quality or poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom poisoning is a particularly dangerous and serious condition.
• Poisoning with canned food develops when they are infected with botulism. If canned food is swollen, there is plaque on the surface of the food, it is forbidden to use them. Botulism is an infection that affects the food and nervous systems. It can develop only in an environment devoid of oxygen. Rolled canned food is an ideal environment for the growth of botulism.
• Refreezing food. All food can only be frozen once. When defrosted and re-placed in the freezer, food becomes dangerous, proteins are destroyed in it, toxins and pathogens are formed.
• Poor washing of food or hands before eating or preparing it. Also, poisoning can develop when eating food from dirty dishes.
• Cooking by people who are carriers of intestinal infection. They contaminate food with poorly washed hands after going to the restroom. It is for this reason that mass poisoning can occur after visiting catering establishments.

Clinical picture of food poisoning

Signs of food poisoning develop within the first 6 hours after ingestion of poor-quality or contaminated foods. Symptoms of poisoning with chicken, meat and other foods are growing rapidly. With severe intoxication, the patient's condition may worsen within half an hour.

The table below details the main signs of food poisoning, their main features.

Description and manifestation of possible complications of food poisoning

Food poisoning can lead to severe complications from the internal organs. The risk of their development decreases in the case of a minimum period of time between the onset of the first symptoms and treatment.

List of pathological conditions that can complicate food poisoning, is presented below:

• Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which can be triggered by toxins and bacteria that have come in with spoiled food. When gastritis develops heartburn, vomiting, pain in the stomach, belching. Body temperature may rise.
• Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Especially often this complication develops with the abuse of fatty foods, alcohol. Acute pancreatitis is treated only by surgery. It is characterized by a sharp increase in temperature, the appearance of girdle pain in the abdomen and purple spots in the navel.
• Acetonemic syndrome - an increase in the level of ketone bodies in the blood. This condition develops mainly in children under 10-12 years of age. A characteristic symptom is the appearance of the smell of acetone from the mouth and from the urine of the child. Acitonemic syndrome is accompanied by damage to the pancreas.
• Infectious-toxic shock is a critical condition that occurs against the background of severe intoxication and severe dehydration. The patient's blood pressure drops sharply, shortness of breath, tachycardia occurs, consciousness may be disturbed.
• Acute renal failure can develop with the use of poisonous mushrooms. It is characterized by the development of anuria (lack of urine) and edema throughout the body. The patient has an unpleasant smell from the mouth, the skin may turn yellow.
• Gastrointestinal bleeding most often occurs when poisoning in people who suffer from peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. Abundant vomiting and toxins can disrupt the integrity of the vessel in the submucosal ball of the stomach or duodenum. Internal bleeding is characterized by black vomit and diarrhea., pale skin, tachycardia, lowering blood pressure, hypothermia.
• Violation of the liver or gallbladder is manifested by pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, yellowness of the skin, and temperature.

The basics of first aid before the arrival of doctors

With the development of the first symptoms of food poisoning emergency medical attention should be called immediately. By phone, inform the dispatcher of the patient's symptoms, name your exact location.

Remember that if it is not possible to call a doctor at home, you need to urgently go to the hospital yourself. Self-medication of poisoning is very dangerous. Only an experienced doctor can accurately diagnose and prescribe the correct, effective treatment, so you should contact him for help as soon as possible.

Immediately after calling the doctors, you need to start providing independent assistance.. It can help relieve intoxication, remove some of the toxins. In the case of severe poisoning, the prognosis of the survival of the injured person depends on first aid.

The main components of first aid are listed below.

Gastric lavage

Cleansing of the stomach should be carried out as soon as possible after the first clinical signs of food poisoning appear. This procedure helps to stop the increase in intoxication and remove the remnants of spoiled food, the toxins of which have not yet entered the bloodstream.

For self-purification of the stomach at home, you should drink a liter of ordinary clean water at a neutral temperature in one gulp. Then you need to provoke a gag urge. This can be done in a “folk” way by pressing with your two fingers on the back of the tongue. In order to completely flush the gastric cavity, you need to repeat this procedure several times.

Remember that gastric lavage is strictly prohibited in the development of dark vomiting, impaired consciousness of the patient.

Previously, it was believed that cleansing the stomach is best done on the basis of a solution of potassium permanganate. According to recent research, this substance is ineffective and dangerous, can cause burns to the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus.

