Food poisoning

If after meal you suddenly felt an acute pain in a stomach, nausea or dizziness, then know that one of the most common causes of such symptoms is food poisoning. This problem arises after the use of products which were infected with bacterial poisons or impurity of various chemicals. From our article you learn about symptoms of food poisonings, their reasons, development of a disease, and also about rendering urgent medical care at food poisoning to the patient and actions which help to prevent similar situations.

Types of food poisonings

All food poisonings can be divided into two big groups conditionally: bacterial and not bacterial. The problems caused by bacterial poisons, viruses and bacteria concern to the first group. Not bacterial food poisoning at children and adults arises owing to hit in an organism of chemicals or after the use of poisonous mushrooms and herbs. Considering a set of the reasons which provoke food poisonings, you should not be surprised to a variety of symptoms. Patients can feel stomach aches, suffer from constant vomiting, nausea and high temperature, and in the most hard cases – from renal, hepatic and neurologic syndromes. They cause serious complications therefore at any suspicions of food poisoning treatment has to begin as soon as possible. It is desirable that first aid even before arrival of doctors was provided to the patient. About how to make it, we will tell in appropriate section of our article.

So far we will stop on bacterial poisonings in more detail. As a rule, they are provoked by the use of food which contains pathogenic microbes and toxins. Causative agents of food poisonings are: proteas, klebsiyella, clostridium, staphylococcus, strains of colibacillus and other microorganisms. They collect in food at disturbance of sanitary and hygienic norms at the enterprises which are engaged in production of food stuffs and also at the wrong transportation and storage. It is necessary to notice that food poisoning which symptoms usually appear practically right after reception of low-quality food can develop even at long thermal treatment of products. It is connected with the fact that staphylococcus and many other types of microbes are steady against boiling and not bad feel at influence of high temperatures.

How to define that food is infected? First of all, you should pay attention to its smell, taste and color. The spoiled food stuffs allocate a specific unpleasant smell and have acid taste. Besides, they change a consistence. One of strong indications of unfitness of products are also vials of gas. Especially well they are noticeable on the surface of milk and other liquid food. However, symptoms of food poisoning can be shown even after the use of products with normal organoleptic qualities. Such situation develops, for example, when toxins get an organism with food which was cooked by the infected person.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The clinical picture of food poisoning depends on a type of activators and amount of the eaten unsuitable food. The most widespread symptoms of food poisoning are:

• temperature increase;
• appetite loss;
• liquid chair;
• constant appeals to defecation;
• the obscured sight;
• nausea, vomiting;
• the increased salivation;
• separate frustration in work of TsNS or full refusal of all nervous system that often happens at botulism.

The first symptoms of food poisoning appear in 30-40 minutes after the use of the infected food stuffs. Within 2-3 next days they accrue. During this period urgent help at food poisoning has to be given to the patient. Otherwise, there is quite real risk of a lethal outcome or development of heavy complications which can result in disability and loss of working capacity. Such infections as botulism and listeriosis are especially dangerous in this plan. The first is characterized by extremely bystry progressing, and the second – lack of visible symptoms of food poisoning. At pregnant women listeriosis leads to pathologies of a fruit and the early birth of the child therefore future mothers should show consideration for the choice of food stuffs very much.

First aid at food poisoning

If there are suspicions that nausea, vomiting and other alarming symptoms are caused by food poisoning, it is necessary to make immediately a gastric lavage weak solution of manganese or soda. Washing becomes until clear water begins to come out. Also the patient at food poisoning has to drink absorbent carbon, washing down it with a large amount of liquid. It is better to refuse carbonated drinks in favor of fruit drinks or tea. Plentiful drink will help to compensate dehydration which inevitably develops at severe vomiting and a diarrhea.

Now at food poisonings, and also at a strong drunkenness modern sorbents, one of which is White coal, are used. Drug effectively soaks up toxins and removes slags, but at the same time does not remove useful substances necessary for an organism. What especially should be noted is that White coal is the "concentrated" sorbent and instead of a handful usual much black coal can take only 1-2 medicines of white.

After a gastric lavage, at food poisoning, the patient needs to provide rest, to put a hot-water bottle to his legs and to wait for arrival of doctors. It is possible to give to the patient streptocides (Ftalazolum, sulfaguanidine) or antibiotics. You remember only that if food poisoning at children develops, reception of any strong drugs needs to be coordinated with specialists.

Prevention of food poisonings

It is possible to minimize risk of food poisoning if to observe simple, but efficient rules:

• to maintain purity in kitchen and in premises;
• to conform to the elementary rules of personal hygiene;
• to use in food only products from the famous, well proved producers;
• to store perishable goods in the refrigerator;
• to observe requirements which are established by manufacturers, in particular, to use open canned food during the specified date;
• to hold closed garbage cans;
• to carefully wash products before the use and not to forget about their thermal treatment.