Symptoms of food poisoning. Food poisoning in adults: symptoms and treatment

It’s quite easy to get poisoned by low-quality food. The streets of big cities are full of tempting fast food cafeterias, stalls with pies, grilled chicken, and shawarma. Notice boards in the elevators of some buildings are decorated with leaflets with bright photographs of fast food and telephone numbers where all this can be ordered. It's hard not to be tempted to buy something ready-made instead of standing at the stove all evening. Meanwhile, it is easiest to get poisoned with such food.

Food poisoning is most often caused by microorganisms contained in food. That is, food can be contaminated with bacteria (for example, streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli, botulism bacteria, etc.), viruses (enteroviruses), and fungi. During their life, pathogenic microorganisms release toxins that poison our body.

The speed at which symptoms occur and their severity depends on which microorganism caused the intoxication. In some cases, a person becomes unwell after 2-5 hours, in others, signs of poisoning appear after 12 hours.

Symptoms:

Nausea and vomiting;
Diarrhea (with frequent urge);
Stomach ache;
Fever (37-38 °C);
Weakness, low blood pressure, rapid pulse.

With intoxication caused by botulism bacteria, weakness is observed in all muscles, speech, vision and swallowing are impaired, dry mouth and vomiting appear. A special feature of botulism is muscle paralysis (starts from the top).

In particular severe cases loss of consciousness is observed.

What to do:

Call an ambulance if:
1. A child, a pregnant woman was poisoned, old man or a patient who has chronic illness (diabetes, hepatitis, cirrhosis, oncology, AIDS, etc.).
2. Bloody stool.
3. Gastric lavage and other measures did not improve the condition.
4. Diarrhea and vomiting do not stop for 2 days.
5. Severe symptoms with loss of consciousness and signs of botulism, suspected mushroom poisoning.
Find out what the person was poisoned with: a chemical (medicine), mushrooms or a poor-quality product. Botulism bacteria are most often found in home canned foods. Sometimes it helps to find out the cause of poisoning by the victim’s memory of the product he consumed (the very idea of this product causes nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea)
Perform gastric lavage. It is necessary to give the patient at least 1 liter of water, preferably 1.5. Induce vomiting “restaurant style” (press on the root of the tongue). You should not hesitate to induce vomiting between drinking water, because if it is absorbed, the patient will become worse. It is necessary to rinse the stomach until the vomit becomes absolutely clean (with just water).
If the victim is unconscious, gastric lavage cannot be carried out independently; this will be done by an ambulance worker using a probe. Before the team arrives, it is necessary to turn the patient on his side so that he does not choke on vomit.
Instead of water, you can use a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. This substance has an antiseptic effect. Preparation rules: monitor the color of the solution - it should be strictly light pink. If the solution is insufficiently dissolved or the concentration is excessive, a severe burn to the gastric mucosa may occur. It’s safer to thoroughly dilute the potassium permanganate in a glass, then pour 3/4 of it into a 2 liter jar of water (watch the color!).
Give the patient an adsorbent substance. Most often, charcoal is taken for this (up to 20 g, washed down with half a glass of water).
Restore water-salt balance. To do this, you need to give the patient to drink little by little, but often: still mineral water or a special drug from the pharmacy (for example, rehydron). You need to drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day.
In case of food poisoning, the anti-diarrhea drug Imodium (loperamide) should not be used under any circumstances. Can lead to the absorption of toxins into the blood and serious consequences.

To avoid the consequences of eating poor quality food, you must:

Avoid prepared foods (especially from suspicious people in unverified places), and do not look at tempting fast food signs. Memories of time spent in the restroom after poisoning help develop “immunity” against buying prepared foods in such places.
Check expiration dates appearance and the smell of the product before use.
Subject meat, fish, eggs and other products to long-term heat treatment.
Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly.

If after eating you suddenly feel sharp pain stomach, nausea or dizziness, then know that one of the most common causes of such symptoms is food poisoning. This problem occurs after eating foods that have been contaminated with bacterial poisons or impurities of various chemical substances. From our article you will learn about the symptoms of food poisoning, their causes, the development of the disease, as well as the provision of emergency medical care to a patient with food poisoning and measures that help prevent such situations.

