Symptoms of food poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the amount of poor-quality food or toxic substances that have entered the gastrointestinal tract, the type of toxin or the type of pathogen causing the toxic infection.

As a rule, food poisoning occurs due to the consumption of poorly produced products, cooked dishes, or improper storage of food. Less often, intoxications with toxic substances are diagnosed. Food toxic infections are divided into two categories - non-bacterial (poisonous plants, mushrooms, chemical components) and bacterial - food toxic infections. Signs of food poisoning can be very diverse - from colic and diarrhea to renal failure and central nervous system disorders, in addition, the symptoms are directly related to the type of intoxication.

Typical clinical picture of food poisoning:

• Nausea.
• Colic, abdominal cramps.
• Diarrhea.
• Vomit.
• Increased salivation.
• Increased body temperature.
• Dehydration.
• Drop in blood pressure.
• Disorders of the central nervous system and even coma are possible.

Symptoms of food poisoning often appear 1-2 hours after consuming a poor-quality product or toxic substance, but may also be noticeable only a day after the toxin or pathogen enters the body.

The main types and signs of dangerous poisoning:

1. Salmonellosis is a bacterial intoxication caused by one of the serotypes of the Enterobacteriaceae family, genus Salmonella. Acute poisoning develops quickly, within 3-6 hours. Characteristic are a sharp increase in body temperature, fever, spastic abdominal pain, vomiting and repeated loose stools. The consistency of feces is watery, with foam and a specific odor. Diarrhea lasts 2-3 days even with adequate treatment. Complications of salmonellosis can be infectious-toxic or dehydration shock.
2. Food poisoning caused by food contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus – staphylococcus. Signs of such intoxication appear 2-5 hours after eating (most often dairy or meat). The main symptoms are nausea, turning into uncontrollable, repeated vomiting, lethargy, weakness, headache, colic. Diarrhea develops 1-2 hours after the onset of nausea and lasts from 12 to 24 hours. Body temperature is usually not elevated, there are no mucus or blood impurities in the stool.
3. Dysentery (shigellosis), which is caused by Shigella bacteria. The disease most often debuts acutely. The main symptoms of food poisoning:
   • A sharp increase in body temperature to 39 degrees.
   • Chills, feverish state.
   • Pain in the lower abdomen (lower zone of the large intestine). The pain changes in nature - from dull, aching to cramping, sharp.
   • Nausea and vomiting.
   • Flatulence.
   • Multiple urges to defecate, diarrhea (sometimes up to 20 times a day). Defecation is painful (tenesmus), abundant for the first 2-3 days, then the stool becomes more liquid, watery and scanty. Blood may be present in the stool.
   • Severe dehydration leading to dry skin.
   • Lowering blood pressure.
4. Botulism is a severe toxic infection caused by the anaerobic bacteria Clostridium botulinum. The incubation period can vary from several hours to two days. The first signs of poisoning are atypical weakness and transient headache. Diarrhea or vomiting are usually not observed, since toxins most often affect the central nervous system. Vision is impaired (the oculomotor nerves are affected), facial muscle paresis develops (smoothing of the nasolabial folds, mask-like face). Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, developing aphonia, paralysis of the muscles of the pharynx and soft palate - all these are life-threatening symptoms of food poisoning, which often lead to suffocation and death.

Severe food poisoning manifests itself 1.5-2 hours after eating poor-quality food or toxic substances. The clinical picture of acute intoxication depends on the type of toxic infection. If it is food toxic infection, the symptoms are manifested in the form of cramping abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Bowel upset can be intense - up to 15-20 times a day, this threatens severe dehydration and hypovolemic shock. If the poisoning is associated with poisons (toxins), acute symptoms affect primarily the central nervous system. Coordination disorders, ophthalmological dysfunctions, paralysis of the facial muscles and larynx, suffocation may develop. Severe food poisoning from plants or mushrooms causes a feeling of dryness, viscosity in the mouth, headache, nausea, uncontrollable vomiting.

Food poisoning in adults

It is as severe as in children, although the child's body is less protected and adapted to the use of many products familiar to the older generation. It's all about the range and quantity of food. Only an adult can afford to "experiment" with the abuse of alcoholic beverages or delicacies in the form of seafood. Children are most often deprived of these dubious food pleasures, and the portions they can eat are much smaller. Food poisoning in adults can be provoked by the following reasons (dishes, substances, events):

• Mushrooms, most often of an unfamiliar species.
• Oysters, shrimps, mussels.
• Caviar, milt, fish liver.
• Undercooked meat.
• Smoked products – fish or meat.
• Home-canned foods.
• Mass feasts (weddings, anniversaries), where the amount of food eaten and the combination of incompatible dishes can lead to food poisoning.