Colon cleansing with an enema

Enema is carried out on the basis of plain water. It is made to clean intestinal waters. The temperature of the water for washing should be at room temperature. The use of cold or warm water for enema is prohibited.

Colon cleansing is an effective method of quickly removing toxins from the body. and pathogenic microorganisms that provoked poisoning.

Plentiful drink

After washing the patient's stomach, you need to start soldering with plain or mineral water without gases. You need to drink little and often, a sip every 5 minutes. This is necessary to prevent new vomiting attacks, which at this stage of assistance will only worsen the person's condition and increase dehydration.

Sorbents

For food poisoning you can take any sorbents, such as polysorb, activated carbon, enterosgel, smectu, atoxyl. Preparations of this group quickly cleanse the intestines of toxins and pathogenic bacteria. They also reduce the severity of diarrhea, thereby preventing the loss of body fluid and the development of infectious-toxic shock.

Before taking any sorbents, you should check their expiration date and read the rules for calculating the dosage in the instructions.

What to do with the onset of gastrointestinal bleeding

If the patient has black or bloody vomiting, dark stools (melena), you need to send him to bed, place an ice pack on the stomach area.

Remember that if you suspect the development of gastrointestinal bleeding, it is forbidden for the patient to drink any liquid or medication. Such actions can increase damage to the vascular wall and increase the amount of blood lost.

Actions in case of loss of consciousness

With impaired consciousness, the patient should be placed on a flat surface. He needs to raise his legs up, and turn his head to the side. Before the arrival of the doctors, you should constantly check the presence of pulse and breathing, in their absence - immediately begin to conduct a closed indirect heart massage.

medical treatment

Ambulance doctors will conduct a quick examination of the patient and begin to treat the poisoning. First aid consists of:

• droppers to help get rid of dehydration;
• drugs to eliminate nausea, abdominal pain;
• improving the functionality of the heart and the regulation of pressure, respiratory rate.

After the patient's condition stabilizes, he is immediately taken to the hospital (infection unit or intensive care unit). There he is provided with qualified medical assistance, further treatment is prescribed. Also, in parallel with therapy, an examination is carried out, which helps to determine the cause of the disease, make a diagnosis and choose the right treatment.

The length of stay in the hospital depends on the severity of the patient's condition. and his response to treatment. Only mild poisoning can be quickly cured, in which a person began to be treated in a timely manner and consulted a doctor.

Hospital treatment consists of:

• bed rest;
• diets;
• drinking regime;
• droppers;
• antibiotics (for intestinal infection);
• administration of anti-botulinum serum (with laboratory confirmation of botulism);
• enzymes;
• antispasmodics;
• sorbents;
• hemodialysis - with intoxication with poisonous mushrooms;
• treatment of complications of poisoning.

After poisoning, a diet and drug therapy are prescribed, the action of which is aimed at restoring the digestive system. In this period shows enzymes, probiotics, hepatoprotectors. After discharge from the hospital, the doctor gives the patient recommendations on nutrition and regimen, may prescribe medications, and will name the date of the control visit.

Treatment of poisoning in adults at home

How to treat food poisoning at home? Diet and drugs are prescribed by a family or district therapist. Self-medication is strictly prohibited. All drugs must be agreed with the doctor.

The main components of home treatment are listed below.

Bed rest

During the treatment of poisoning the patient needs complete rest. You can not attend school, work, do household chores or sports.

Lie down in a well ventilated area. Wet cleaning should be carried out every day.

Diet and drink

Dietary nutrition is the basis of treatment. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks, smoking. It is necessary to refuse rich, smoked, fatty and spicy foods.

You need to eat little and often. The size of a single serving should not exceed the size of the palm of the patient. You can eat:

• rice, oatmeal and buckwheat porridge;
• chicken bouillon;
• lean chicken meat;
• bananas, baked apples;
• dried white bread and biscuit cookies;
• stewed or boiled vegetables.

Antibacterial drugs

Antibiotics are prescribed by a doctor for an intestinal infection. Their must be taken strictly according to the scheme.

Antispasmodics

These drugs are taken when there is pain in the abdomen. They help to remove intestinal colic and flatulence. Antispasmodics: no-shpa, drotaverine, platifillin.

Enzymes

Enzymes are prescribed to regulate digestion and pancreas function. They are taken with meals. Preparations: Creon, Mezim, Pancreatin.

Probiotics

These drugs are prescribed to restore the intestinal microflora after poisoning and taking antibiotics. Preparations: linex, bifidumbacterin.

