Providing first aid for food poisoning. Help with food poisoning at home Providing emergency care for food poisoning

If, a few hours after eating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea suddenly began, the temperature rose and weakness set in, then it is likely that food poisoning is occurring. It is necessary not only to be able to recognize the symptoms of ill health, but also to provide first aid in order to reduce the consequences of eating poor-quality food to a minimum.

Causes of food poisoning

If the temperature regime and shelf life of food products are not observed, an environment favorable for the development of pathogenic microflora appears in them. Bacteria, including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella and others, not only actively reproduce, but also release toxins as waste products.

If it enters the human digestive tract, such food leads to a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract with associated symptoms ill health.

The most common poisoning is from low-quality dairy, meat, fish products, baked goods with creams, salads with mayonnaise dressing, home-canned food, as well as poisonous mushrooms and berries.

Types of food poisoning


The classification of food poisoning includes three groups:

Microbial contamination

  • toxic infections (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, enterococci, parahemolytic vibrio, etc.)
  • bacteriotoxicosis (staphylococci, botulinum bacillus)
  • mycotoxicoses (microscopic fungi)

Non-microbial contamination

  • poisoning by a priori poisonous plants and animals;
  • poisoning by toxic products formed in food as a result of exposure to certain conditions (solanine in potato tubers under the influence sunlight)
  • chemicals in food (pesticides, nitrates, food additives)

Bacterial poisoning is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person; the route of infection is through food.

Signs of food poisoning


The severity of poisoning depends on several factors:

  • age
  • body weight
  • health of the gastrointestinal tract and condition immune system;
  • type of pathogen;
  • amount of spoiled food entering the body

As a rule, the first signs of food poisoning appear after 4-5 hours, but in in some cases symptoms may appear within an hour or, conversely, a day or later.

You can suspect food poisoning based on the following signs:

  1. Discomfort, pain, spasms in the stomach, intestines;
  2. Nausea, vomiting;
  3. Bloating, flatulence;
  4. Diarrhea (the stool has an unpleasant, pungent odor, and there are undigested pieces of food in the stool);
  5. Weakness, dizziness;
  6. Clouding of consciousness;
  7. Salivation;
  8. Tachycardia, shortness of breath

Body temperature may rise.

What to do if you have food poisoning


First aid for suspected food poisoning should be provided immediately, at home. It includes the following actions, regardless of whether the symptoms are observed in an adult or a child:

  • Gastric lavage is necessary to remove poor-quality foods and, if possible, toxins from the body. For this purpose, use a solution baking soda or a slightly colored solution of potassium permanganate. The victim drinks the liquid and then induces repeated vomiting until the contents become clear, without food impurities;
  • The remaining toxins are removed from the body by enterosorbents - substances with enormous absorption capacity. These include activated carbon tablets, polyphepan, enterosgel;
  • Vomiting and diarrhea cause the body to lose fluid, so it is important to restore fluid balance by drinking plenty of fluids. Along with warm boiled water, you can use rehydron and other medications, the composition of solutions of which is close to the composition of physiological fluids of the body. It is important to give the patient food in small portions so as not to provoke repeated vomiting;
  • In case of food poisoning, bed rest and rest are indicated.

Symptomatically, antipyretics and antispasmodics can be used.

At the first signs indicating food poisoning in a child, you should call an ambulance. Self-administration of antibiotics is not permissible: the doctor must tell you what to take and in what dosage.

In this video, Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes the danger of food poisoning for child's body, especially under the age of three. With severe intoxication, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, blurred vision and orientation may occur. Children should call an ambulance immediately, there is a high risk of death!

Nutrition for food poisoning


It is important for the patient to have a gentle diet that helps restore the water-salt balance of the body, does not irritate the inflamed mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, is easily digestible and nutritious.

What can you eat

  • on the second day, in addition to drinking plenty of fluids, add broth (without meat), vegetable puree (100 g)
  • The following shows rice porridge cooked in water, without adding salt, seasonings, oil (200 g), rice water, vegetable soup without meat, a few crackers
  • vegetable casserole (without adding eggs), broths, boiled fish
  • porridge with water (rice, buckwheat)
  • broths (meat, vegetable)
  • meat and fish in the form of steam cutlets
  • vegetables, boiled or baked
  • crackers, unleavened cookies
  • mineral water
  • herbal teas

The list of prohibited products included:

  • dairy products without exception
  • fatty broths
  • raw vegetables
  • fruits
  • fried meat, fish
  • biscuits, pastries, cakes, pastries
  • oatmeal, millet, pearl barley porridge
  • sausages
  • sweet drinks, soda, juices

Prevention of intestinal poisoning


To avoid illness and reduce the likelihood of poisoning, you should:

  • pay attention to the expiration date, especially for perishable products;
  • do not take products with improper storage conditions;
  • Food products whose packaging has been damaged (crumpled, torn) should not be purchased;
  • refuse to eat foods that have an unpleasant or unusual smell, color, or consistency;
  • sediment in liquid and puree products, gas bubbles, delamination indicate leakage chemical reactions, changes in composition and properties;
  • on vacation and excursions, you should try unfamiliar food with caution, if possible, refuse it if you are not sure of the quality;
  • maintain personal hygiene, wash your hands after visiting the restroom, going outside, and before eating;
  • wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly;
  • use separate cutting boards for raw meat, fish, vegetables, bread;
  • carry out an audit of the refrigerator and ruthlessly destroy foods that cannot be eaten

Now you know what causes food poisoning, what measures should be taken first, what you eat to restore strength. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor; if necessary, the patient is left in the hospital.

Food poisoning is a condition that requires urgent medical treatment. The sooner the victim receives help, the greater the chance of avoiding the absorption of toxic substances into the blood and, as a result, their negative impact on the body.

Treatment for food poisoning can be done at home, but only in its early stages, when the first symptoms appear. If the condition rapidly worsens and therapeutic measures do not bring positive result, the patient must be urgently taken to the nearest hospital or a team must be called emergency care.

Food poisoning results from eating foods that have been contaminated in some way with pathogenic microorganisms. For example, when consuming stale, spoiled or dirty products, they most often become the cause of the development of pathology. In addition, poisoning can be caused by non-compliance with sanitary and/or hygienic standards.

Symptoms

Symptoms of poisoning food products may appear within 25-35 minutes after they enter the body, but it happens that about a day passes before symptoms appear. As a rule, without treatment, the symptoms of poisoning rapidly progress, and the patient’s condition worsens significantly. Typical food poisoning symptoms are:

painful feeling of nausea; profuse, frequent vomiting, which contains particles of eaten food, gastric juice; increased secretion saliva; diarrhea, characterized by a watery consistency, fetidity, and the content of undigested food particles; increase in low-grade fever; chills, fever; feeling of weakness, dizziness; functional disorders of the central nervous system.

Symptoms of food poisoning can persist for up to 3 days, with gradual subsidence.

After the patient has eaten a low-quality product, he may be tormented by painful sensations in the abdomen, severe gas formation, and weakness for another 7-10 days.

