Every person has experienced food poisoning at least once in their life. Doctors distinguish between two types of poisoning. The first type is the consumption of poisonous mushrooms, plants, and berries that are not suitable for ingestion. The second group is the ingestion of spoiled, contaminated or dirty products, which lead to intoxication of the body. This is the type of poisoning we encounter most often. Food poisoning often awaits us if we dine at questionable catering establishments. Poisoning often occurs when hygiene rules are not followed - unwashed fruits and vegetables can be dangerous. The risk of developing food poisoning also depends on the condition of the digestive tract. If the intestines are weak, they react to the slightest changes in diet. In addition, the type of infection is distinguished - poisoning with simple bacteria goes away in a few days, but, for example, salmonellosis is much more difficult to treat. In this article, we will try to understand food poisoning - consider its symptoms, learn how to act in case of poisoning and how to treat it at home.

Symptoms of food poisoning

Symptoms of food intoxication may not always be characteristic; sometimes the absence of vomiting and diarrhea leads a person to other diagnoses; the patient may associate weakness and poor health with a cold and other pathologies. Let's try to figure out how poisoning can manifest itself.

Most often, poisoning is accompanied by pain in the gastrointestinal tract of various localizations - in the stomach or intestines, it can even stab the side.

A feeling of nausea appears, and in some cases vomiting occurs.

In most cases, a person develops diarrhea, but this does not always happen. By the way, the absence of vomiting and diarrhea is much more dangerous, because toxins do not leave the body, their concentration increases more and more.

Often the patient’s abdomen becomes bloated, severe gas formation and flatulence develop.

Intoxication makes itself felt - weakness, poor health, and dizziness appear. In children this manifests itself especially clearly - the baby constantly lies down, even if by nature he is very active and mobile.

In case of severe poisoning, the temperature may rise, fever, chills, aching joints may occur, and fog may appear before the eyes.

With obvious dehydration, when a person suffers from diarrhea and vomiting, the smell of acetone appears from the mouth. In such a situation, you need to urgently consult a doctor.

Poisoning can occur within an hour after consuming a spoiled product. The maximum time after which signs of food poisoning appear is a day.

First aid for food poisoning

If you are poisoned by low-quality, dirty or spoiled products, it is very important to act wisely in the first hours. As soon as you suspect that you are poisoned, analyze what you have eaten recently. If you are not sure about the freshness or sterility of the prepared dishes, it is better to do a gastric lavage. This will help cleanse the body of the remnants of spoiled food that has not yet been absorbed into the walls. Remember, the fewer toxins in the body, the faster you will recover. The remnants of these toxins can be removed using a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Make pale pink water, drink at least two glasses of the solution, after which the body itself will experience the urge to vomit. Once you have emptied your stomach, you need to drink and vomit again. This should be done until food stops coming out of the stomach and the water remains clean. If there is no urge to vomit, drink more water and press your fingers on the root of the tongue - the contents of the stomach will come out very quickly.

In difficult cases, in a hospital setting, not only the stomach, but also the intestines are washed. To do this, they do a cleansing enema to rid the intestinal walls of toxins that have penetrated beyond the stomach. After washing the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to take sorbents. The simplest option is activated carbon, which should be taken in a dosage of one tablet per 10 kg of weight. That is, if your weight is 60 kg, you need to drink at least 6 tablets of coal at a time. Instead of this sorbent, you can drink what you have on hand - Filtrum, Polysorb, Enterosgel, Smecta, etc. If vomiting occurs after taking the sorbent, repeat the procedure after half an hour, do not be afraid of an overdose. Try to hold back vomiting at least a little, after a few minutes the sorbent will begin to act and the nausea will pass.

The best cure for food poisoning is fasting. Under no circumstances should you eat in the first hours after intoxication, even if you want to. Doctors say that fasting is much more beneficial, even than dieting, although not everyone can handle it. If you don’t eat anything for 24 hours, the body will be able to cope with the poisoning faster, and there will be no trace of the disease left. But eating is an additional burden. Compassionate mothers who are trying to feed their baby during the period of poisoning should know about this, with the words “He will not have the strength to fight the disease.”

You can’t eat, but you can and even need to drink. Excessive vomiting and diarrhea lead to dehydration, which is very dangerous, especially for young children. The fact is that a baby can have physiological stool 10-12 times a day, this is normal. In such a situation, the mother does not immediately notice that the baby has diarrhea. Mucus or blood in the stool, or unusual color of bowel movements should alert the mother. Dehydration is a very dangerous condition; in a child it can occur in an unrealistically short time. Therefore, you need to solder the baby. In order not to induce vomiting, it is necessary to give the baby a teaspoon of water every 5 minutes; large portions of liquid will cause the baby to vomit. During the period of poisoning, breastfeeding is very helpful - it is a natural protection against dehydration. However, do not allow prolonged latching - a large portion of milk can lead to the baby vomiting again. It is better to put the baby to the breast more often, but not for long.