Prevention of poisoning

Constant prevention of poisoning will help you protect yourself and loved ones from this disease. The following are guidelines to be followed at all times:

• When buying or using food, check the production date, inspect the packaging for integrity. It is desirable to smell meat and fish.
• Buy food only from official and licensed outlets. Forget about spontaneous markets forever.
• Wash your hands, utensils and food thoroughly.
• Store food properly. Perishable foods should be kept refrigerated.
• Do not refreeze meat or fish. This can lead to the growth of putrefactive bacteria in it.
• Don't buy ready meals. It is best not to be lazy and cook your own food. Only in this way will you know what, how and under what conditions it is made.

Food poisoning in adults can occur for a variety of reasons. His treatment should be taken seriously. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, call an ambulance. While the doctors are coming, wash the patient's intestines and stomach, give water and sorbents to drink. Mild poisoning can be treated at home with diet and medication prescribed by your doctor. Do not self-medicate. Take care of your health.

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 symptoms of poisoning, enteral detoxification with Enterosgel enterosorbent is necessarily used as first aid. After intake, Enterosgel moves along the gastrointestinal tract and, like a porous sponge, collects toxins and harmful bacteria. Unlike other sorbents that must be carefully diluted with water, Enterosgel is completely ready for use and is a gentle gel-like paste that does not injure the mucous membrane, but envelops and promotes its recovery. This is important since poisoning is often accompanied by an exacerbation of gastritis, which causes the lining of the stomach and intestines to become inflamed.
2. 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.
3. 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 the patient is a small child or an elderly person. 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:

Food poisoning is a fairly common - and sometimes life-threatening - problem affecting millions of people around the world. Typically, this disease is not severe, and most patients recover within a few days without treatment. But with some types of food poisoning, a person can even die.

Microorganisms or their toxins can enter food or drink at any time during preparation or manufacture.

When it comes to food poisoning, most people immediately think of the typical symptoms of gastroenteritis - diarrhea and vomiting. However, eating contaminated foods can cause other symptoms and problems.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The main symptom of food poisoning is diarrhea, which is often accompanied by vomiting. Diarrhea is defined as loose or watery stools at least three times in 24 hours. With some infections, blood or mucus may appear in the stool.

Also quite often with food poisoning, spastic pains in the abdomen can be observed. Pain may be relieved after each bowel movement.

Occasionally, patients develop fever, headaches, and pain in the extremities.

When vomiting develops, it often lasts only 1 day or so, only sometimes longer. Diarrhea often continues after vomiting stops, lasting for several days. Slightly frequent and loose stools may occur for a week or so, after which normal bowel function is restored. Sometimes the symptoms of food poisoning last longer.

Diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration. Mild dehydration is a fairly common symptom of food poisoning and can be easily treated with sufficient fluid intake. Severe dehydration can be fatal if not dealt with quickly, as human organs need fluid to function properly.

Symptoms of dehydration in adults include:

• General fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Headache.
• Muscle spasms.
• Sunken eyes.
• Decreased amount of urine.
• Dry mouth.
• Weakness.
• Irritability.

Symptoms of severe dehydration in adults include:

• Apathy is a severe loss of energy or enthusiasm.
• Weakness.
• Confusion of consciousness.
• Cardiopalmus.
• A sharp decrease in the amount of urine.
• Coma.

Severe dehydration is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

When should you see a doctor?

A patient with food poisoning should consult a doctor in the following cases:

• Severe symptoms - for example, the patient cannot retain fluid in the body, as he constantly vomits.
• The symptoms did not start to improve after a few days.
• There are symptoms of severe dehydration.
• If the sick person is a pregnant woman.
• If the patient is over 60 years of age.
• In case of food poisoning or suspicion of its presence in infants or young children under 3 years of age.
• In the presence of a chronic disease - for example, inflammatory bowel disease, heart defects, diabetes mellitus or kidney failure.
• If you have a weakened immune system, such as with immunosuppressive drugs, cancer treatment, or AIDS.
• When blood or mucus appears in the stool.
• With a duration of diarrhea for more than 3 days.
• With very severe pain in the abdomen.
• With an increase in body temperature over 38.6 ° C.
• If you have neurological symptoms such as:
  • blurred vision,
  • double vision,
  • muscle weakness,
  • tingling in the hands,
  • confused speech.
  • swallowing problems
• In case of poisoning or suspected mushroom poisoning
• If there is no urine or it is dark in color for more than 6 hours
• Yellowed skin

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Causes of food poisoning

Pathological microorganisms can get into food at any time - during cultivation, collection, processing, storage, preparation. Sometimes cross-contamination can occur - the transfer of harmful microorganisms from one surface to another.