First aid

Mild food poisoning can last from several hours to 2-3 days, but it happens that pathogenic microflora that enters the body along with poor-quality food leads to the development of more complex forms of pathology. Whatever form of poisoning a person has, treatment at home should be structured as follows:

removal from the body of food that caused the recovery and removal of toxins, gastric lavage; prevention of dehydration; restoration of normal intestinal microflora; following diets to restore the functioning of the digestive system.

What to do if children are poisoned?

If a child has food poisoning, it is very important to take therapeutic measures As soon as possible. The main thing to do is to induce vomiting in the baby by pressing index finger at the root of his tongue. Next, the child needs to drink plenty of warm water. saline solution, which is prepared by diluting 2-3 teaspoons table salt in 200 ml of warm water (boiled!). Alternate the procedure of inducing vomiting and drinking salt water until the baby’s vomit consists only of clear water.

The volume of liquid used for gastric lavage should not exceed 3 liters!

After gastric lavage has been performed, enterosorbents must be introduced into the body. In the case of young patients, it is necessary to take into account that not all drugs are effective in treating food poisoning. For example, traditional activated carbon is considered ineffective for children. Besides, this medicine can harm the delicate mucous membrane of the baby's stomach. Coal also has the property of turning stool black, which can become a significant obstacle to further diagnosis.

In pediatrics, sorbents containing silicon, such as Enterosgel, are most often used.

If food poisoning occurs in a child under 3 years of age, urgent hospitalization is required, regardless of how severe the symptoms are. The body of such young children is susceptible to more rapid development of dehydration, which poses a huge threat to life. In addition, at home it is very difficult to force the baby to drink large amounts of water to avoid dehydration. In a hospital setting, such procedures are carried out by intravenous administration special solutions.

When to see a doctor?

Most often, food poisoning can be dealt with without medical intervention. However, hospitalization is mandatory in the following cases:

poisoning in a child under 3 years of age; poisoning in a woman expecting the birth of a baby; poisoning in the elderly; very frequent diarrhea (more than 10 times); bloody diarrhea; an increase in temperature that does not decrease within 48 hours after eating low-quality food; vomiting that cannot be stopped even with medication medicines; increasing feeling of weakness, drowsiness; symptoms of food poisoning persist for more than 3 days.

First aid for poisoning at home

If the patient is conscious, he should be given a lot of clean water to drink, and then press on the root of the tongue (only for victims over 6 years old!), inducing vomiting. Alternation of actions is carried out until clean wash water appears.

After the patient has had his stomach washed, it is very important to give him some kind of sorbent. As a rule, in emergency cases, activated carbon is on hand, which must be given at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of patient weight. White clay is often used, which must first be diluted in water.

If a person’s condition begins to deteriorate, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.


Treatment at home

Step 1. Gastric lavage

The very first thing to do in case of food poisoning is to rinse the stomach. This process helps remove the remains of low-quality products, toxins and their waste products from the body.

For rinsing the best remedy is a solution of potassium permanganate. The solution should be very weak, you can navigate by the color of the liquid - it should be slightly pink. You need to prepare at least 2 liters of solution and try to drink it, thereby inducing vomiting.

If potassium permanganate is not on hand, you can use water with salt diluted in it.

It is important to remember that the vomiting that accompanies food poisoning is not enough to cleanse the body as much as possible, so artificially inducing vomiting is a vital part of treating poisoning at home.

If there is no nausea and vomiting during poisoning, then this phenomenon may indicate that the poisoned product has left the stomach and is now in the intestines. To quickly remove toxins from the body, in this case it is necessary to induce diarrhea. To do this, you can do either a cleansing enema or use any laxatives.

Step 2. Take the sorbent

Sorbents are medicines that help remove toxic microparticles from the body. The most popular among this group of drugs is activated carbon. Coal helps prevent the absorption of toxins, metal salts, alkaloids, etc. into the gastrointestinal tract, and also promotes their natural elimination from the body.

For food poisoning, activated carbon is taken 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. In other words, if the victim’s weight is 6 kg, then he needs to take at least 6 tablets of the drug. Experts advise taking charcoal in the form of an aqueous suspension. It is very simple to do - you need to crush the required number of tablets and dilute them in 100 ml boiled water.

Step 3. Drink as much as possible more water


Vomiting and diarrhea, which are common symptoms of food poisoning, lead to dehydration. In order to avoid possible negative consequences of rehydration, it is necessary to replenish fluid reserves. Experts recommend drinking at least 2.5 liters per day. It is best to salt the water a little or take solutions of special medicines, such as Regidron, Oralit, etc.

Step 5. Start restoring the intestinal microflora.

After vomiting completely stops, it is very important to start taking medications that restore intestinal microflora.

Step 6. Follow your diet and diet.

In the first day after poisoning, when the symptoms are pronounced, the patient is advised to stay in bed and refuse to eat any food except water.

The next day you can eat a little jelly, crackers made from wheat bread without any additives. Liquid mashed potatoes or oatmeal, prepared in water, are also allowed.

Medicines

Antidiarrheal drug based on herbal components. Available in the form of syrup and capsules, it has anti-inflammatory, adsorbent, antimicrobial effects, and is also a moderate antispasmodic.

intolerance to the components of the drug; insufficiency of kidney/liver function; inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; intestinal obstruction; diarrhea caused by infections; During pregnancy and breastfeeding; childhood up to 12 years old; severe dehydration.

The price of the drug is 120-190 rubles.

An antidiarrheal drug that has antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antifungal effects.

hypersensitivity to components; insufficiency of kidney function; children under 6 years of age.

The price of the medicine varies between 420-460 rubles.

Enterosorbent prescribed for various intoxications, intestinal infections, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperazotemia. Available in the form of a powder intended for the preparation of a suspension.

stomach and/or duodenal ulcer; intestinal atony; bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract; intolerance to the components of the drug.

The price of enterosorbent is 115-130 rubles.

Enterosorbent, produced in the form of a paste.

drug intolerance; intestinal atony.

The price of the drug is 320-400 rubles.

A drug that regulates the balance of intestinal microflora.

intolerance to the components of the drug; intolerance to dairy products.

The price is 240-260 rubles.

A drug used to rehydrate the body. It is also used to remove toxins.

functional kidney disorders; diabetes; unconscious state; intestinal obstruction; hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

The price varies between 32-40 rubles for 1 sachet package.

An antiemetic drug produced in the form of tablets, solution for intravenous and intramuscular administration.

stomach, intestinal bleeding; intestinal obstruction; perforation of the gastric and/or intestinal walls; pheochromocytoma; epilepsy; glaucoma; Parkinson's disease; bronchial asthma; pregnancy for early stages, breastfeeding period; children under 2 years of age; hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Traditional treatment

Cinnamon infusion

Pour 15 g of ground cinnamon into 1 liter of boiling water, stir and let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Strain, take orally in small sips throughout the day. The infusion combats attacks of nausea.