You can restore the water-salt balance in adults and children using a special solution called Regidron. If you don’t have it on hand, you can prepare the composition yourself - add half a teaspoon of salt and the same amount of baking soda per liter of water. Drink as often as possible - liquid flushes out the remaining toxins from the body. After all the above measures, you can lie down to rest, because the patient feels weakened.

As noted, the best diet is fasting. However, not many people can withstand daily fasting, especially if their health has already returned to normal. But this does not mean that you need to again eat questionable foods, fatty dishes and stale fruits. In the first days after poisoning, only lean and light meals are allowed. This includes steamed chicken and rabbit meat, simple cereals, crackers, dried bread, bananas, baked apples, biscuits. Rice has a very good effect - it perfectly strengthens and relieves diarrhea. Oatmeal is recommended for stomach pain - it gently envelops its walls, relieves spasms, it is a light food that will not cause discomfort. It is very good to drink jelly, tea, herbal infusions. Light vegetarian dishes are acceptable, without a lot of salt and spices. You should exclude baked goods, heavy meat, fatty, smoked, spicy and fried foods from your diet.

After the acute period of the disease has passed, some patients note that their stool has still not recovered. This occurs against the background of disruption of the normal intestinal microflora. To correct the situation, you should take a course of probiotics - Linex, Hilak Forte, Acipol, etc. You can improve your intestinal health by drinking fermented milk products with live bacteria.

Folk remedies in the fight against poisoning

There are a lot of recommendations in the collection of home medicine recipes that will help get rid of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon powder perfectly absorbs everything unnecessary; it is an excellent natural sorbent. Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of spice, let it brew and cool, drink in small sips throughout the day.

1. Ginger. This is an excellent remedy in the fight against nausea. Grate the root and add it to the teapot along with the tea leaves. But remember, nausea can only be suppressed if the stomach is completely cleansed.
2. Althea. The root of this plant perfectly removes toxins and stops diarrhea. Pour a tablespoon of crushed root into a glass of boiling water, let it brew and drink 50 ml three times a day.
3. Dill. You need to prepare a decoction from dill seeds - this is an excellent remedy in the fight against flatulence, bloating and increased gas formation.
4. Rose hip. Rose hip decoction contains a lot of acids and vitamin C, which is so necessary for poisoning and dehydration. The decoction should be drunk in small portions half an hour before meals.

Home treatment recipes perfectly restore the body after poisoning, but you should not always rely only on yourself. Some categories of patients should never stay at home if poisoned - only stay in a hospital under the supervision of doctors. Such patients include children under three years of age, pregnant women, and the elderly. If poisoning does not go away, and the symptoms only get worse, you should definitely consult a doctor at any age. You should also consult a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist if you have a high fever during poisoning, a rash on the skin, blood in your stool, vomiting that doesn’t stop, or the patient loses consciousness. If you ingest poisonous mushrooms or plants, you should immediately call an ambulance.

How to protect yourself from poisoning

We all know that we need to wash our hands after using the toilet and before eating anything. But, unfortunately, this rule is not always followed, especially if we are talking about children. Here are some more tips to help you protect yourself from poisoning.

You need to eat only in trusted places. Questionable food service outlets, where the seller takes money with one hand and holds a hamburger bun with the other, can be dangerous.

You need to wash your hands before and after preparing food, especially if you handled raw meat or poultry.

Every 2-3 days, check the refrigerator, do not allow food to stagnate. Do not eat products that have expired. If you notice that a product is about to expire, cook something from it for dinner. For example, sausage can be added to pizza, a cupcake can be baked from sour kefir, etc.

Do not leave food open on the table - cockroaches and flies can crawl on it, after which you eat contaminated food.

Keep a separate cutting board for raw meat, fish and poultry.

Fry meat, fish and eggs thoroughly.

Carefully inspect the cans for integrity. Any product, even one with a good shelf life, should be thrown away if it has an unpleasant, sour or unusual odor.

After opening condensed milk or other canned food, you need to transfer the contents into glass or porcelain containers; food in a metal container oxidizes when exposed to air.

Do not leave cooked soups on the stove overnight; be sure to put all prepared food in the refrigerator. If you didn’t eat the soup right away, but left it for tomorrow, when you eat again, try to warm it up thoroughly, i.e. boil.