Types of food poisoning

All food poisoning can be divided into two large groups: bacterial and non-bacterial. The first group includes problems caused by bacterial poisons, viruses and bacteria. Non-bacterial food poisoning in children and adults occurs as a result of chemicals entering the body or after eating poisonous mushrooms and herbs. Considering the many reasons that cause food poisoning, you should not be surprised at the variety of symptoms. Patients may experience stomach pain, persistent vomiting, nausea and high fever, and in the most severe cases, kidney, liver and neurological syndromes. They call serious complications Therefore, if food poisoning is suspected, treatment should begin as soon as possible. It is advisable that the patient be provided with the first health care even before the doctors arrived. We will tell you how to do this in the corresponding section of our article.

For now, let’s look at bacterial poisoning in more detail. As a rule, they are triggered by eating food that contains pathogenic microbes and toxins. The causative agents of food poisoning are: Proteus, Klebsiella, Clostridia, Staphylococcus, strains coli and other microorganisms. They accumulate in food when sanitary and hygienic standards are violated at food production enterprises, as well as due to improper transportation and storage. It should be noted that food poisoning, the symptoms of which usually appear almost immediately after eating poor-quality food, can develop even with prolonged heat treatment of foods. This is due to the fact that staphylococci and many other types of microbes are resistant to boiling and do well when exposed to high temperatures.

How can you tell if food is contaminated? First of all, you should pay attention to its smell, taste and color. Spoiled food products emit a specific bad smell and have a sour taste. In addition, their consistency changes. One of obvious signs unsuitability of products are caused by gas bubbles. They are especially noticeable on the surface of milk and other liquid foods. However, signs of food poisoning can appear even after consuming foods with normal organoleptic qualities. This situation occurs, for example, in cases where toxins enter the body with food prepared by an infected person.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The clinical picture of food poisoning depends on the type of pathogen and the amount eaten junk food. The most common signs of food poisoning are:

temperature increase;
loss of appetite;
loose stools;
constant calls to defecate;
blurred vision;
nausea, vomiting;
increased salivation;
certain disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system or complete failure the entire nervous system, which often happens with botulism.

The first symptoms of food poisoning appear within 30-40 minutes after eating contaminated food. Within 2-3 next days they are growing. During this period, the patient should be provided with urgent help for food poisoning. Otherwise, there is quite real risk death or the development of severe complications that can lead to disability and loss of performance. Infections such as botulism and listeriosis are especially dangerous in this regard. The first is characterized by extremely rapid progression, and the second – by the absence visible symptoms food poisoning. In pregnant women, listeriosis leads to fetal pathologies and early birth of a child, so expectant mothers should be very careful about their food choices.

First aid for food poisoning

If there is a suspicion that nausea, vomiting and other alarming symptoms are caused by food poisoning, you should immediately rinse the stomach with a weak solution of manganese or soda. Rinsing is done until clean water begins to come out. Also, a patient with food poisoning should drink Activated carbon, washing it down with plenty of liquid. It is better to avoid carbonated drinks in favor of fruit drinks or tea. Drinking plenty of fluids will help compensate for dehydration, which inevitably develops with severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Currently, for food poisoning, as well as for severe alcohol intoxication are used modern sorbents, one of which is White coal. The drug effectively absorbs toxins and removes waste, but does not remove necessary for the body useful material. What is especially worth noting is that White Coal is a “concentrated” sorbent and instead of a handful of black coal familiar to many, you can drink only 1-2 tablets of white.

After gastric lavage, in case of food poisoning, the patient must be kept at rest, apply a heating pad to his legs and wait for the doctors to arrive. You can give the patient sulfonamides (phthalazole, sulgin) or antibiotics. Just remember that if food poisoning develops in children, the use of any potent drugs must be agreed with specialists.