Ginger tea

1 tsp grated ginger root, pour 250 ml of hot (not boiling water) water and leave for 5 minutes. Add sugar or honey to taste, drink after meals at lunch, in the evening, at night. The product helps fight nausea.

Dill decoction + honey

Dill seeds in the amount of 1 tsp. pour 350 ml of boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Pour the infusion into a deep bowl, put on fire and boil for 2-30 minutes. Strain, dilute 1 tsp. honey Take 1 liter of this product in small sips for 24 hours.

Lemon juice

The acid contained in lemon promotes the death of bacteria that led to poisoning. Mix freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon with 1 tsp. honey and consume internally. Take every 8-12 hours. You can also dilute lemon juice with a little water.

Important: this recipe is contraindicated for patients with any gastrointestinal diseases and high stomach acidity.

Yarrow + wormwood

Pour 1 teaspoon of a dry mixture of yarrow and wormwood (1:1) into 500 liters of boiling water and leave for 15-25 minutes. Strain the infusion, squeeze it out and take it orally for 24 hours, 100 ml at a time.

Caraway

Cumin seeds are very effective in treating inflammatory process in the stomach, which develops after the onset of symptoms of food poisoning. For treatment you need 1 tbsp. l. crush the seeds and swallow with 250 ml of warm water.

Althea

Grind the roots of the plant and 1 tsp. Pour 100 ml of boiling water over the resulting slurry. Leave for 25-30 minutes, strain, add honey and take 1 tbsp. l. 3-4 times a day.

20 tbsp. l. dry marshmallow leaves and flowers, pour 400 ml of boiling water, leave for 4 hours. Take 100-120 ml orally 3 times a day.

Even more folk recipes in the video below

What should you not do if you are poisoned?

induce vomiting in an unconscious person; induce vomiting in a woman expecting the birth of a child; induce vomiting in a person with heart disease; treat a patient with carbonated water.

Diet after food poisoning

During the first few days after poisoning, it is not recommended to eat fatty and fried foods. It is important to refuse during the period of treatment and recovery.

milk; flour and flour products; alcohol.

During the treatment period, steamed or boiled meat products are allowed. You can also eat rice and potatoes.

Among liquids, it is allowed to drink rosehip decoction, green tea, and chamomile infusion.

Prevention

Compliance temperature standards when storing food. Eating only familiar plants and mushrooms. Preliminary heat treatment of homemade dairy products. Boiling tap water for drinking. Compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards when preparing food. Eating only fresh foods. Eating prepared foods that have been stored no longer than 3 days (even in the refrigerator).

Food poisoning is a condition that poses a threat not only to health, but also to human life. It can be treated at home, but you should listen to your body and, if your health worsens, seek the advice of an experienced doctor.

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Food poisoning is a condition that requires the earliest possible approach to starting treatment: after all, it will depend on whether the toxins have time to be absorbed into the blood and begin their negative impact on the body.

That is why it is so important to react to the disease in time and recognize it as food poisoning. Treatment at home is possible when the first symptoms appear, but if it has already gotten out of control and threatens a person’s life, you need to urgently go to the hospital or call an ambulance.

With the health of small children who are not yet three years old, as well as women during pregnancy, it is especially important to take time. After all, some still cannot clearly tell what worries them, while others risk infecting the fetus developing in their womb with toxins. Both of them are quite weak in terms of immunity, antibiotics are not recommended for them, and the development of stages of intoxication in both the child and the expectant mother can pass extremely quickly.

Typically this diagnosis is characterized by the following symptoms:

nausea, abdominal cramps and intestinal colic, stool disorder in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, fever, dehydration, drop in blood pressure, central nervous system dysfunction, fainting, and in the most severe cases, coma.

General principles of treatment of food poisoning

IN case of lung food poisoning illness lasts from two hours to two days, however, there are more severe forms. If you are in doubt about what to do in case of food poisoning, remember: treatment of any form of poisoning at home should be based on certain areas:

Elimination of intoxication and the process of removing toxins from the body. Preventing dehydration (if symptoms include vomiting or diarrhea). Restoration of intestinal microflora. Restoration of activity digestive system through diet.

Cleansing the stomach by eliminating intoxication and removing toxins

Gastric lavage

The first step and, accordingly, the first aid in the treatment of any poisoning is gastric lavage. This will remove harmful toxins from the body that have entered the stomach with poor-quality food.

How to rinse the stomach? Best suited for this potassium permanganate (aka potassium permanganate). We make a weak solution of potassium permanganate (we focus on the color - it should be pale pink). You should get 1.5-2 liters of liquid. Next we try to drink it, thereby provoking vomiting. If you don’t have potassium permanganate on hand, diluted water will do just fine. sea ​​salt or baking soda.

Even if poisoning is already accompanied by vomiting, this is not enough to fully cleanse the body, so you will have to induce vomiting artificially, by inserting two fingers into the mouth and pressing them firmly on the root of the tongue. For better effect This procedure is carried out two or three times until the stomach begins to excrete clean water(solution).

If you do not feel sick or have the urge to vomit, most likely the spoiled product has already left the stomach and moved into the intestines. There is no point in artificial vomiting in this case.

Often, the body, for the purpose of self-defense, causes diarrhea as the fastest and most effective means of eliminating harmful toxins that enter the gastrointestinal tract. If there is no diarrhea, then it needs to be provoked. They'll handle it enema or laxatives(if you have them in your first aid kit). In this case, it is better not to use folk laxatives: they can worsen a person’s health in case of food poisoning.

Use of sorbents

Sorbents are called medical supplies, also removing toxins from the stomach. Potassium permanganate and an enema may not cope with all bacteria, but after sorbents you can be sure of a high-quality cleansing of the stomach.

The simplest and most famous of them is Activated carbon. We take it according to the following instructions: 1 tablet of coal for every 10 kg of a person’s weight. Those. if a poisoned man weighs 105 kg, he will need 10-11 tablets per dose. They can be chewed or diluted in a small amount of water and drunk.

Other sorbent drugs: smecta, enterosgel, polysorb, sorbogel and so on.

Prevention of dehydration (replacement of lost fluid)

With diarrhea and vomiting, the body not only removes toxins, but also loses a lot of fluid, the volume of which must be replenished. It is from dehydration that a person can die if vomiting and diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours (3-6 hours may be enough for a child).

Therefore, even if you have information about what exactly to drink if you have food poisoning, remember: After each visit to the toilet or vomiting, you must take 100-200 grams of liquid. And in order not to provoke a new attack of vomiting, you need to drink in small sips. The following drinks are suitable:

non-carbonated mineral water, boiled water, glucose-saline solution (we use the powdered preparation Regidron or prepare it yourself: add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 liter of boiled water).

Restoration of intestinal microflora

This is exactly the stage that is often neglected at home. We felt better after poisoning, got rid of unpleasant symptoms, and that’s it - we forgot about our health. However, not everyone knows that after food poisoning, a disruption of the normal intestinal biocenosis (microflora) almost always occurs.

