What to do with food poisoning: symptoms and treatment, first aid, prevention

In poor-quality and stale products are bacteria and toxins. If they get into the stomach, there is a heaviness in the stomach and nausea. A painful condition is dangerous, so first aid for food poisoning is very important. Act immediately, otherwise the poisons will have time to penetrate into the blood and begin to destroy organs and tissues.

Main symptoms of food poisoning

Food poisoning in an adult occurs for various reasons. Most often, the culprits of trouble are the usual carelessness and inadequate quality control of products. Poisoning can be at a picnic, in a canteen catering, in a cafe and even at home, if food was stored with a violation of sanitary standards.

Symptoms of food poisoning in adults appear quickly. The speed of the development of the disease depends on what product it caused.

• The spoiled food provokes nausea and vomiting 2-4 hours after ingestion.


• Poisonous plants that enter the stomach manifest colic, diarrhea after 4-12 hours.


• Pathogenic microorganisms spread instantly. Infection becomes noticeable within a day.

Poisoning food gives out a stormy signs. If you do not immediately take action, intoxication of the body increases and begins to threaten human life. Characteristic symptoms of poisoning:

• cramps in the abdomen;


• intestinal colic;


• nausea, vomiting;


• diarrhea;


• headache, weakness.

When, in addition to these signs, the temperature rises, chills, frequent pulse, excessive salivation, it is a signal that acute intoxication has begun. Urgent care is required for an experienced doctor.

In products, there can be dangerous bacteria causing salmonellosis or botulism. Then even fresh food looks provoking inflammation. Toxins penetrate the blood and disrupt the work of the heart, the lungs. If the patient complains of visual impairment and suffers difficulty breathing, then the nervous system suffers. It is necessary to urgently cleanse the body and neutralize toxins, otherwise, the consequences can be unpredictable.

Do not forget that the treatment of food poisoning at home is possible only at the initial stage when the disease is in the mild form. If the patient's condition worsens or the child suffers from poisoning, immediately call for an ambulance.

First aid of food poisoning

If you feel the signs of food poisoning with food, think about what could have caused them. Consumption on the eve of mushrooms, berries, any canned food, cream cakes or fish - an occasion to suspect a severe form of poisoning. Be sure to call the hospital. Waiting for a medical team is required to help. It is the same as with light poisoning with stale products.

First aid for food poisoning includes abundant drinking and gastric lavage.

• You will need to prepare a weak solution of common salt. A small amount must be stirred in warm clean water.


• Pour a full glass of liquid and drink it with slow sips. This will cause a vomitive reflex.


• If it is not observed, help yourself by clicking on the root of the tongue with your fingers.


• After a vomiting rest, calm down and repeat the procedure again.


• Usually, to clean the stomach of harmful contents, you need to drink at least 4-5 glasses.


• When the emetic mass leaves without any impurities of food and mucus, you can stop the process, wash and rinse your mouth.

First aid for food poisoning is not over yet. Most likely, toxic substances have partially absorbed into the blood, so it is necessary to reduce intoxication with the adsorbent.

• Available natural product - activated charcoal. Take it from the calculation of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight.


• Sometimes the medication provokes a new urge to vomit. Try to suppress it for at least half an hour. During this time, coal will have time to do the work and adsorb toxins.


• If the vomit can not be contained, wait until the stomach calms down, re-drink the tablets of coal and lie down to rest.

On the forehead, it is desirable to put a cool cloth moistened in a solution of salt water. It will reduce the pain in the temples, help the toxins out of the body and soothe.

In some cases, food poisoning is not accompanied by nausea, so it is difficult to induce vomiting. It happens when the spoiled food quickly leaves the stomach and lingers in the intestines. Do not induce vomiting, it will not help.

What to do next

Do not try to cope with diarrhea drugs and folk ways. With its help, the intestines are cleared of rotting processes and toxins. It is possible to stop diarrhea only with the permission of the attending physician.