Prevention of food poisoning

You can minimize the risk of food poisoning by following simple but effective rules:

Maintain cleanliness in the kitchen and living areas;
follow basic rules of personal hygiene;
use only products from well-known, well-established manufacturers;
store perishable foods in the refrigerator;
comply with the requirements established by manufacturers, in particular, consume open canned food within the specified date;
keep trash cans closed;
Wash products thoroughly before eating and do not forget about their heat treatment.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

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

Foods can cause poisoning

Food poisoning- This is usually a sudden onset acute illness caused by various microorganisms or toxins entering the body. 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 appear? The first symptoms become noticeable after 30 - 40 minutes. But this process can take several days, it entirely depends on the condition immune system people and general physical condition.
As noted above, food poisoning in humans can occur for several reasons, but it develops almost in the same way, and the symptoms are similar.
At the first stage the body as a whole is poisoned; in the second, the mucous membranes located in the stomach and intestines become inflamed. By the way, this is very dangerous; dehydration 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 make a correct diagnosis in the first phase of the disease.
Typical features include the following:

abdominal pain, often near the navel;
loss of balance (dizziness);
nausea and vomiting;
a sharp increase in body temperature;
diarrhea;
headache;
excessive release of gases;
increased weakness;
convulsions, chills, rapid pulse, etc.

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

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

Poisoning includes botulism, salmonellosis and many others.

First aid

IMPORTANT! ONLY A DOCTOR CAN PROVIDE AN 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 indications hypertensive crisis eg dizziness excessive sweating and self-help can only make the situation worse. So what to do if you are poisoned?
First aid for poisoning is provided after suspicions of food intoxication have been confirmed; by the way, it can be widespread; in other words, if during a family dinner there are unsuitable foods on the table, then most likely everyone who was at the table will suffer.
In case of food poisoning, the first step is to call an ambulance. The arriving team will assess the situation and most likely take all victims of food poisoning to the infectious diseases hospital. There, everyone will be examined by a therapist and gastroenterologist. All will be collected necessary tests. As a result, it will be delivered accurate diagnosis and a course of treatment is prescribed that will lead to a speedy recovery.
But before the ambulance team arrives, if there are signs of poisoning on the face, but there are no symptoms indicating dangerous development events, 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:

Washing. To do this you need to prepare weak solution potassium permanganate, you can add salt or baking soda to it. If you don’t have one at hand, you can use warm water. In this way, harmful microorganisms will be removed from the body. This process is cyclical and must be repeated until clean water begins to come out of the stomach.
It is necessary to give a sick person medications of the sorbent class, usually activated carbon.
The sick person must be provided with rest; if he is shivering, then he must be warmed up; it is quite acceptable to use heating pads.

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

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

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 from:

food that has been outside the refrigeration unit for more than two hours;
food prepared from unsuitable food products;
uncooked meat or fish;
low-quality eggs;
products washed in untreated water, or not washed at all;
with ice cubes frozen from untreated 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 people sit down at the table without washing their hands after going outside.
Food poisoning is one of those diseases that manifests itself in the body quite quickly; the whole process can take several hours. The main reasons why it occurs are listed above.
Among food products, which most often provoke the occurrence of poisoning- these are desserts with cream, sausages, pates, seafood, salads that were seasoned with butter or unsuitable oil and many others. Let's look at the most common poisonings.

Stale fish is a source of poisoning

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

For the most part, these harmful microorganisms end up in food if simple hygiene rules are not followed. In this case, all the signs of food poisoning are visible.
Under certain conditions, the fish itself can become poisonous. So, during spawning, the caviar of fish - pike, beluga, burbot - becomes poisonous and if you buy it you can be seriously poisoned.
Poisoning that resembles allergies is not uncommon. If you eat certain types of fish, your skin may turn red, your face may swell, and you may experience a burning sensation. oral cavity. This is explained by the fact that fish contains substances such as histamine and others. Once it finishes its action, which is about 7-8 hours, after which all the unpleasant phenomena will pass. But to reassure yourself, it makes sense to take anti-allergy medications and contact your doctor; it is possible that these are signs of a real allergy.

What do you need to know to minimize the likelihood of fish poisoning?

Do not eat fish with fallen scales or cloudy eyes;
fish must be stored at minus one degree Celsius;
There is no need to thaw the fish unless it is fried or boiled, otherwise the active release of toxins will begin.

IMPORTANT! FISH POISONING IS A SERIOUS AND ACUTE ILLNESS AND THE VICTIM NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE.

Poisoning with chicken meat, eggs, etc.