Therefore, during the recovery stage in hospitals, patients are prescribed medications containing probiotics or prebiotics (beneficial bacteria or their components). Among them, the most famous drugs are: bifidumbacterin, bifiform, linex, enterozermina, yogulakt, bionorm etc. These are useful drugs that are sold in any pharmacy for free access, i.e. without a doctor's prescription.

Maintaining hunger and diet

Of course, at the peak of symptoms you need to completely abstain from eating food. This is not difficult to do: after all, most often there is no appetite with food poisoning. Because the gastrointestinal tract does not function fully, the first day of illness you should fast(don't forget to drink!).

The next few days after poisoning need to follow a diet, which necessarily excludes spicy, heavy and fatty foods, dairy products, and alcohol from the diet. What can you eat if you have food poisoning? Perfect fit

boiled rice, buckwheat, potatoes; biscuits, crackers; bananas and baked apples; lean boiled or steamed meat in minced form.

In this case, the patient’s nutrition should be fractional, in small portions.

Special cases of food poisoning

There are situations when food poisoning cannot be treated at home due to the risk to life. Here they are:

poisoning in a child under 3 years of age; poisoning in pregnant women and the elderly; poisoning by mushrooms or poisonous plants; poisoning accompanied by: diarrhea more than 9-12 times a day; diarrhea mixed with blood; high (above 38 degrees) temperature that persists for more than a day of illness; non-stop vomiting; severe increasing weakness or fainting; poisoning, in which the symptoms only worsen on the 2-3rd day of the disease.

What to do in case of food poisoning with fever? If its indicator does not reach high numbers, but the person does not tolerate any elevated temperature, you can take one tablet of ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Folk remedies for food poisoning

As already mentioned, treatment of food poisoning traditional methods it is possible only if it is mild and, if possible, after consultation with a doctor.

1. Cinnamon infusion.

Cinnamon is quite good natural antispasmodic and sorbent. Take 0.5 teaspoon. spoons of ground cinnamon, pour it with 1 glass of boiling water and mix. After 15 minutes, strain.

We take a liter of infusion in small sips in a warm state throughout the day.

2. Ginger tea.

Drinking 1 cup of ginger tea after eating lunch or dinner can relieve nausea. To prepare it, take 1 teaspoon. spoon of grated ginger, pour it with 1 glass of hot water (but not boiling water), let it brew for 3-5 minutes, then add sugar to your taste.

3. Dill infusion with honey.

Dill itself quickly removes toxins from the body and facilitates vomiting. Honey retains potassium, which is abundantly lost during vomiting and diarrhea.

Take 1 teaspoon. spoon of dill seeds, fill it with 1.5 cups of boiling water and leave for 2-3 minutes.

Then boil this infusion over heat for 2 minutes, strain and dissolve 1 teaspoon in it. a spoonful of honey. We take a liter of decoction during the day.

4. Lemon juice.

This fruit has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Its natural acidity helps kill bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon, add 1 teaspoon to it. spoon of sugar and drink this drink 2-3 times a day. You can also mix warm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice in a ratio of 1:5.

Attention: this method is contraindicated in patients with gastritis of the stomach, high acidity and other gastrointestinal diseases.

5. Decoction of wormwood and yarrow.

These herbs help cleansing the body of toxins. Burm 1 tsp. spoon of wormwood and 1 teaspoon. a spoonful of dried yarrow, mix them with 0.5 l. boiling water, leave for 15 minutes.

We filter the broth and consume the resulting volume internally in 5 doses during the day.

6. Banana.

Bananas are an ideal source of potassium to help reduce the symptoms of food poisoning. In addition, they are very soft and easily tolerated by the stomach. One banana eaten per day is enough to restore the energy level of an adult. However, you need to eat only ripe bananas.

7. Cumin seeds.

They relieve inflammation of the stomach after all manifestations of food poisoning. We take 1 table. spoon of crushed or ground cumin seeds, swallow them with 1 glass of water.

8. Honey

It has antibacterial and antifungal effects in a natural way relieves indigestion. It can be consumed in its pure form, sucked, or added to water or tea. 1 teaspoon is enough. spoons three times a day.

So, depending on how long the symptoms of food poisoning last, how severe the patient’s condition is, what his age is, it is necessary to determine whether there is a need for treatment in a hospital setting or whether home care can be done.

It is absolutely not difficult to cure mild food poisoning at home - it is enough to follow the basic directions of treating the patient. However, it is best to avoid even the possibility of food poisoning by adhering to preventive measures.

And here are the main ones:

proper heat treatment of food (especially meat and fish); compliance with storage standards and expiration dates of products, as well as checking the integrity of their packaging; separate storage (ideally on different shelves) in the refrigerator of raw and prepared meat or fish products; refusal to eat untested mushrooms and plants; boiling homemade milk or water from non-centralized sources; thorough and high-quality washing of dishes, fruits, vegetables, etc.; Insects and animals (flies, cockroaches, etc.) are not allowed in the kitchen; maintaining personal hygiene.

Video: Elena Malysheva about food poisoning

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In case of intoxication, it is important to begin taking measures aimed at eliminating it as early as possible. harmful substances from the body, so the question of what drugs can be taken in case of poisoning at home is very relevant.

Why you can get food poisoning

Food intoxication is generally understood as a dysfunction of organs and systems caused by the ingestion of toxins or poisons. By severity There are three types of poisoning: severe, moderate severity and lung.

The most common pathogens include:

clostridium perfringens, enters the body as a result of poor-quality processing of meat, poultry, and fish; Stophylococcus aureus actively reproduces at room temperature. The most likely habitats are salads, dairy products, cakes, pates, sauces; Bacillus cereus, all perishable products that have not been stored at temperatures up to 6 ° C are susceptible.

Particularly dangerous natural and chemical toxins that can cause food poisoning in living conditions, are contained in poisonous mushrooms and berries, low-quality, expired food products. Poisoning can also be caused by carelessly washed fruits and vegetables that have previously been treated with pesticides used to fertilize plants. Alcohol and surrogates can also be included in this category. Yes, there are known cases deaths from methyl alcohol poisoning. Food chemical intoxication occurs when vinegar enters the stomach.

Symptoms of food poisoning:

Bacterial: vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and colic, diarrhea. Viral: fever, chills, trembling, stomach pain, vomiting, fever. Chemical: increased sweating, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, pain in the eye area. Botulism: the central nervous system is affected, vomiting, dry mouth, and weakness appear.

If you suspect food poisoning, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if it concerns children. However, the opportunity to receive medical care is not always available.

In case of acute pathology it is necessary to take emergency measures, including gastric lavage, taking sorbent drugs and restoring water-salt balance. Great value has the organization of proper dietary nutrition. The final stage treatment – ​​restorative procedures, including taking multivitamin complexes. As a rule, recovery occurs within 3-5 days.

Cleansing the body

These procedures are necessary, and it is with them that treatment for food poisoning should begin. The purpose of the manipulation is to help the stomach get rid of food debris that has caused intoxication and harmful toxins.

