Food poisoning: symptoms, treatment, prevention

Food poisoning is a pathological acute, sometimes chronic process that develops with the consumption of food that is contaminated with pathogenic microflora, it released toxic substances or substances that have non-microbial etiology.

Types of food poisoning
All food poisonings are divided into two main types, depending on their origin.

Microbial etiology poisonings can occur after eating foods that are not inherently toxic. They become so as a result of improper storage and violations of sanitary regulations, which leads to the development of pathogenic microflora.

Poisonings of a non-microbial nature develop when eaten:
poisonous foods – berries, mushrooms, shellfish, fish;
Food that has become toxic due to environmental conditions (sprouted potatoes);
chemicals that process fruits and vegetables – pesticides, nitrates, nitrites.
Causes of poisoning
Often the pathological process of intoxication is provoked by such reasons:

Improper storage conditions (high humidity, temperature);
chemical toxic substances used to process products of plant origin;
low-quality fish, raw seafood;
improperly stored or improperly treated meat causes signs of food poisoning;
Products that have been canned improperly and improperly processed;
mushrooms that contain toxic substances or have grown in a toxic ecosystem;
products of poor quality or with an expired shelf life;
dairy products stored without refrigeration;
water drawn from an unknown source.
Food poisoning: symptoms and signs
The symptomatology of intoxication is characterized by:

profuse discharge of saliva;
diarrhea;
Nausea and vomiting, which often slightly relieves the condition;
abdominal pain;
flatulence;
a deterioration in general well-being;
sometimes poisoning is accompanied by fever, chills;
If there is significant dehydration – skin drying, decreased diuresis (urination);
in severe cases of poisoning seizures are observed.
In general, the symptoms of food poisoning are quite specific. Generally, the process begins to manifest itself 2-3 hours after eating. Such a condition can be observed for about three days, after which intoxication passes.

Fish poisoning
Intake of toxic fish can lead to poisoning, as well as fish that was not enough processed, subjected to repeated freezing after defrosting, stored for a long time in the heat. It is worth remembering that poor-quality raw fish, it is often used in Asian cuisine, can also lead to intoxication.

Meat Poisoning
You can be poisoned by meat infected with pathogenic microflora and also by products that contain toxic substances. Eating poor-quality meat products, you can catch botulism – a dangerous disease that has a high percentage of mortality. In addition, unprocessed meat can cause diseases such as salmonellosis, paratyphoid and typhoid.

Mushroom poisoning
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning may not appear until 24 hours after eating them. Intoxication is accompanied by both typical symptoms and specific manifestations: thirst, agitation or depression, hallucinations, reduced blood pressure. Help for such poisoning should be provided immediately!

Egg poisoning
Eggs can contain dangerous pathogens of salmonellosis or staphylococcal infections that cause severe poisoning, so this product should be thoroughly cooked. Boiled eggs are not a health hazard.

Fruit and vegetable poisoning
Vegetable products cause severe poisoning due to the presence of toxic chemical compounds in them. To exclude the possibility of intoxication, we should carefully choose vegetable products, carefully wash and clean fruits and vegetables before eating.

First Aid for Poisoning at Home
If the first symptoms of intoxication appear, the patient needs first aid for poisoning.

Immediately flush the stomach with a weak solution of salt, soda or manganese. The solution should always be prepared warm in an amount of 8 – 10 liters. The warm solution does not allow the intestinal peristalsis to slow down and the removal of toxic substances. After several glasses, the patient should vomit. Further lavage is carried out until the solution at the exit is clear. What to drink when poisoning after lavage? Naturally, a lot of clean water, which will help to completely clear the stomach. At hand in this case, there should always be a first aid kit with everything you need.

Then the patient is given pills for poisoning, which have adsorbent properties. A fast-acting preparation based on highly dispersed activated charcoal is necessary. Such medications perfectly bind toxic substances and remove them from the body. The medicine begins to act fairly quickly and has virtually no side effects.

What you can eat if you are poisoned
There are no special recommendations about what you can eat when you are poisoned. You can begin to eat some time after the last symptoms have disappeared. Light foods are suitable for this: porridge, bakery products, and some fruit.

The list of things you can eat after poisoning in the first days should not include foods that intensify bowel function: alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, dairy products, as well as too spicy and fatty foods.