And, of course, buy only fresh and high-quality products, use filtered or boiled water for drinking and cooking.

We can say that food poisoning is a minor disorder that passes quickly, the body recovers in a few days. But sometimes food poisoning can be hiding something more serious, such as salmonellosis or botulism. Therefore, if you cannot cope with poisoning on your own, do not experiment, go to the hospital as soon as possible. After all, any disease can be treated more successfully if you seek help in time!

Video: what to do if a child has food poisoning

Unfortunately, each of us is susceptible to food poisoning. Even if you buy fresh food from trusted places, although this significantly reduces the risk of poisoning, it still does not eliminate it. You can get poisoned not only from home-cooked food, but also from food from a restaurant, retail outlets, at a party, etc., where you cannot fully control the quality of the products. If you have been poisoned, then we will tell you how to treat food poisoning further.
The article will address the following questions:

Causes of food poisoning

The most important cause of food poisoning is the entry of various bacteria and microbes into our body, which we bring along with the food we eat. Poisoning can also be caused by eating foods that contain harmful chemicals.
What foods are most likely to cause poisoning?
In view of the fact that when you are poisoned, the first thing you need to do is analyze what could have caused the poisoning, let's look at the most likely foods that led to this.

• Fruits and vegetables

Most often we are susceptible to poisoning from fruits and vegetables. The reason for this may be either their deterioration or the presence of chemicals in them. In the summer, poisoning of fruits and vegetables most often occurs due to violation of their storage conditions, and this in turn contributes to the appearance of bacteria in them. During non-summer periods, there is a high probability of poisoning from fruits and vegetables that were treated with chemical components during cultivation.

• Meat products

Another “risk group” is meat products. First of all, they require a special storage procedure. It is highly not recommended to store meat outside the refrigerator, as microbes can begin to actively multiply on it, especially chicken meat. In addition to meat, the most common cause of food poisoning is the consumption of fish that has been subjected to improper storage conditions. During the decomposition process, fish can release very toxic substances.

• Mushrooms

One of the most difficult food poisonings is mushroom poisoning. The main danger lies in mushrooms that are not edible. Such mushrooms are very often collected in the forest and eaten, without knowing whether they are edible or not. Mushrooms that grow near the road are also more likely to be poisoned.

• Fermented milk products

Fermented milk products can also cause poisoning, most often when left outside the refrigerator for a long time, when staphylococcus appears in them.

• Canning products

Poisoning can also be caused by canned food products, since there is a certain type of microorganisms that multiply in an oxygen-free space. Such food products can be: canned food, home canned food, etc.

• Violation of technology for the production or storage of products of non-plant origin

When purchasing products of non-plant origin, there is a possibility that they may be manufactured in violation of production technology, which in one way or another can lead to poisoning. This may include the use of low-quality components in the manufacture of the final product, violation of the integrity of the product packaging, expired product expiration date, etc.
Food poisoning due to improper storage of prepared foods
In addition to direct poisoning from specific foods, there is a high probability of poisoning from prepared foods when we ourselves violate the rules for storing them. For example, cooked borscht left on the stove in the summer or salad left on the table can become a favorable environment for the proliferation of microbes and bacteria.
The cause of food poisoning can be not only food, but personal hygiene, or rather the lack thereof. Even if the products do not pose any threat of poisoning, this can be caused by unwashed hands, from which germs and bacteria get onto the food, and with it into the body.

Signs of food poisoning

In most cases, the first signs of food poisoning may appear 2 hours after the pathogen enters the body. The time at which the first symptoms begin to appear, as well as their nature, directly depends on which microbes have entered your body and in what quantity.
Poisoning can have a variety of symptoms:

• Diarrhea;


• Nausea and vomiting;


• Headache;


• Chills;


• Increased body temperature;


• Body aches.

In case of poisoning, paleness on the face and a feeling of thirst may appear.

Treatment of food poisoning

What to do if you have food poisoning
It is important to note that before you begin treatment for food poisoning, you should try to analyze what exactly could have caused your food poisoning. Try to remember your daily diet. If, besides you, someone else was poisoned, then think about what you ate together, and what those who were not poisoned did not eat. Please note that sometimes it happens that poisoning can occur both in everyone and in representatives of the same sex. For example, if the whole family ate a spoiled product, then poisoning can only occur in males or females. This may well happen, and it is worth considering. Once you have identified the source of possible poisoning, do not leave it, but rather throw it away. If there are several possible poisoning products, then it is better not to take risks and refuse to eat all “suspected” products.
First aid for food poisoning
If the poisoning is very serious and complex, then it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance, otherwise the consequences can be very serious. Some doctors recommend gastric lavage, but, as a rule, many refuse this, and besides, modern medications make it possible not to do this.
In case of poisoning, it is necessary to empty the stomach, so if you do not have loose stools, then you need to take a laxative. If poisoning is accompanied by diarrhea, then take activated charcoal.
Cure for food poisoning
What to take if you have food poisoning? The most effective drug for food poisoning is Smecta. Smecta is a drug in powder form in sachets. In case of poisoning, adults should take 1 sachet 3 times a day.
In any case, the course of treatment for poisoning should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor.