Even if poisoning is accompanied by severe vomiting, this is not enough to completely cleanse the body. It will have to be induced naturally using a special solution.

Washing should take place in the following order:

Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (the water should be pale pink). If potassium permanganate is not available, you can use regular baking soda (1 tablespoon per 2 liters of boiled water at room temperature). Drink 300-400 ml of solution. Induce vomiting artificially by pressing your fingers on the root of the tongue. Repeat the procedure several more times. The number of doses of the solution drunk at one time should be at least 500 ml.

During the first vomiting, the bulk of the food will be released, but gastric lavage can be stopped only when the liquid ejected from the stomach becomes absolutely clean and transparent.

The absence of the urge to vomit means that the product that caused the poisoning has moved from the stomach to the intestines. In this case, the washing procedure is no longer effective and pointless.

Diarrhea, like vomiting, is nothing more than defensive reaction the body to toxins entering the gastrointestinal tract. Some patients make a common mistake - they try to stop this phenomenon with the help of medications, for example, Imodium and its analogues. It should be understood that diarrhea is the fastest and most effective method get rid of harmful substances. Delay feces will lead to the fact that the processes of absorption of toxic poisons and their decay will continue, therefore, the patient’s condition will worsen. The question of taking antidiarrheal medications can only be decided by the attending physician.

If the patient does not have diarrhea, it must be induced with laxatives or an enema. But it is better not to use folk remedies that can provoke diarrhea, so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.

Reception of sorbents

The next step in the treatment of food poisoning is the introduction of sorbent drugs into the body. The action of these products is aimed at absorbing harmful elements., contained in the stomach, and their rapid elimination.

The most common sorbent used for intoxication is activated carbon. This medicine in the form of standard black tablets can be found in any home medicine cabinet and is a great remedy for poisoning. Coal should be used at the rate of one tablet per 10 kilograms of weight. The medicine can be taken in two ways: chewed and washed down with plenty of liquid or diluted in boiled water.

In case of poisoning, you can also take white activated carbon, available in tablets or powder. It is believed that, unlike black, it removes toxins, but does not affect the beneficial elements found in the body.

Another advantage of the white sorbent is the dosage: 2-3 tablets are enough (depending on age and individual characteristics patient, degree of poisoning).

smecta; enterosgel; lactofiltrum; attapulgite; polysorb; polyphepan.

These medications promote rapid elimination toxic substances by adsorption. They should be used in the interval between doses of other drugs, during the absence of vomiting. Contraindications to taking such drugs include heat, stomach ulcer. Elderly people and young children should use it with caution, after consulting a doctor.

Restoring water-salt balance

Vomiting and diarrhea, being a natural reaction of the body to toxins, nevertheless contribute to the elimination useful substances and liquids. Its volume should be replenished. During illness the patient should drink a lot to maintain fluid balance. Mineral water without gas is best suited for this purpose.

To maintain electrolyte balance, it is recommended to drink water with a small addition of table salt (not sea salt). The solution is prepared from 1 liter of water and 1 tsp. salt. You should drink at least 2-2.5 liters of salted water per day. In this case, it is necessary to comply certain rule: a glass of water an hour before meals, after eating you should not drink for an hour. This way the stomach will be prepared for next appointment food and will begin to secrete gastric juice correctly.

To restore the mineral balance, the use of the drugs rehydron and oralite is indicated(contain microelements, glucose and salts).

In case of poisoning, you can also drink weak sweet black or green tea, a decoction of chamomile or rose hips.

Drug treatment for poisoning

After cleansing the body, restorative therapy with probiotics is indicated to restore the intestinal microflora. The normal intestinal biocenosis after intoxication is almost always disrupted, therefore After recovery, it is recommended to take medications containing beneficial bacteria. These include “Hilak Forte”, “Linex”, “Bionorm”, “Bioflor”.

If food poisoning is accompanied by fever, you should take antipyretic drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol).

Self-medication is dangerous! Antibiotics, painkillers, as well as specific drugs (antiemetics and antidiarrheals, etc.) are prescribed by a doctor!

Therapeutic diet

During the period of acute intoxication, the patient, as a rule, does not feel the desire to eat. However, this does not mean that he should refuse to eat. A weakened body needs strength to fight the disease. Besides the stomach and intestines cannot fully restore the epithelium, without food it is problematic. Of course, neither an adult nor a child who does not want to eat should be forced, but especially in medicinal purposes They don't practice hunger.

During poisoning, you should adhere to a strict diet, since the gastrointestinal tract does not work properly and cannot cope with large volumes of food.

During the period of poisoning, the following are prohibited:

fatty, salty, heavy foods; fermented milk products, including milk; products instant cooking, semi-finished products; alcohol; sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise; raw fruits, vegetables, berries; sweet.


You need to eat 5 times a day, in small portions
. Food must be boiled or steamed. Fried foods are excluded.

The patient's diet should consist of:

mashed potatoes with water, without oil; boiled rice; oatmeal, semolina porridge (with water); chicken meat; crackers, biscuits; low-fat broths.

It is allowed to eat bananas, as fruits enriched with nutrients, and watermelons, which have a diuretic effect.

In what cases is hospitalization necessary?

Food poisoning can be successfully treated at home, but in some cases qualified medical assistance is necessary. Hospitalization is indicated for children under three years of age. In children, treatment of intoxication should be carried out only under the supervision of medical personnel, since diarrhea and vomiting will very quickly lead to dehydration. It is almost impossible to force a small child to drink, and in the hospital he will be given intravenous rehydration solutions. Pregnant women and elderly people are also hospitalized.

Treatment in a hospital setting is indicated for:

intoxication caused by poisonous plants and mushrooms; severe form of poisoning; diarrhea (more than 10-12 times a day); high temperature; diarrhea with blood; persistent vomiting; increasing symptoms of the disease; bloating; loss of consciousness; excessive weakness.

If any of these signs occur, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Traditional methods of treating food poisoning

Folk methods of combating intoxication have not been canceled, however You should resort to them after consulting a doctor and only in cases of mild poisoning..

Cinnamon infusion

Cinnamon is a natural antispasmodic and natural absorbent. Cinnamon infusion is prepared as follows: pour a pinch of dried and crushed bark into 250 ml of hot water, let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Drink the strained broth in small doses throughout the day. Recommended volume is 1.5 liters.

Decoction of yarrow and wormwood

Brew 1 tablespoon of medicinal plants that effectively cleanse the stomach of toxins and pour a liter of boiling water. Let it brew for 15 minutes, strain. Divide the decoction into 5 equal parts and drink throughout the day.

Marshmallow infusion

You can use all types of plants - roots, flowers, leaves, as they contribute to a speedy recovery. Marshmallow (1 teaspoon of roots or 2 tablespoons of flowers and leaves) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Drink 3 times a day. You can add half a teaspoon of honey.