Spoiled chicken is a source of salmonellosis bacteria

This type of poisoning is caused by salmonella. It can live in meat for up to 6 months, in eggs for 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 and severe headache.

Cake poisoning

You can be poisoned by stale cake

Poisoning from confectionery products occurs not so much due to harmful microorganisms (staphylococcus), but rather due to the toxins they produce. For the most part, it ends up in finished products from people who suffer from tonsillitis, various furunculosis, etc.
For this microorganism, milk and creams are essentially nutrient medium which promotes its reproduction. Staphylococcus produces enterotoxin, which causes poisoning. It does not change the taste or smell of confectionery products. Moreover, this toxin carries high temperatures and can withstand temperatures of 100 degrees for 1 – 2 hours.
Poisoning from confectionery products is characterized by the following symptoms:

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

Mushroom poisoning

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

This topic deserves a separate discussion; there are often cases when poisoning occurs either with improperly prepared or poisonous mushrooms.
In this case, you definitely need to call an ambulance, because sometimes the minutes count and traditional methods of treatment will not help much.

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

Prevention of poisoning

What measures must 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 preparing food and from which it is then consumed must be
keep clean. the same applies to the stove, tables, dining table, etc.;
In order to cut food, you need to use separate or specialized knives. That is, a knife that was used to cut fish cannot be used to cut poultry or meat;
Use fresh ingredients for cooking.
meat and fish products cannot be thawed in water;
When purchasing food products in stores, you need to check the sales and preparation dates. these dates are indicated on the label and must be clearly legible;
Food that has been heated must be consumed no later than two hours. Later it must be reheated or boiled;
cannot be stored on one shelf raw foods, for example, meat and already prepared food.
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 returning from the street;
The bucket in which the garbage is put is necessary as often as possible and emptied as often as possible.

Video

How to properly help with food poisoning before the doctor arrives?

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain after eating are signs that food poisoning has occurred. What to do to reduce harm to the body?

Anyone can suffer from food poisoning. You can get poisoned while visiting, in food establishments, on a picnic, and even at home from food that you have prepared yourself. The reason may be low-quality or spoiled products, dishes that were prepared or stored in violation of sanitary standards.

Poisoning is caused by microbes, toxins and other toxic substances that enter the body with food. The consequences can be very serious - from dehydration to disruption of organs and systems, even death. A person’s health and life depends on how timely and adequately first aid was provided to him. How to recognize food poisoning in time and what to do in this case? Read about this in our article.

First symptoms of poisoning

The time at which the first symptoms appear and the symptoms themselves depend on what caused the poisoning.

If a person is poisoned by poor-quality food, the first signs of intoxication usually appear 2-4 hours after eating. If the cause is poisonous mushrooms, berries or plants, usually within 4-12 hours.

Characteristic symptoms of toxic infection are nausea, vomiting, colic, diarrhea. If a headache appears, body temperature rises, pulse quickens, a person feels general weakness, and the skin becomes bluish - these are signs of acute intoxication. This condition requires immediate medical attention.

Poisoning with mushrooms, plants and berries can develop slowly and rapidly. In this case, every minute is precious to save a person’s life.

Food poisoning can be treated at home only if the degree of intoxication is mild. But it is to treat, and not to let things take their course. If threatening symptoms of intoxication appear, hospitalization is necessary. Especially if the cause of poisoning was mushrooms, canned foods, or alcoholic beverages.

If a child experiences nausea or diarrhea after eating, it is recommended to immediately call a doctor.

Reader Questions

Hello, I don’t know exactly who to turn to. I feel sick almost all day long, but not long ago I was vomiting with scarlet blood, there was a lot of blood, what could it be? 18 October 2013, 17:25 Hello, I don’t know exactly who to turn to. I feel sick almost all day long, but not long ago I was vomiting with scarlet blood, there was a lot of blood, what could it be?