Diet for food poisoning
An integral part of treating food poisoning is proper nutrition.
As a result of severe dehydration, the first step is to drink as much water as possible. The water must be still. There should be no restrictions on water intake; drink the amount of water that your body requires, but not less than 3 liters per day.
You will need to exclude all foods that are familiar to you from your diet. There is no point in listing foods that cannot be eaten, because the rule here is that everything that is not permitted is prohibited, so we will only list what can be eaten. You can only eat boiled or steamed food.
In the first few hours after poisoning, it is best to drink only water to allow the processes in the stomach to calm down. In general, after the symptomatic picture has subsided, it is recommended to abstain from eating for the first time. 6 hours after this (and if you have a strong feeling of hunger, then earlier), begin to slowly restore the normal functioning of the digestive system.
It is recommended to start eating with homemade crackers; to do this, cut white day-old bread into small cubes and place them in the oven for a few minutes. You can also drink a cup of warm, green, weak tea without sugar, or rosehip tea, also warm, unsweetened and not strong. Next meal: 100g oatmeal, without any additives. Third meal: chicken broth without salt and spices, with potatoes. Fourth meal: steamed lean fish fillet and mashed potatoes. After a day, you can return to your usual diet, but only gradually. If you have an appetite between meals, eat plain unsalted crackers.

Prevention of food poisoning

In order to avoid food poisoning, you first need to buy food from trusted places where all storage rules are followed. The same storage rules must be followed at home.
Before eating fruits and vegetables, they must be rinsed well under running water. When preparing meat products, they must be fully cooked: boiled, fried or baked.
Another very important rule: before eating any food, you must wash your hands well with soap. Soaping your hands should also include your wrists.

In this article we will look at the main reasons for which poisoning occurs, and also indicate what means help to quickly neutralize this disease.

The disease can overtake a person at any moment, but it is most unpleasant when poisoning interferes with normal life activities. Indeed, the symptoms of this disease cannot be called pleasant: in addition to weakness, dizziness, fever, nausea, vomiting and intestinal disorders occur. The reasons, as well as the severity of the disease, may be different, but in any case, the most adequate and reasonable solution would be to consult a doctor.

Eating disorders fall into the category of those illnesses for which treatment cannot be postponed into the future. Most often, it is necessary to take action immediately, since enduring such a condition is real torment for a person. In addition, there are many effective and proven methods that will allow you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms in a fairly short time. Add to this the simplicity and availability of the means used to solve this problem, and eating disorders will no longer be an obstacle to normal well-being.

Reasons for which poisoning most often occurs

Before moving directly to methods of treating poisoning at home, it is necessary to briefly mention the causes and conditions that cause this disease:

1. eating low quality foods;
2. use of stale fruits, vegetables, meat, semi-finished products;
3. violation of sanitary standards when processing products.

The main sources of danger: smoked and dairy products, raw water, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables, canned food. A more attentive attitude to the condition of the products used in everyday life is an excellent prevention of intestinal diseases.

Treating poisoning with gastric lavage

1. The first stage of treatment of any poisoning- gastric lavage. This action is necessary in order to remove harmful toxins from the human body that come from poor-quality food. Gastric lavage is a simple procedure that requires potassium permanganate (or potassium permanganate in everyday life).

Gastric lavage is the main way to cure poisoning

To carry out this procedure, you must first make a weak solution of potassium permanganate. One and a half to two liters will be enough for one time. Next, you need to induce vomiting. Most often, poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, but this is not enough to completely cleanse the body, so the process must be induced artificially. After the first urge to vomit, you need to drink about half a liter of warm water, and then begin the unpleasant process. This is done using folk remedies - inserting two fingers into the mouth and pressing them on the root of the tongue. Together with the vomit, all foreign microorganisms and toxins that “trigger” the disease must come out of the body. It is best to carry out this procedure not once, but at least twice, as this helps to consolidate the result. An alternative to permanganate is table salt or water to which sea salt has been added.