Dill decoction with honey

Honey helps retain potassium, which is excreted during diarrhea and vomiting.. Dill reduces abdominal pain, facilitates vomiting, and promotes the rapid elimination of toxins. Brew a teaspoon of dill seeds with 1.5 cups of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes. Cool, strain, add a teaspoon of beekeeping product to the warm broth. In case of food poisoning at home, the infusion should be taken at least 1 liter per day.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning

Preventive measures to prevent intoxication come down to observing the necessary hygienic procedures, eating only high-quality products, and their correct shelf life.

Maintain personal hygiene. Process vegetables and fruits thoroughly. Do not buy products with damaged sealed packaging. Do not eat expired food. Do not hesitate to throw away cloudy drinks with sediment, foods with an unpleasant odor or taste, or ready-made meals that have been sitting in the refrigerator for more than three days. Eat only those mushrooms and berries that you are confident in. When preparing food, follow the rules of heat treatment. Boil homemade milk first. Drink boiled water. Eliminate cockroaches, flies, and rodents in your home - they are carriers of bacteria. Store raw and cooked meats on separate shelves in the refrigerator.

Follow these simple precautions and you will never experience food poisoning.

Poisoning is a systemic damage to the body due to the ingestion of toxic substances. The poison can enter the body through the mouth, respiratory tract or skin. The following types of poisoning are distinguished:

  • Food poisoning;
  • Mushroom poisoning (separated into a separate group, as they differ from ordinary food poisoning);
  • Drug poisoning;
  • Poisoning with toxic chemicals (acids, alkalis, household chemicals, petroleum products);
  • Alcohol poisoning;
  • Poisoning with carbon monoxide, smoke, ammonia vapor, etc.

In case of poisoning, all functions of the body are affected, but the activity of the nervous, digestive and respiratory systems is most severely affected. The consequences of poisoning can be very serious; in severe cases, vital functions are impaired. important organs can lead to death, which is why first aid in case of poisoning is extremely important, and sometimes a person’s life depends on how timely and correctly it is provided.

General rules for first aid for poisoning

The principles of emergency assistance are as follows:

  1. Stop contact with the toxic substance;
  2. Remove the poison from the body as quickly as possible;
  3. Support vitally important functions body, primarily respiratory and cardiac activity. If necessary, carry out resuscitation measures (closed cardiac massage, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose breathing);
  4. Call the victim a doctor, or in urgent cases, an ambulance.

It is important to establish exactly what caused the poisoning; this will help you quickly navigate the situation and effectively provide assistance.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is what we most often encounter in Everyday life Perhaps there is not a single adult who has not experienced this condition himself. The cause of food poisoning is the ingestion of poor-quality food into the body; as a rule, we are talking about bacterial contamination.

Symptoms of food poisoning usually develop an hour or two after eating. These are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache. In severe cases, vomiting and diarrhea become intense and repeated, and general weakness appears.

First aid for food poisoning is as follows:

  1. Perform gastric lavage. To do this, give the victim at least one liter of water or a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to drink, then induce vomiting by pressing two fingers on the root of the tongue. This must be done several times until the vomit consists of one liquid, without impurities;
  2. Give the victim an adsorbent. The most common and inexpensive is activated carbon. It should be taken at the rate of 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight, so a person weighing 60 kg needs to take 6 tablets at once. In addition to activated carbon, the following are suitable: Polyphepan, Lignin, Diosmectite, Sorbex, Enterosgel, Smecta, etc.;
  3. If there is no diarrhea, which is rare, a bowel movement should be artificially induced; this can be done with an enema or by taking a saline laxative (magnesia, Carlsbad salt, etc. are suitable);
  4. Warm the victim - lay him down, wrap him in a blanket, give warm tea, you can apply a heating pad to his feet;
  5. Replenish fluid loss by giving the patient drinking plenty of fluids– lightly salted water, unsweetened tea.

Mushroom poisoning

First aid for mushroom poisoning differs from help for ordinary food poisoning in that the victim must be examined by a doctor, even if the symptoms of poisoning at first glance seem insignificant. The reason is that mushroom poison can cause serious damage to the nervous system, which does not appear immediately. However, if you wait for symptoms to worsen, help may not arrive in time.

Drug poisoning

If drug poisoning occurs, you must immediately call a doctor, and before his arrival, it is advisable to find out what the victim took and in what quantity. Signs of poisoning medicinal substances manifest themselves differently depending on the effect of the drug that caused the poisoning. Most often this is a lethargic or unconscious state, vomiting, lethargy, drooling, chills, pallor skin, seizures, strange behavior.

If the victim is conscious, while waiting for the doctor to arrive, it is necessary to carry out the same emergency measures as for food poisoning. An unconscious patient should be placed on his side so that if he begins to vomit, he will not choke on the vomit, keep his pulse and breathing under control, and if they weaken, begin resuscitation measures.

Poisoning with acids and alkalis

Concentrated acids and alkalis are strong poisons, which, in addition to toxic effects, also cause a burn at the site of contact. Since poisoning occurs when acid or alkali enters the body through the mouth, one of its signs is burns of the mouth and pharynx, and sometimes lips. First aid for poisoning with such substances includes washing the stomach with clean water. Contrary to popular belief, there is no need to try to inactivate the acid with alkali, and you should not induce vomiting without rinsing. After gastric lavage, in case of acid poisoning, you can give the victim milk or a little vegetable oil to drink.

Poisoning by volatile substances

Poisoning that occurs as a result of inhalation of toxic substances is considered one of the most severe types of intoxication, since the respiratory system is directly involved in the process, therefore, not only breathing suffers, but also toxic substances quickly penetrate the blood, causing damage to the entire body. Thus, the threat in this case is double - intoxication plus disruption of the breathing process. Therefore, the most important first aid measure for poisoning by volatile substances is to provide the victim with clean air.

A conscious person must be taken out into clean air and tight clothing loosened. If possible, rinse your mouth and throat with a soda solution (1 tablespoon per glass of water). If there is no consciousness, the victim should be placed with his head elevated and air flow should be ensured. It is necessary to check the pulse and breathing, and if they are abnormal, carry out resuscitation measures until cardiac and respiratory activity stabilizes or until an ambulance arrives.

Mistakes in providing first aid for poisoning

Some measures taken as emergency aid in case of poisoning, instead of alleviating the condition of the victim, can cause additional harm to him. Therefore, you should know common mistakes and avoid making them.

So, when providing emergency assistance for poisoning, you should not:

  1. Give sparkling water to drink;
  2. Induce vomiting in pregnant women, unconscious victims, or in the presence of convulsions;
  3. Try to give an antidote yourself (for example, neutralize an acid with an alkali);
  4. Give laxatives in case of poisoning with acids, alkalis, household chemicals and petroleum products.

For all types of poisoning, it is necessary to call an ambulance, because Poisoning almost always requires hospitalization. The only exceptions are mild cases of food poisoning, which can be treated at home.

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 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 various localizations– in the stomach or intestines, it can even sting your 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 do not 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. 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 eat questionable foods again, fatty foods and stale fruit. 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 large quantity 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 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.