First aid for food poisoning

What to do if you or your loved ones have symptoms of poisoning after eating? First of all, analyze what could have caused it. If the day before a person ate mushrooms, berries, canned foods, or drank alcohol, it is recommended that they immediately call “ ambulance" Before the doctors arrive, the victim needs first aid. The same principles must be followed by a person with mild degree poisoning

Stomach cleansing. Through bouts of vomiting, the body tries to cleanse itself of toxins. A person needs drinking plenty of fluids. You need to drink until vomiting stops completely. During the last attack, the vomit should be a relatively clear liquid without food or mucus. This means that the stomach has cleared.

If vomiting does not occur spontaneously, it must be induced. For this they use water solution salt, baking soda or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The solution irritates the walls of the stomach, and purgative vomiting begins. If this does not happen, then it must be caused by irritation of the root of the tongue.

If a person is unconscious, delirious or very weakened, you should not induce vomiting at home. He may choke on vomit. For children under 2 years of age and patients after strokes and heart attacks, gastric lavage should be performed by qualified specialists.

Taking medications. First aid medications for food poisoning include absorbents and enveloping agents. Absorbents such as activated carbon can be used to prepare a gastric lavage solution or taken in other ways as directed. These drugs bind and are removed from digestive tract poisonous substances. Enveloping substances prevent the absorption of toxic substances into the blood by covering the mucous membrane of the digestive tract with a thin film. In a hospital setting, it is possible to use Solcoseryl in the form of an infusion.

Drink plenty of fluids. The liquid helps speed up the removal of toxins from the body in case of food poisoning. Drinking is also necessary to replace fluid loss that occurs during vomiting and diarrhea.

After food poisoning, it is recommended to drink regular boiled water with lemon, fruit drinks, alkaline mineral water still, black tea, chamomile decoction. Exist pharmaceutical drugs intended for restoration acid-base balance, disturbed by vomiting and diarrhea.

In addition, warm drinks help a person warm up and relieve pain. Vascular spasms during poisoning cause large heat losses, so the person freezes. To keep warm, he just needs to wrap himself in a blanket and apply a heating pad to his feet.

Part of the treatment for food poisoning is diet. In the first day after the symptoms of poisoning have disappeared, only drinking is possible. If you feel hungry, you can eat a small amount of homemade white bread crackers. Next, the food should be light, boiled, chopped. Start with water-based porridge (oatmeal, rice), vegetable or chicken broth. During the fourth meal you can eat mashed potatoes and lean steamed fish fillet. After another day, you can gradually return to your usual menu.

Depending on what caused the poisoning, you may need to take medications, for example, bactericides, drugs to combat dysbacteriosis, enzyme preparations. These medications should only be taken on the advice of a doctor.

Treatment of severe food poisoning is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor.

Food poisoning is a fairly common pathological condition. At improper treatment it can lead to serious 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, and 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 that is not prepared or stored correctly can be dangerous. For human body. Below are the main causes and risk factors for the development of food intoxication in humans:

Eating foods that have expired. They begin to multiply in expired food putrefactive bacteria, which are capable of producing toxins that cause intoxication syndrome.
Poisoning by meat and products contaminated with bacteria that cause intestinal infections in humans, such as salmonellosis and dysentery. Dairy and meat products are especially dangerous.
Wrong and insufficient heat treatment meat, fish and eggs can cause poisoning. Majority dangerous microorganisms contained in these products die when exposed to high temperatures for a long time.
Storing food at the wrong temperature. Perishable food should only be kept in the refrigerator.
Consumption of low-quality or poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom poisoning is a particularly dangerous and serious condition.
Canned food poisoning develops when it is infected with botulism. If canned food is swollen or there is a coating on the surface of the food, it is prohibited to eat it. Botulism is an infection that affects food and nervous system. It can only develop in an environment deprived of oxygen. Sealed canned food is an ideal environment for the growth of botulism.
Re-freezing food. All food can only be frozen once. When defrosted and re-placed in freezer food becomes dangerous, proteins are destroyed in it, toxins and pathogenic microorganisms are formed.
Poor washing of food or hands before eating or preparing food. Poisoning can also develop when eating food from dirty dishes.
Cooking food by people who are peddlers intestinal infection. They contaminate food with poorly washed hands after using the restroom. It is for this reason that mass poisonings can occur after visiting catering establishments.

