1 Types of food poisoning

In medical practice, it is common to divide food poisonings into two groups:

1. Bacterial. This species is caused by the action of bacterial poisons, viruses and bacteria. These include toxic infections( human infection with opportunistic microbes), toxicoses( botulism, staphylococcal intoxication), mycotoxicosis( ergotism, fusariotoxicosis, aflatoxicosis).
2. Non-bacterial. Poisoning is due to the penetration of human chemicals. It can be spoiled food, poisonous mushrooms, herbs.

Food poisoning has its own peculiarities:

• short term development and manifestations of symptoms;
• rapid progress of the disease in the first 2 days;
• if there is a contact with a person, the likelihood of getting sick is very high.

If the patient visits collective places( kindergartens, schools, work), all those who have been in contact with him for the last few days are taking quarantine.

2 Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of the disease appear in the first hours and begin to develop rapidly. Despite the different species, the signs of food poisoning have a number of similar characteristics:

• elevated body temperature( its values ​​are from 38 to 40 degrees, everything will be solved by the causative agent of food poisoning);
• loss of appetite( the patients in most cases refuse to eat completely, as it causes nausea and vomiting);
• weakness and cold sweat;
• bloating;
• drops the pressure;
• there is diarrhea.

Special attention should be paid to the last symptom. Very often, with the development of a mild form of poisoning, diarrhea does not appear. Patients do not rush to visit a doctor and receive qualified help. This only leads to an aggravation of the situation. Also, everyone should know that a person with a bacterial intestinal infection may have diarrhea on day 3-4.When poisoning with viral hepatitis, diarrhea can appear in a few weeks.

Signs of food poisoning, which is caused by neurotoxic poisons, can be accompanied by loss of vision, weakness of the muscular system, increased salivation, loss of consciousness, paralysis, hallucinations, weight loss.

3 Symptoms of poisoning, life-threatening

Physicians have compiled symptoms of food poisoning, which are considered to be the most dangerous and can pose a threat to human life.

When poisoning with confectionery, patients feel: nausea, constant vomiting, which does not stop even for a few minutes, spasmodic, cutting pains in the abdomen, weakness, dizziness, diarrhea may appear insignificant or absent altogether, with severe dehydration there may be a loss of consciousness.

Symptoms of food poisoning by fish will look like this: vomiting, colic in the abdomen, loss of control of coordination, dizziness, suffocation, temporary loss of consciousness. Food poisoning by fish is most often recorded in holidaymakers in resorts in hot countries. Not understanding the varieties of fish, and often there live and inedible species, holidaymakers take it for food.

In addition:

• Symptoms of meat poisoning.

Basically - it's botulism, which manifests itself within a few hours and progresses instantly. Patients indicate chills, fever, constant diarrhea and vomiting. If you do not enter a special serum in the first hours, then the lethal outcome will occur in most cases.

• Symptoms of food poisoning, mainly meat with signs of rot, are accompanied by: dilated and immobile pupils, tachycardia, intestinal paresis, dry mouth.

The first signs of poisoning mainly appear only the next day after receiving a poor-quality product. However, this is not always the case, and symptoms may appear even after several hours.

• Food poisoning by dairy products.

Most often, dairy products poisoning occurs in the summer. Since the heat treatment of this product takes place under unknown conditions( this concerns home-produced products), the development of bacteria can take place in a short period of time. Patients indicate: epigastric pain, colic in the intestine, nausea and vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, which is accompanied by severe pain.

• Symptoms of poisoning with mushrooms.

These intoxications are a direct threat to human life. The period of development of the disease is short - from 20 minutes to 24 hours. Patients indicate: muscle pain, fever, nausea, acute pain, diarrhea with blood, pallor or yellowing of the skin, problems with urination, decreased pressure and pulse rates, convulsions, suffocation, loss or confusion.

• Symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

To get poisoned by these products, you need to take it in large doses. But it is worth remembering that for each organism the dose will be its own. Such poisonings are dangerous for human life, since they can cause alcoholic coma and death. Symptoms of food poisoning are bright enough: incoherent speech, euphoria, loss of coordination of movement, oppression of reflex activity, absence of pupils' reaction to light, cold sweat, loss of consciousness.

• Symptoms of poisoning with various additives.