Taking laxatives to cleanse the stomach

2. The next logical step in case of poisoning is to “cooperate” with diarrhea. Strictly speaking, this is even a struggle, since if it is absent, then it must be called forth. This is done in order to completely cleanse the body, because diarrhea is one of the fastest and most effective means of getting rid of harmful toxins that enter the intestines. If a person does not feel the natural urge to go to the toilet, then it is necessary to provide all possible assistance. Auxiliary means will help provoke. It is necessary to give the patient a laxative or give an enema.

Use of sorbents

3. Further actions involve the use of sorbents. Sorbents are medications that consolidate the effect of potassium permanganate and remove from the stomach those toxins that the solution could not cope with. Among the most well-known sorbents is activated carbon. In order to correctly calculate the dose, consider the fact that one tablet of activated carbon is taken per ten kilograms of weight.

An excellent modern substitute for black coal is white coal. Its advantage compared to the sorbent, which was described above, is that for the effect it is enough to take one or two tablets. Moreover, it removes only toxins and waste from the stomach without affecting beneficial substances.

4. The longer the body is in the process of poisoning, the more toxins are absorbed into the tissue. The kidneys suffer the most from this. In order to prevent this process, you need to place a hot heating pad on the kidney area.

5. Human needs for water cannot be ignored. This is especially true in conditions of poisoning, when the body loses a colossal amount of fluid. The easiest way to deal with this is to drink large amounts of water. It is recommended to make a special solution called rehydration solution. Buy a drug called “Regidron” at the pharmacy, dissolve one packet in a liter of water and take it every three hours. In addition, the result must be consolidated with the help of medications that have proven themselves to be good helpers for poisoning: Linex, Bififirm, Noshpa and others. They restore intestinal microflora well.

Fluid intake is one of the main parameters that ensure a speedy recovery of the patient. It is best to make simple solutions that help the stomach cope with irritants faster. There are many options for mixtures that contain soothing substances that have a beneficial effect on the walls of the stomach and intestines. For example:

• A mixture of honey and olive oil helps to quickly get rid of the first signs of poisoning and prevents further development of the disease. To make this mixture, you need to make honey water (mix honey and liquid) and mix it with olive oil in a two to one ratio. It is necessary to take the solution in small doses (no more than fifty grams), but often: five times a day, that is, the interval between taking the medicine should be short.
• You need to take blackberry, raspberry, birch and nettle leaves. Grind them in a mortar, mix thoroughly in one container and pour half a liter of hot boiled water into it. The solution must be left in this form for at least an hour, then carefully strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. The liquid is consumed half a glass three to four times a day.

5. Next comes the so-called “therapeutic hunger.” It is important to understand that on the first day of illness the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, and at this time poisoning reaches its apogee. In order not to further irritate the body, it is recommended to refuse to eat. This should be virtually painless, since such diseases are often accompanied by loss of appetite.

It is important to understand that treating food poisoning at home is not always justified. There are a number of cases in which immediate hospitalization of the patient is required.

1. Mushroom poisoning is very dangerous; it can cause the most dangerous consequences, so it is better not to experiment, but to immediately call an ambulance. While waiting, it is important to take the measures described above.
2. Profuse diarrhea, accompanied by a strong discharge of blood in stool, is a sign of a serious disorder that can be treated by professional doctors.
3. The appearance of rashes, irritation and other skin defects, as well as joint difficulty, are not symptoms of ordinary mild food poisoning.

Treatment of food poisoning is associated not only with the elimination of symptoms, but also with a gentle diet, which should accompany the first week of recovery. In order to reduce the risk of relapse, it is best to avoid very fatty, heavy, high-calorie foods that the stomach may not be able to handle. Dairy products are also not the best solution for someone with food poisoning. It is important to eat small portions. It is best to grind food thoroughly and chew it well to ease the work of the stomach.

It is also important to remember about the prevention of gastric disorders, which consists of following simple precautions:

• thorough heat treatment of products, especially fruits, vegetables, meat, fish;
• compliance with hygiene rules;
• refusal of suspicious products.

Video - Treatment of poisoning at home

In the article we discuss hawthorn poisoning. You will find out who and why this natural medicine, better known for its beneficial properties, is dangerous. Get important information about what you can do to help the victim if their health deteriorates, and when hawthorn tincture poses a threat to human life.