Clinical picture of food poisoning

Signs of food poisoning develop within the first 6 hours after ingestion of low-quality or contaminated food products. Symptoms of poisoning from chicken, meat and other food products increase quickly. In case of severe intoxication, the patient's condition may worsen within half an hour.

The table below discusses in detail the main signs of food poisoning and their main features.

Symptoms of food poisoning	Description and characteristics of symptoms
Headache	Develops against the background of intoxication. A person may develop dull It's a dull pain in the head, accompanied general weakness, dizziness. Skin become pale.
Abdominal pain	The pain can be localized around the entire perimeter of the abdomen or in a specific area. Thus, when the gastric mucosa is damaged, it is more pronounced in the epigastrium; when the pancreas is inflamed, the pain is girdling in nature. In case of cholecystitis or hepatitis pain syndrome localized in the right hypochondrium. Also when acute poisoning Intestinal colic may develop - these are painful spasms that occur along the entire perimeter of the intestine.
Nausea and vomiting	Very rarely, poisoning occurs without vomiting. This symptom is a protective reaction of the body, which is aimed at cleansing the body of low-quality toxic food. Vomit may consist of food debris. Vomit gastric juice and bile is characteristic of severe intoxication, damage to the pancreas. After vomiting, nausea subsides for a while, and the patient feels better. In case of poisoning with poisonous mushrooms, vomiting may be central genesis, occur due to irritation by toxins of the vomiting center, which is located in the brain. Such vomiting does not bring relief; most often it develops without nausea.
Diarrhea	Diarrhea due to food poisoning can be repeated, frequent and profuse. For salmonellosis feces foam and have green tint. In the case of dysentery, inclusions of mucus and blood streaks can be seen in the stool. Diarrhea is often accompanied by abdominal cramps and vomiting large quantity intestinal gases
Hyperthermia	Body temperature during an intestinal infection can rise to 39 degrees. Hyperthermia is also characteristic of some complications intestinal poisoning(gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis). Mild poisoning can occur at normal, unchanged body temperature.
Tachycardia	At severe poisoning and severe dehydration, an increased heart rate develops. Heart rate may exceed 120 beats/min. There is a relationship between heart rate and hyperthermia. When body temperature rises by 1 degree, the heart begins to contract by 10 beats/min. faster.
Breathing problems	A sick person begins to breathe more frequently and shallowly. Such changes are caused by intoxication syndrome. Mixed shortness of breath may develop.
Change of consciousness	In case of severe intoxication or mushroom poisoning, impaired consciousness may occur. The patient may become drowsy, lethargic, and lethargic. In the absence of timely assistance, he may fall into stupor or coma. Hallucinations and seizures similar to an epileptic seizure.

Description and manifestation of possible complications of food poisoning

Food poisoning can lead to severe complications from the outside internal organs. The risk of their development is reduced if there is a minimum period of time between the appearance of the first symptoms and treatment.

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

Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which can be caused by toxins and bacteria that come from spoiled food. With gastritis, heartburn, vomiting, pain in the stomach, and belching develop. Body temperature may rise.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. This complication develops especially often with abuse. fatty foods, alcohol. Acute pancreatitis can only be treated surgically. It is characterized by a sharp increase in temperature, the appearance of girdling pain in the abdomen and purple spots in the navel area.
Acetonemic syndrome – increased levels ketone bodies in 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 child’s mouth and urine. Acytonemic 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, and consciousness may be impaired.
Acute renal failure can develop when consuming poisonous mushrooms. It is characterized by the development of anuria (lack of urine) and edema throughout the body. The patient develops bad breath and the skin may turn yellow.
Gastrointestinal bleeding most often occurs due to poisoning in people who are sick peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. Profuse vomiting and toxins can disrupt the integrity of the vessel in the submucosal ball of the stomach or duodenum. For internal bleeding Characterized by the appearance of black vomiting and diarrhea, pale skin, tachycardia, decreased blood pressure, hypothermia.
Liver or gallbladder dysfunction manifests itself painful sensations in the right hypochondrium, nausea, jaundice of the skin, temperature.

Basics of first aid before paramedics arrive

When the first symptoms of food poisoning develop emergency medical assistance should be called immediately. By phone, inform the dispatcher of the patient’s symptoms and 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-medicating 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 quickly as possible.