Recipes home treatment They 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 remove all ready 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

In case of intoxication, it is important to begin taking measures aimed at removing harmful substances from the body as early as possible, so the question of what drugs can be taken in case of poisoning at home is very relevant.

Why you can get food poisoning

Food intoxication is generally understood as a dysfunction of organs and systems caused by the ingestion of toxins or poisons. By severity There are three types of poisoning: severe, moderate and mild.

The most common pathogens include:

  • clostridium perfringens, enters the body as a result of poor-quality processing of meat, poultry, and fish;
  • Stophylococcus aureus actively reproduces at room temperature. The most likely habitats are salads, fermented milk products, cakes, pates, sauces;
  • Bacillus cereus, all perishable products that have not been stored at temperatures up to 6 ° C are susceptible.

Particularly dangerous natural and chemical toxins that can cause food poisoning at home are found in poisonous mushrooms and berries, low-quality, expired food products. Poisoning can also be caused by carelessly washed fruits and vegetables that have previously been treated with pesticides used to fertilize plants. Alcohol and surrogates can also be included in this category. Thus, there are known cases of death from methyl alcohol poisoning. Food chemical intoxication occurs when vinegar enters the stomach.

Symptoms of food poisoning:

  1. Bacterial: vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and colic, diarrhea.
  2. Viral: fever, chills, trembling, stomach pain, vomiting, fever.
  3. Chemical: increased sweating, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, pain in the eye area.
  4. Botulism: the central nervous system is affected, vomiting, dry mouth, and weakness appear.

If you suspect food poisoning, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if it concerns children. However, the opportunity to receive medical care is not always available.

In case of acute pathology, it is necessary to take emergency measures, including gastric lavage, taking sorbent drugs and restoring the water-salt balance. Organizing proper dietary nutrition is of great importance. The final stage of treatment is restorative procedures, which include taking multivitamin complexes. As a rule, recovery occurs within 3-5 days.

Clinical picture of food poisoning

The first symptoms of the disease appear during the first 2-6 hours after eating contaminated or low-quality food. At severe poisoning food Clinical signs may develop in the first hours.

Please note that in the case of botulism, the first signs of the disease may develop within 1-2 days.

In case of food poisoning, the following symptoms develop:

  • nausea followed by vomiting. Vomit may consist of remnants of food, bile, and gastric juice. Vomiting brings temporary relief, but then nausea returns;
  • abdominal pain can be localized in the stomach or be like intestinal colic;
  • An increase in body temperature is possible with an intestinal infection or with the development of inflammatory complications such as gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis. With salmonellosis it can rise to 39.5 degrees;
  • diarrhea develops in the first hours of the disease. With salmonellosis, the stool is foamy and greenish, and with dysentery, the stool is watery and streaked with blood. Diarrhea may be accompanied by abdominal cramps. profuse diarrhea leads to a rapid increase in dehydration;
  • flatulence and increased discharge of gases are accompanied by pain in the intestinal area;
  • general weakness and dizziness accompany intoxication syndrome. The patient becomes lethargic and drowsy;
  • tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), hypotension (decreased arterial pressure) – signs of toxic effects on the body of food and fluid loss. Poisoning with certain types of mushrooms may cause an increase in blood pressure. With severe dehydration, the pulse becomes weak and arrhythmic;
  • breathing problems develop when the body is intoxicated. The person breathes quickly, shallowly, complains of shortness of breath;
  • convulsions throughout the body, similar to an epileptic seizure, are characteristic of damage to the nervous system by toxins. This is possible due to intoxication with mushrooms, fish, alcohol;
  • impaired consciousness, deep coma are signs of a serious condition of the patient. They develop when acute poisoning, infectious-toxic shock.

Please note that in small children the condition worsens faster than in adults. It is very difficult for their body to cope with toxins and loss of fluid and electrolytes.

Why is food poisoning dangerous?

Many people are accustomed to considering food poisoning as a non-dangerous and trivial condition for which there is no need to seek medical help. Indeed, mild poisoning in most cases does not pose a danger to human life, but only a doctor, after examining the patient, can specifically assess the severity of the disease and the patient's condition.

The following are conditions that often develop against the background of severe food poisoning:

  • Infectious-toxic shock is a condition caused by severe intoxication and excessive loss of fluid. Shock is accompanied by disruption of cardio-vascular system, breathing, brain and kidneys.
  • Acute gastritis develops with severe stomach poisoning by toxins. The mucous membrane of this organ becomes inflamed. The patient's temperature rises and his condition worsens.
  • Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The patient feels unbearable girdle pain in the abdomen, he experiences uncontrollable vomiting, the level of glucose in the blood may decrease and bruises may appear on the skin near the navel. The temperature rises above 38 degrees. This condition requires urgent surgical intervention.
  • Acute renal dysfunction is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of urine, swelling, and lower back pain.
  • Gastrointestinal bleeding is a complication of food poisoning that often occurs in patients chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer. Black vomiting and stool develop, severe weakness, pale skin, tachycardia.

Cleansing the body

These procedures are necessary, and it is with them that treatment for food poisoning should begin. The purpose of the manipulation is to help the stomach get rid of food debris that has caused intoxication and harmful toxins.

Even if poisoning is accompanied by severe vomiting, this is not enough to completely cleanse the body. It will have to be induced naturally using a special solution.

Washing should take place in the following order:

  1. Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (the water should be pale pink). If potassium permanganate is not available, you can use regular baking soda (1 tablespoon per 2 liters of boiled water at room temperature).
  2. Drink 300-400 ml of solution.
  3. Induce vomiting artificially by pressing your fingers on the root of the tongue.
  4. Repeat the procedure several more times. The number of doses of the solution drunk at one time should be at least 500 ml.

During the first vomiting, the bulk of the food will be released, but gastric lavage can be stopped only when the liquid ejected from the stomach becomes absolutely clean and transparent.

The absence of the urge to vomit means that the product that caused the poisoning has moved from the stomach to the intestines. In this case, the washing procedure is no longer effective and pointless.

Diarrhea, like vomiting, is nothing more than the body’s protective reaction to toxins entering the gastrointestinal tract. Some patients make a common mistake - they try to stop this phenomenon with the help of medications, for example, Imodium and its analogues. It should be understood that diarrhea is the fastest and most effective way to get rid of harmful substances. Retention of feces will lead to the fact that the processes of absorption of toxic poisons and their decay will continue, therefore, the patient’s condition will worsen. The question of taking antidiarrheal medications can only be decided by the attending physician.

If the patient does not have diarrhea, it must be induced with laxatives or an enema. But it is better not to use folk remedies that can provoke diarrhea, so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.

Reception of sorbents

The next step in the treatment of food poisoning is the introduction of sorbent drugs into the body. The action of these products is aimed at absorbing harmful elements., contained in the stomach, and their rapid elimination.

The most common sorbent used for intoxication is activated carbon. This medicine in the form of standard black tablets can be found in any home medicine cabinet and is an excellent remedy for poisoning. Coal should be used at the rate of one tablet per 10 kilograms of weight. The medicine can be taken in two ways: chewed and washed down with plenty of liquid or diluted in boiled water.