Dehydration is a dangerous tendency caused by food poisoning, and first aid is to recover the fluid. Despite the unpleasant sensations, vomiting and diarrhea have a positive effect on the patient. The body is protected from intoxication and cleansed. But along with the excrement, the person loses water, the reserves of which must be replenished. Doctors recommend after each trip to the toilet to drink a glass of purified cool water without gas in small sips, without hurrying.

What to do when food poisoning to an adult, when the first aid measures ended?

• You need a lot of drinking. A day requires at least 3 liters of fluid.


• If there is a heaviness in the stomach, it continues to fester and it is felt that the stomach is full of food, drink only clean water.


• When the condition has improved, it is allowed to brew chamomile or other medicinal herbs.


• For taste, you can put a small spoon of honey. Drink as much as possible and keep bed rest.

Acute food poisoning suggests that after first aid will not be eaten within 24 hours. Adhere to this rule, even if you feel hungry.

When the patient's condition worsens, his chills appear and his mind gets confused, he does not need to take risks and look for ways to treat food poisoning with temperature. The symptom means that a strong intoxication has started. A person needs hospitalization and special therapy.

Therapeutic diet in food poisoning

For a day, toxins should be neutralized, so you can include a light enveloping mucous membrane food without spices and salt.

For the duration of treatment, it is forbidden to eat fatty, spicy dishes, smoked products, milk, sour cream. These products lead to exacerbation and aggravate the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

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In case of food poisoning in an adult, if the symptoms and treatment were quickly taken under control, the problem does not lead to serious complications if you adhere to proper nutrition. From the second day, vegetable broth and enveloping oat jelly are allowed. Little by little such a menu can be expanded:

• boiled rice, buckwheat porridge;


• potatoes on water without oil;


• boiled vegetables;


• dried whole-grain slices of bread;


• baked apples, bananas.

To help treat food poisoning at home, the food should be fractional and have a calming effect. Eat small portions every 3-4 hours. Do not forget to drink plenty of fluids, and gradually the gastrointestinal tract will begin to function normally.

When the poisoning takes place in an easy form, the improvement comes on the third day, but the diet should be followed much longer to restore health.

Prevention of food poisoning

In the case of food poisoning, symptoms and treatment are interrelated. But the problem does not appear if to conduct competent preventive maintenance of disease.

• Be sure to wash your hands after coming from the street and before eating.


• Buy quality products, paying attention to the expiration date and appearance.


• Completely abandon canned food and smoked products.


• Cook food with technology and try to eat it right away.


• When storing, do not allow cooked and fresh products to come in contact.


• Observe sterile cleanliness in the kitchen. In several waters, wash the fruits, even if they are collected in your garden.

Traditional methods of treatment of food poisoning

It will help to quickly neutralize food poisoning treatment at home using folk recipes. Before using these medications, consult a doctor anyway.

Good help to remove the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach enveloping broths.

• Take a large spoonful of flaxseed, pour a liter of clean water and put it on the fire.


• Bring to a boil, protil 10 minutes and turn off.


• Cool, strain the broth through a sieve and drink one glass before eating.

What to do with poisoning to ease stomach pain? Use the healing tea from cinnamon.

• Measure out the teaspoon of ground seasoning, mix it in an enamel pot with a glass of water and boil.


• Let it brew for 5 minutes, filter and drink a serving at a time.


• If after three hours the improvement does not come, brew the new broth and repeat the procedure.

Disorders of intoxication can be eliminated with herbal teas.

• Stir between each other half teaspoon dried mint, grated ginger and ground cinnamon.


• Pour the collection of 250 ml of boiling water, cover and wait 10-15 minutes.


• Then put a cup of lemon in a cup and drink in a hot form in small sips.


• Such tea is useful to cook several times a day and eat between meals.

It quickly calms the intestinal frustration of millet. Grind it into powder and take one teaspoon every hour throughout the day, washing down with water.

Do not forget: the problem of poisoning is easier to prevent than cure. Be healthy and attentive when buying products!