Take hawthorn according to the instructions, do not exceed the dosage. Any medicinal plant if used incorrectly will harm your health, and this is no exception. The plant is a low-toxic species and has a small number of contraindications, however, it is better for people with certain pathologies to refrain from consuming it. Restrictions apply to pregnant and lactating women, children under 12 years of age, hypotensive patients, allergy sufferers, and patients with severe chronic diseases such as heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, heart and kidney failure. The most commonly diagnosed side effects are:

• decreased blood pressure;
• dizziness and fainting;
• drowsiness, weakening of mental activity and attention, loss of strength;
• abnormal heart rate;
• slow heart rate;
• skin rashes, itching, swelling.

The likelihood of hawthorn poisoning increases in case of non-compliance with the recipe when independently preparing medicinal potions at home, as well as as a result of an overdose. Fresh hawthorn is useful if its portion does not exceed 150 grams, and the fruits have reached full maturity. Unripe berries of the bush are a potential factor of intoxication of the body.

One should take into account the fact that in people with problems in the digestive system, prolonged use of hawthorn decoction and infusion on an empty stomach causes gastrointestinal colic, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Alcohol tinctures are incompatible with many medications and are prohibited for liver diseases, as they can cause bile stagnation.

What to do if you are poisoned by hawthorn

An uncontrolled addiction to hawthorn to get rid of ailments, as a rule, is fraught with an uncomplicated form of intoxication. To get rid of its symptoms, it is enough to drink a large volume of water and rinse the stomach, induce vomiting, take activated charcoal, and adhere to a diet for several days.

Acute intoxication occurs when hawthorn is taken simultaneously with drugs, tranquilizers, drugs for the treatment of the nervous system, heart failure and hypertension. A lethal dose of hawthorn enters the body after drinking a whole bottle of alcohol tincture, which chronic alcoholics do to quickly achieve intoxication.

To prevent the development of coma and cardiac arrest, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before the team of specialists arrive, give the victim sorbents to drink, provide plenty of fluids if the person is unconscious, perform artificial respiration and chest compressions.

In a medical facility, the actions of doctors are aimed at normalizing heart rate and blood pressure, eliminating bradycardia, and maintaining liver and kidney functions.

Is it possible to die from hawthorn poisoning?

When it comes to the possibility of poisoning and death from hawthorn, many recall the events in Irkutsk, when an alcohol-containing liquid with a plant concentrate caused the death of almost a hundred people. The cosmetic product was not intended for medical purposes, is prohibited for oral administration, and also contained methyl alcohol, which is poisonous to the body. The perfume lotion “Hawthorn” killed people with alcohol addiction, who received severe forms of fatal poisoning due to excessive consumption of surrogate products.

Such reactions to pharmaceutical hawthorn tincture, used for its intended purpose, are possible only in cases of severe hypersensitivity to its components. Dangerous, irreversible consequences can also occur in case of significant overdose in patients after a stroke, with arrhythmia and cardiac ischemia.

For more information on how to make hawthorn tincture correctly, watch the video:

What to remember

1. The popular medicinal plant hawthorn has a number of serious contraindications that must be taken into account before starting therapeutic measures.
2. The main causes of hawthorn poisoning are overdose, ignoring contraindications and unlimited intake of alcohol tincture as an inexpensive alternative to alcoholic beverages.
3. Proper use of hawthorn in any form, taking into account individual characteristics and doctor’s recommendations, will not harm your health.

Acute food poisoning requires the earliest possible start of treatment, since this determines how much of the toxin will have time to be absorbed into the blood and begin its destructive effect.

At the first symptoms of food poisoning, you can help yourself, but still assess your condition sensibly - many food poisonings are life-threatening. Therefore, it is best to seek help from health workers, especially with young children.

General principles of treatment of food poisoning and differences from the treatment of intestinal infections

Mild food poisoning in general, especially those that often occur in everyday life, are not considered serious diseases. Even without treatment, such conditions resolve on their own within 1-3 days. Main areas of treatment:

• elimination of intoxication and rapid removal of toxins from the body;
• prevention);
• restoration of intestinal biocenosis;
• restoration of gastrointestinal tract activity through a gentle diet.

The fundamental difference in the treatment of intestinal infections is the often prescribed etiotropic treatment to destroy the causative agent of the disease that is actively reproducing in the body (antibiotics or antiviral drugs). In addition, treatment of intestinal infections (botulism, rotavirus, enterovirus, etc.) is a long process, often occurring only in a hospital setting.

First aid for food poisoning

The earliest treatment for food poisoning, which actually plays the role of first aid to the victim, is extremely important - because the sooner the fight against the incoming toxic substance begins, the sooner the body will cope with intoxication.

• Stomach cleansing

As a rule, the body itself gives a signal about the need to empty the stomach when a poor-quality product gets there. But natural vomiting is not enough to flush out the stomach as much as possible.