This is especially true for foods eaten raw, such as salads. Since these dishes are not cooked before consumption, pathological microorganisms are not destroyed and can cause food poisoning.

Table 1. Some causative agents of food poisoning

Risk factors for food poisoning

The development of food poisoning after eating a contaminated product depends on the state of the body, the degree of exposure to the pathological factor, the age and health of the person. High risk groups include:

• Old people. As the body ages, its immune system may not respond as quickly and effectively to infectious agents as it did at a young age.
• pregnant women. Changes in metabolism and circulation during pregnancy can increase the risk of food poisoning. During pregnancy, the reaction of a woman's body to a pathological factor may be stronger. In rare cases, the child may also get sick.
• Babies and young children. Their immune system is not yet fully developed.
• People with chronic diseases. The presence of a chronic disease (for example, diabetes, liver disease or AIDS), chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer impairs the immune response to a pathological factor.

Complications of food poisoning

Complications of food poisoning in developed countries with well-organized health systems and educated populations rarely develop. They most often occur in the elderly, patients with chronic diseases or weakened immune systems. Possible complications include:

Violations of water and electrolyte balance in the body. This is the most common complication of food poisoning, which develops as a result of the excretion of water and electrolytes from the body through feces and vomiting. Severe dehydration reduces the blood supply to vital organs, causing them to malfunction.

Reactive Complications. In rare cases, other parts of the patient's body "react" to food poisoning. This can cause inflammation of the joints (arthritis), skin (dermatitis, rash) and eyes (conjunctivitis, uveitis).

Spread of infection to other organs- for example, on bones, joints, membranes of the brain and spinal cord. This rarely happens. If this complication develops, salmonella is the most common cause of diarrhea.

Persistent diarrhea syndrome. Rarely, a case of food poisoning can cause irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, secondary lactose intolerance sometimes develops after an episode of food poisoning. An intestinal infection can damage the lining of the digestive tract, resulting in a deficiency of the lactase enzyme, which is essential for the body to absorb the lactose found in milk.

Lactose intolerance leads to bloating and pain in the abdomen, flatulence and watery stools that appear after drinking milk. The condition of patients improves after the end of food poisoning, as the intestinal mucosa recovers. Lactose intolerance is more common in children.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome. This is a rare complication that is usually associated with food poisoning caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli). This is a serious complication in which anemia is observed, the number of platelets in the blood decreases and kidney failure develops. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is more common in children. With proper treatment, the prognosis for this complication is favorable.

Guillain-Barré syndrome. This complication can rarely develop with food poisoning caused by Campylobacter. When it affects the nerve fibers throughout the body, which causes weakness and impaired sensitivity.

Decreased effectiveness of certain drugs. With food poisoning, some drugs taken by the patient to treat other diseases may reduce their effectiveness. This is due to the fact that with diarrhea and vomiting, the absorption of the drug in the body decreases. Examples of such drugs are drugs for epilepsy, diabetes mellitus and contraceptive drugs.

Diagnostics

In most patients, food poisoning can be diagnosed by the presence of typical symptoms of the disease. With a moderate severity of the clinical picture, the patient, as a rule, does not need medical help.

These tests are not always necessary, because in most cases of food poisoning, knowing which infectious agent caused the disease does not make any difference to the choice of methods of treatment. Most patients recover before the results of these tests are available.

Treatment for food poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning often resolve within a few days or as the patient's immune system clears out the infection. Occasionally, with the development of severe symptoms or complications, hospitalization is needed in a medical institution.

1. Drink plenty of fluids.

The purpose of this advice is to prevent or treat dehydration. The patient can approximately be guided by the use of 200 ml of water after each liquid stool. This is the extra amount that needs to be added to the amount of liquid consumed normally.

For example, an adult normally drinks about 2 liters of water per day, in hot countries - more. To this volume, 200 ml of water should be added after each episode of diarrhea. After vomiting, you need to wait 5-10 minutes, and then start drinking again, only more slowly.

For example, you can take a sip of liquid every 2-3 minutes, but you should ensure that the total amount of liquid consumed is sufficient. A person with dehydration needs to drink even more. The doctor can recommend exactly how much rehydration is needed for each individual patient.