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

The main components of first aid are listed below.

Gastric lavage

Stomach cleansing should be done as quickly as possible after the first clinical signs food poisoning. 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.

To cleanse the stomach yourself at home, you should drink a liter of regular clean water neutral temperature. Then you need to provoke vomiting. This can be done the “folk” way by pressing your two fingers on the back of the tongue. To completely rinse gastric cavity, you need to repeat this procedure several times.

Remember that gastric lavage is strictly prohibited if dark vomiting develops or the patient’s consciousness is impaired.

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

Colon cleansing with an enema

The enema is performed using plain water. It is done until clean intestinal waters. The temperature of the rinsing water should be room temperature. Using cold or warm water prohibited for enema.

Colon cleansing is effective method rapid removal of toxins from the body And pathogenic microorganisms that caused the poisoning.

Drink plenty of fluids

After the patient's gastric lavage, you need to begin to unsolder the simple or mineral water no 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 care will only worsen the person’s condition and increase dehydration.

Sorbents

For food poisoning you can accept any sorbents, for example polysorb, activated carbon, enterosgel, smecta, atoxil. Drugs in this group quickly cleanse the intestines of toxins and pathogenic bacteria. They also reduce the severity of diarrhea, thereby preventing the loss of fluid by the body and the development of infectious-toxic shock.

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

What to do if gastrointestinal bleeding begins

If the patient has black or bloody vomit, dark stool (melena), he should be sent to bed, Place an ice pack on the stomach area.

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

Actions in case of loss of consciousness

If consciousness is impaired, 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 doctors arrive, You should constantly check for pulse and breathing, in their absence, immediately begin to conduct a closed indirect massage hearts.

Medical treatment

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

IVs that will help get rid of dehydration;
drugs to eliminate nausea, abdominal pain;
improving the functionality of the heart and regulating blood pressure and respiratory rate.

After the patient’s condition has stabilized, he is immediately taken to the hospital (to the infection department or to the ward intensive care). There he is provided with qualified medical care, prescribed further treatment. Also, in parallel with therapy, an examination is carried out, which helps to determine the cause of the disease, make a diagnosis and select the correct treatment.

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

Treatment in the hospital consists of:

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

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

Treatment of poisoning in adults at home

How to treat food poisoning at home? Diet and medications are prescribed by a family or local therapist. Self-medication is strictly prohibited. All medications must be approved by a doctor.

The main components of home treatment are listed below.

Bed rest

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

You should lie in a well-ventilated area. Wet cleaning should be done every day.

Diet and drink

Dietary nutrition is the basis of treatment. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks, or smoke. You need to give up 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 patient's palm. You can eat:

rice, oatmeal and buckwheat porridge;
chicken bouillon;
lean chicken meat;
bananas, baked apples;
dried White bread and biscuits;
stewed or boiled vegetables.

Antibacterial drugs

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

Antispasmodics

These medications are taken when you experience abdominal pain. They help remove intestinal colic and flatulence. Antispasmodics: no-spa, drotaverine, platifillin.

Enzymes

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

Probiotics

These medications are prescribed for recovery intestinal microflora after poisoning and taking antibiotics. Preparations: Linex, bifidumbacterin.

Prevention of poisoning

Regular poisoning prevention will help you protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease. Below are recommendations that should be followed at all times:

When purchasing or using food products, check the production date., inspect the packaging for integrity. It is advisable to smell meat and fish.
Purchase food products only from official and licensed retail outlets. Forget about spontaneous markets forever.
Wash your hands, utensils and food thoroughly.
Store food properly. Perishable foods should be stored in the refrigerator.
Do not refreeze meat or fish. This can lead to the proliferation of putrefactive bacteria in it.
Do not buy ready meals. It is best not to be lazy and cook your own food. This is the only way you will know what, how and under what conditions it was made.

Food poisoning in adults can occur for a variety of reasons. Its treatment should be taken seriously. When the first symptoms of illness appear, call an ambulance. While the doctors are traveling, rinse the patient’s intestines and stomach, give him water and sorbents to drink. Mild poisoning can be treated at home after a doctor prescribes diet and medication. You should not self-medicate. Take care of your health.