After the first attack of vomiting, you need to drink about half a liter of warm water, possibly salted, with the addition of potassium permanganate or soda (a weak solution!). With the next attack of vomiting, the bulk of the food mass will be released, but rinsing, if possible, should be carried out before throwing out clean water from the stomach.

Of course, you should not forcefully provoke vomiting if there is no urge to do so - probably, the spoiled product has already left the stomach and is in the intestines.

• Replacement of lost fluid

Diarrhea and vomiting are protective reactions of the body, but in addition to removing toxins, fluid is removed and lost, the volume of which must be replenished. At home, after each bowel movement or attack of vomiting, you need to take about 200 grams of liquid, but only in small sips: still mineral water, boiled water, glucose-saline solution (for 1 liter of boiled water, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tsp. salt).

• Natural colon cleansing

The main mistake with diarrhea associated with food poisoning is trying to stop it by taking imodium and similar drugs. Diarrhea is the fastest and most massive removal of toxins from the body. Retention of feces in the intestines is equivalent to a blockage in the sewer, because the processes of rotting and absorption of toxic products will continue intensively. The question of prescribing antidiarrheal drugs is decided only by a doctor.

• Observance of hunger

Previously, at the peak of symptoms, it was recommended to refrain from eating food, especially since there is always no appetite during poisoning. The gastrointestinal tract does not function fully, so it is necessary to withstand therapeutic fasting during the first day of the disease. However, with Nowadays, starvation is not used in treatment, since the intestines and stomach must restore their epithelium, and without food this is impossible. Of course, if you don’t want to eat, then they don’t force feed you. But it is not recommended to specifically observe hunger, especially for children.

When is hospitalization necessary?

In most cases, symptoms of food poisoning can be treated at home.
Hospitalization is indicated for the following types of food poisoning:

• almost any food poisoning in a child under 3 years of age. Treatment of food poisoning in a young child is carried out only under the supervision of medical personnel, since vomiting and diarrhea quickly lead the body to a state of dehydration, which is very dangerous in childhood. In addition, it is difficult to force a small child to drink a large amount of liquid; in a hospital setting, intravenous administration of rehydration solutions is possible;
• food poisoning in pregnant and elderly patients;
• poisoning by mushrooms, poisonous plants, inedible liquids and compounds;
• severe food poisoning accompanied by:
  • diarrhea more than 10 times a day;
  • diarrhea mixed with blood;
  • high temperature that persists during the second day of the disease;
  • uncontrollable vomiting;
  • severe increasing weakness;
• poisoning with increasing symptoms on days 2-3 of the disease.

Drug treatment of poisoning

In case of mild food poisoning, no specific treatment may be needed at all, the main thing is to drink more and follow a gentle diet. Let us remind you that only a doctor can adequately assess a person’s condition and determine the need and scope of treatment.

Rehydration therapy (rehydrants)	When food poisoning is diagnosed, treatment with drugs from the group of rehydrants is the main one, since it leads to the restoration of the deficiency of electrolytes and water in the body. Therapy of this type can be oral and, in severe cases or when restoring fluid volume in young children, parenteral. Oral rehydration with special solutions can be carried out at home, since their use is simple and straightforward; moreover, oral rehydrants should always be in a traveler’s first aid kit.
	Oral rehydration preparations Oralit Regidron Chlorazole Litrozole	Preparations for parenteral rehydration Trisol Quartasol Acesol Hlosol Lactosol
Sorption therapy (enterosorbents)	Action	Main drugs:
	Drugs from this group help to quickly remove toxins through adsorption. Their use is justified during the period of absence of vomiting, as well as in the two-hour interval between taking other medications. Sorption therapy is not carried out at high temperatures, and is prescribed with caution to young children and elderly patients.	black and white coal, attapulgite, smecta, enterosgel, polyphepan, sorbogel,
Analgesic therapy (antispasmodics)	These medications are indicated for significant pain symptoms accompanied by diarrhea and painful urge to defecate.	nosh-pa, drotaverine, spasmalgon, rescue gun
Antibacterial and antimicrobial therapy (antibiotics and antimicrobials)	These drugs are very rarely prescribed for food poisoning and are indicated for mixed poisoning. Unreasonable prescription of antibiotics and combined antimicrobial drugs aggravates the picture of dysbiosis that develops as a result of the disease.	furazolidone, nifuroxazide, intetrix, ersefuril, phthalazole
Antiemetic and antidiarrheal therapy	Since both vomiting and diarrhea are protective reactions of the body, these, in this case, normal reactions of the body should not be forced. In extreme cases, when vomiting and diarrhea become indomitable, and the bulk of the toxin has already been released through vomit and feces, the following may be prescribed:	antiemetics - cerucal, motiluim; antidiarrheals - trimebutine (see)
Antipyretic therapy (NSAIDs)	As a rule, in case of food poisoning, hyperthermia does not reach high numbers, but people who cannot tolerate elevated temperatures, as well as children, may be prescribed:	ibuclin (paracetamol + ibuprofen).
Microflora restoration therapy (pro- and eubiotics)	After food poisoning, the normal intestinal biocenosis is almost always disrupted. Therefore, during the recovery period, medications containing beneficial bacteria or their components are prescribed:	bifidumbacterin, linex; enterogermina; bionorm; bioflora; bactisubtil (see)