In case of poisoning, you can also take white activated carbon, available in tablets or powder. It is believed that, unlike black, it removes toxins, but does not affect the beneficial elements found in the body.

Another advantage of the white sorbent is the dosage: 2-3 tablets are enough (depending on the age and individual characteristics of the patient, the degree of poisoning).

  • smecta;
  • enterosgel;
  • lactofiltrum;
  • attapulgite;
  • polysorb;
  • polyphepan.

These drugs promote the rapid elimination of toxic substances through adsorption. They should be used in the interval between doses of other drugs, during the absence of vomiting. Contraindications to taking such drugs include high fever and stomach ulcers. Elderly people and young children should use it with caution, after consulting a doctor.

Restoring water-salt balance

Vomiting and diarrhea, being a natural reaction of the body to toxins, nevertheless contribute to the excretion of beneficial substances and fluids. Its volume should be replenished. During illness the patient should drink a lot to maintain fluid balance. Mineral water without gas is best suited for this purpose.

To maintain electrolyte balance, it is recommended to drink water with a small addition of table salt (not sea salt). The solution is prepared from 1 liter of water and 1 tsp. salt. You should drink at least 2-2.5 liters of salted water per day. In this case, you need to follow a certain rule: a glass of water an hour before a meal, and after a meal you cannot drink for an hour. In this way, the stomach will be prepared for the next meal and will begin to secrete gastric juice correctly.

To restore the mineral balance, the use of the drugs rehydron and oralite is indicated(contain microelements, glucose and salts).

In case of poisoning, you can also drink weak, sweet black or green tea, a decoction of chamomile or rose hips.

Drug treatment for poisoning

After cleansing the body, restorative therapy with probiotics is indicated to restore the intestinal microflora. The normal intestinal biocenosis after intoxication is almost always disrupted, therefore After recovery, it is recommended to take medications containing beneficial bacteria. These include “Hilak Forte”, “Linex”, “Bionorm”, “Bioflor”.

If food poisoning is accompanied by fever, you should take antipyretic drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol).

Self-medication is dangerous! Antibiotics, painkillers, as well as specific drugs (antiemetics and antidiarrheals, etc.) are prescribed by a doctor!

Therapeutic diet

During the period of acute intoxication, the patient, as a rule, does not feel the desire to eat. However, this does not mean that he should refuse to eat. A weakened body needs strength to fight the disease. Besides the stomach and intestines cannot fully restore the epithelium, without food it is problematic. Of course, neither an adult nor a child who does not want to eat should be forced, but hunger is not practiced specifically for medicinal purposes.

During poisoning, you should adhere to a strict diet, since the gastrointestinal tract does not work properly and cannot cope with large volumes of food.

During the period of poisoning, the following are prohibited:

  • fatty, salty, heavy foods;
  • fermented milk products, including milk;
  • instant products, semi-finished products;
  • alcohol;
  • sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise;
  • raw fruits, vegetables, berries;
  • sweet.


You need to eat 5 times a day, in small portions
. Food must be boiled or steamed. Fried foods are excluded.

The patient's diet should consist of:

  • mashed potatoes with water, without oil;
  • boiled rice;
  • oatmeal, semolina porridge (with water);
  • chicken meat;
  • crackers, biscuits;
  • low-fat broths.

It is allowed to eat bananas, as fruits enriched with nutrients, and watermelons, which have a diuretic effect.

In what cases is hospitalization necessary?

Food poisoning can be successfully treated at home, but in some cases qualified medical assistance is necessary. Hospitalization is indicated for children under three years of age. In children, treatment of intoxication should be carried out only under the supervision of medical personnel, since diarrhea and vomiting will very quickly lead to dehydration. It is almost impossible to force a small child to drink, and in the hospital he will be given intravenous rehydration solutions. Pregnant women and elderly people are also hospitalized.

Treatment in a hospital setting is indicated for:

  • intoxication caused by poisonous plants and mushrooms;
  • severe form of poisoning;
  • diarrhea (more than 10-12 times a day);
  • high temperature;
  • diarrhea with blood;
  • persistent vomiting;
  • increasing symptoms of the disease;
  • bloating;
  • loss of consciousness;
  • excessive weakness.

If any of these signs occur, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Rehabilitation period after poisoning

Any poisoning is stressful for all organs and systems. It is important to know what to do after poisoning. When discharged from the hospital, the doctor will give you recommendations on proper nutrition And outpatient treatment.


In the first 2 weeks, the patient should adhere to a diet
, stop smoking, drinking alcohol, fried, smoked, fatty and spicy foods.

To restore the intestinal microflora, probiotics are prescribed - preparations that contain beneficial bacteria. If complications develop (gastritis, cholecystitis), they are treated.

Traditional methods of treating food poisoning

Folk methods of combating intoxication have not been canceled, however You should resort to them after consulting a doctor and only in cases of mild poisoning..

Cinnamon infusion

Cinnamon is a natural antispasmodic and natural absorbent. Cinnamon infusion is prepared as follows: pour a pinch of dried and crushed bark into 250 ml of hot water, let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Drink the strained broth in small doses throughout the day. Recommended volume is 1.5 liters.

Decoction of yarrow and wormwood

Brew 1 tablespoon of medicinal plants that effectively cleanse the stomach of toxins and pour a liter of boiling water. Let it brew for 15 minutes, strain. Divide the decoction into 5 equal parts and drink throughout the day.


You can use all types of plants - roots, flowers, leaves, as they contribute to a speedy recovery. Marshmallow (1 teaspoon of roots or 2 tablespoons of flowers and leaves) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Drink 3 times a day. You can add half a teaspoon of honey.

Dill decoction with honey

Honey helps retain potassium, which is excreted during diarrhea and vomiting.. Dill reduces abdominal pain, facilitates vomiting, and promotes the rapid elimination of toxins. Brew a teaspoon of dill seeds with 1.5 cups of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes. Cool, strain, add a teaspoon of beekeeping product to the warm broth. In case of food poisoning at home, the infusion should be taken at least 1 liter per day.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning

Preventive measures to prevent intoxication come down to observing the necessary hygienic procedures, eating only high-quality products, and their correct shelf life.

  1. Maintain personal hygiene.
  2. Process vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
  3. Do not buy products with damaged sealed packaging.
  4. Do not eat expired food.
  5. Do not hesitate to throw away cloudy drinks with sediment, foods with an unpleasant odor or taste, or ready-made meals that have been sitting in the refrigerator for more than three days.
  6. Eat only those mushrooms and berries that you are confident in.
  7. When preparing food, follow the rules of heat treatment.
  8. Boil homemade milk first.
  9. Drink boiled water.
  10. Eliminate cockroaches, flies, and rodents in your home - they are carriers of bacteria.
  11. Store raw and cooked meats on separate shelves in the refrigerator.

Follow these simple precautions and you will never experience food poisoning.