When preventing or eliminating dehydration, the patient can focus on urine - its amount should be normal, and the color should be light. An adult person must drink mostly water to maintain water balance. In addition, you can include in the diet a certain amount of fruit juices and soups.

It's best not to drink drinks that contain a lot of sugar, as they can make diarrhea worse. For debilitated patients, people over 60 years old, patients with chronic diseases, it is recommended to use special solutions for rehydration, which are sold in pharmacies. They have a balanced composition with electrolytes and sugar, which helps the body absorb fluid in the intestines. These solutions do not stop or reduce diarrhea.

You should not make your own salty or sugary drinks for this purpose at home, as the amount of electrolytes and sugar must be accurate.

2. Eat as usual, if possible.

Previously, patients with food poisoning were advised to fast. However, doctors now advise patients to eat small, easily digestible meals if they can. You need to focus on your appetite. If the patient can eat, then he first should not be used fatty, spicy and fried foods. First, you should try simple foods - whole grain bread, rice.

3. It is necessary to get more rest, as illness and dehydration can weaken the human body.

Medical treatment

Anticonvulsants are usually not needed. However, in some situations, loperamide is prescribed. For example, if the patient needs to attend some important event or has difficulty getting to the toilet quickly.

Loperamide slows down bowel activity and may reduce the number of trips to the toilet. Adult patients first take 2 capsules of the drug, then 1 capsule after each episode of diarrhea. The maximum dose is 8 capsules in 24 hours. Do not take loperamide for more than 5 days.

Note: Although loperamide is generally safe, there are reports of very serious bowel problems developing in some people taking it. These problems mostly appeared in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease.

Therefore, loperamide or other anticonvulsant drugs should not be taken if there is blood or mucus in the stool, or if there is fever. In addition, loperamide should not be taken by people with certain diseases, pregnant women.

Paracetamol or ibuprofen is sometimes recommended to relieve headaches and reduce fever.

Sometimes, when identifying the causative agent of a food infection, doctors prescribe antibacterial agents. This is done in the following cases:

• Very severe symptoms.
• In the absence of improvement in the patient's condition.
• If the patient is over 50 years old, and his food poisoning is caused by salmonella.
• With food poisoning caused by salmonella, and the presence of other diseases - for example, heart defects.
• In patients with Shigella food poisoning and blood in the stool.
• With weakened immunity.
• Infections caused by certain microorganisms, such as giardia or amoebas.

In severe cases of dehydration, patients need intravenous administration of balanced salt solutions.

Prevention of food poisoning

Four groups of activities can help prevent food poisoning:

1. Purity.

• Keep your kitchen worktop and utensils clean.
• Hands should be washed regularly, but especially after going to the toilet, before preparing food, after touching raw food, and before eating cooked food.
• A person with diarrhea should not prepare food for other people.
• Cover any wounds or cuts on your hands with waterproof plaster before touching food.
• Kitchen towels need to be changed regularly.

1. Cooking food.

• Food should be cooked carefully, especially meat. This kills microorganisms. Food should be cooked just before consumption and be hot inside.
• When reheating food, do it right before eating; it must be hot inside.
• Do not reheat food more than once.

1. Refrigeration and storage of products.

• Food that needs to be stored at a low temperature should be placed in the refrigerator. If this is not done, bacteria that cause food poisoning can multiply in the products.
• The refrigerator should be set to a temperature of 0-5 °C.
• Cooked foods must be cooled quickly and placed in the refrigerator.

1. Cross infection. This happens when bacteria pass from one food to another.

• Hands should be washed after touching raw food.
• Separate raw and cooked foods from each other.
• Store raw meat in a resealable container at the bottom of the refrigerator.
• Avoid using the same surface or cutting board for cooking raw and cooked foods.
• Wash knives and utensils thoroughly after preparing raw foods.

Food poisoning is especially dangerous for infants and young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients. These people should avoid the following foods:

• Raw or unusual meats and poultry.
• Raw or undercooked fish and seafood, including oysters, mussels, and shellfish.
• Raw or undercooked eggs or foods containing eggs (such as homemade cakes or ice cream).
• Unpasteurized juices.
• Unpasteurized milk and dairy products.
• Soft cheeses such as feta and camembert; unpasteurized cheeses.
• Frozen pâtés and canned meats.
• Hot dogs and sausages.

Material prepared:

Nevelychuk Taras Anatolievich