Other Treatments for Food Poisoning

In case of severe poisoning, as well as in the absence of vomiting or to induce it in a hospital setting, gastric lavage is performed.

Using a probe, which is inserted into the oral cavity and carefully advanced into the stomach cavity, water is introduced and removed until the withdrawn liquid becomes clear. On average, an adult has to use about 10 liters of water to effectively lavage the stomach.

In the absence of diarrhea, in case of dangerous and severe poisoning, a siphon enema is performed in the hospital.

Using a special hose and funnel, a liquid, the composition of which is determined by the doctor (can be water with potassium permanganate, sodium chlorine, etc.), is carefully introduced into the intestines through the anus, then the funnel quickly lowers down and the water leaves the intestines. Rinsing is carried out to clean water, the volume of liquid consumed is also about 10 liters.

Traditional methods of treating food poisoning

Treatment of food poisoning with folk remedies is possible if it is mild and after prior consultation with a doctor.

• Cinnamon infusion

Cinnamon is considered a natural antispasmodic, as well as a natural sorbent. Pour half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon into a glass of boiling water and stir. The infusion is kept for 15 minutes and filtered. Take warm, throughout the day. The liquid is drunk in small sips, the daily volume is 1.5 liters.

• Marshmallow roots, flowers and leaves

A good remedy that shortens recovery time for food poisoning. The roots should be crushed and pour 1 teaspoon with 0.5 cup of boiling water, let it brew for 30 minutes, strain the infusion, add honey to taste, you can drink 1 tbsp. spoon 4 r/day. Marshmallow flowers and leaves - 2 tbsp. spoons pour 2 tbsp. boiling water, leave for 4 hours, drink as tea 3 times a day.

• Dill infusion with honey

Dill helps speed up the elimination of toxins and eases vomiting without stopping it. Honey retains potassium, which is also lost through vomiting and diarrhea. One teaspoon of dill seeds is poured into one and a half cups of boiling water and left for a couple of minutes. Then the infusion must be boiled for 2 minutes, strained and dissolved in the resulting volume of a teaspoon of honey.
Take during the day, the daily volume is 1 liter.

• Decoction of wormwood and yarrow

Wormwood and yarrow help cleanse the body of toxic substances. Mix one teaspoon of dry plants with 500 ml of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. The resulting infusion, after filtering, is taken during the day, divided into 5 equal parts.

• Lemon juice

Squeeze the juice of 3 lemons, dilute with water and add sugar to taste. Drink the resulting juice in one gulp; lemon juice is believed to stop the growth of bacteria. This method is contraindicated for persons with and other gastrointestinal diseases, when acidic foods are contraindicated.

Nutrition during recovery

For several days after poisoning, you should not eat heavy or fatty foods; you should limit milk and any dairy products. Spicy foods and alcohol are also prohibited.

You should eat in small portions. Meat products should be prepared exclusively in a dietary manner and in minced form. Good side dishes include boiled potatoes and rice.

Sufficient drinking during the recovery period is also important, since the body needs to replenish the lost volume. You can drink weak green tea, chamomile tea, slightly sweetened and warm.

Prevention of food poisoning

• Sufficient thermal processing of food
• Compliance with temperature conditions for food storage, compliance with expiration dates
• Eating only proven and edible mushrooms and plants
• Pre-boiling homemade milk, water from non-centralized sources
• Compliance with hygiene rules when preparing food (thorough washing of dishes, as well as fruits and vegetables), maintaining personal hygiene

When purchasing dairy products, you must check the integrity of the packaging

Don't eat unfamiliar foods

Meat and fish must be subjected to high-quality heat treatment

It is necessary to combat flies, cockroaches, mice - carriers of infections

Keep raw and prepared meat products separate in the refrigerator

Do not eat prepared foods that have been stored for more than 3 days (even in the refrigerator)