Basically, this poisoning occurs after the intake of food additives of artificial origin. Dangerous is that the period of latent development can reach a week. The first signs of poisoning with food additives: puffiness of the limbs and face, a rash on the body, severe itching, pain in the abdomen. Acute food poisoning with canned food.

Patients experience a headache that worsens with each passing hour, dry mouth, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea.

4 The main causes of

Food poisoning can be caused by various products that contain hazardous ingredients. Basically the reasons are as follows:

• food poisoning, which has an unknown origin;
• food in which storage conditions are violated;
• food poisoning for which the shelf life and storage period has expired;
• consumption of low-quality alcoholic beverages;
• spoiled or poisoned mushrooms, berries, fish, meat.

The doctors compiled a list of products that most often cause food poisoning:

• cream products;
• untreated milk, cottage cheese, sour cream;
• smoked products;
• salads, which in the composition have mayonnaise;
• home-made preservation;
• wild mushrooms;
• seafood;
• fresh vegetables and fruits of unknown origin.

5 Poisoning in children

Signs of food poisoning in children are more vivid. It should be noted that such manifestations as vomiting can threaten the life of the child, especially at the age of up to a year. In a child's body, a vomitive reflex is poorly developed, so it is extremely difficult to purify the stomach of food and toxins. Given that the child's body weight is minimal, then any manifestations of diarrhea are considered dangerous, rapid dehydration of the body occurs. It is enough to lose 0.5 liters of fluid, and this can lead to kidney failure, hypovolemic shock.

It is extremely difficult to render the first qualified assistance to a child at home, most drugs are contraindicated for use in children. Therefore, when poisoning is carried out hospitalization in the infectious disease department, where cleansing enemas are put, medications are introduced to remove toxins out. Food poisoning in children has a strong course and is accompanied by symptoms of lethargy, weakness of the heart rhythm, diarrhea.

6 Pregnancy poisoning

The condition of a pregnant woman during poisoning worsens because of the possible attachment of toxicosis. Frequent urge to vomit, diarrhea can lead to a thickening of the blood. Sharp dehydration can lead to a decrease in oxytocin in the blood, which will cause uterine contraction and premature birth. Acute poisoning in a pregnant woman requires immediate hospitalization and treatment only in the hospital.

7 Methods of treatment

In order to influence the poisoning, symptoms and treatment should be interrelated. Only the correct determination of the type of toxin and the way it enters the body will ensure a quick effect and recovery.

When referring to a doctor, a diagnostic test is performed, in which the type of food poisoning agent is determined. Crops of vomit, feces, and blood are being sown. If there is a suspicion of a particular product, then its laboratory tests are conducted.

If the alleged cause is a virus, then the blood is examined.

In the medical institution such therapeutic measures are carried out:

• gastric lavage with salt and soda solutions, weak potassium permanganate;
• must be appointed enterosorbents( the main condition is their drinking with a lot of fluid);
• take a cooled liquid every 15 minutes;
• providing complete rest to the patient.

Therapeutic treatment for food poisoning is the normalization of digestive processes in the gastrointestinal tract and the complete removal of pathogenic bacteria.

8 Preventive measures

Prevention in the fight against food poisoning is the first and reliable tool that will help protect a person from the development of the disease and unpleasant symptoms.

1. It is strictly forbidden to prepare food for children and adults in unsanitary conditions with no opportunities for quality washing of food and their storage.
2. All products must undergo the correct heat treatment in compliance with all norms for the preparation of food products.
3. Eat only those foods in the origin and quality of which are assured. Do not buy goods in natural markets, from unknown persons.
4. Remember that many products have a limited shelf life in the prepared form. Do not eat this food after the end of the term, even if it seems to be quality and fit.
5. Restrict food in public catering, especially products that include raw vegetables and fruits, mayonnaise, dairy products.
6. Do not trust a visual inspection of the quality of the goods.
7. Before eating, after visiting crowded places, walking it is necessary to wash hands thoroughly with soap.
8. Do not allow the appearance of flies in the kitchen or dining room, wasps. They can carry the infection on their paws.
9. You should not eat dishes from foods that you do not know, especially mushrooms.
10. All consumed water must undergo thermal treatment or be bottled

Food poisoning is a dangerous disease that is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and manifestations.

It is worth remembering that it depends only on the person, whether he will get sick or be healthy.