The digestive organs of adults are more adaptive to various food products than the gastrointestinal tract of a child, therefore, toxic infection most often develops more slowly than in the younger generation. The immune and enzymatic systems actively engage in the fight against intoxication, which is the reason why the symptoms of food poisoning in adults sometimes begin late.

Food poisoning during pregnancy

The symptoms of food poisoning are not much different from those of women intoxication before or after pregnancy. The only difference is that the symptoms may be more pronounced, since the presence of toxicosis aggravates the discomfort of the expectant mother. In addition, uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea can lead to thickening of the blood and provocation of thrombosis. Dehydration often activates the production of oxytocin, which can increase uterine contractions with all the ensuing consequences. But, fortunately, food poisoning during pregnancy has little effect on the general condition of the mother and fetus, especially if detoxification measures are taken in a timely manner.

Symptoms of food poisoning in pregnant women:

• Loss of appetite, weakness.
• Pain in the epigastric region, often cramping.
• A feeling of nausea that turns into vomiting.
• Flatulence.
• Diarrhea.
• Headache and slight hyperthermia.

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Symptoms of food poisoning from mushrooms

These are severe, life-threatening intoxications. Symptoms of food poisoning most often appear 4-6 hours after eating poisonous mushrooms. The most dangerous is the death cap, followed by the fly agaric and conditionally poisonous mushrooms (morels).

1. Death cap poisoning can occur when consuming even a few grams of it. The clinical picture becomes characteristic only after 12-24 hours, and this is a life-threatening factor, because during this period of time the toxins have time to enter the bloodstream. Signs of intoxication:
   • Pain in the muscles of the body.
   • Feverish condition.
   • Severe abdominal pain.
   • Diarrhea with blood.
   • Yellow tint of the skin.
   • Urinary retention.
   • Drop in blood pressure, slow pulse.
   • Cramps.
   • Suffocation.
2. Poisoning with fly agarics manifests itself much faster - in 20-40 minutes. Signs:
   • Nausea.
   • Vomit.
   • Colic and spasmodic pain in the abdomen.
   • Disorder of the stool.
   • Increased sweating.
   • Dyspnea.
   • Involuntary salivation caused by the alkaloid muscarine.
   • Cough with phlegm.
   • Delirious state, hallucinations.
   • Cramps.

Food poisoning from mushrooms is the result of the arrogance of mushroom lovers, although at present many spore plants (eukaryotes) mutate so quickly that even experienced mushroom pickers can make a mistake in their choice.

Symptoms of fish food poisoning

This is most often poisoning by caviar, milt or liver of fish. In addition, there are exotic species of sea or river inhabitants that are not recommended as food, these are marinka, osman, moraines and others, fortunately, unfamiliar to the average person fish. Caviar can cause toxic infection, since during the spawning period even fish familiar to the stomach begin to secrete toxic substances that can be preserved in small quantities in eggs, liver or milt. During spawning, you should not eat the listed food components, especially if it is perch liver, burbot, mackerel or pike caviar. Also, eating mackerel itself can cause a strong allergic reaction, since its meat contains a large amount of histamine. Mollusks can contain a dangerous toxin - saxitoxin, which is a neuroparalytic poison. The signs that food poisoning from fish shows are characterized by the rapidity of development. Symptoms of food poisoning are noticeable literally 20-30 minutes after eating the toxic part of the fish. Stomach cramps, vomiting, dizziness up to loss of consciousness, impaired coordination and vision, suffocation - these are manifestations of food intoxication caused by fish products.

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Food poisoning from cottage cheese

Most often it occurs in the spring-summer period, when the ambient temperature is high and creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria in fermented milk products. You should not eat cottage cheese without heat treatment, especially bought at the market, supposedly from a domestic cow. Statistics say that dairy products from cows kept at home are the main source of salmonellosis or dysentery in the summer. In addition to salmonella, enterococci of various groups, that is, intestinal bacteria, "love" to multiply in cottage cheese, staphylococcus is often found in cottage cheese products. Food poisoning with cottage cheese is characterized by an acute onset, the disease develops rapidly and is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Cramping pain in the epigastric region, colic.
• Sudden weakness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea with pain.
• Increased temperature and fever are typical for salmonellosis or dysentery.

Food poisoning from cottage cheese in children's institutions, cafeterias or other public food places often leads to mass food poisoning.

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Mass food poisoning

This is a food route of infection, since food products are not only carriers of harmful microorganisms, but also a good nutrient medium for them. Mass infections can be caused by eating dairy, meat products, dishes containing eggs or butter. All products containing protein, unboiled water, unwashed fruits or vegetables are a source of potential food infection. Mass poisonings are especially common in the summer during special events - anniversaries, weddings, etc. Also, the carrier of the infection may not be the product, but the person who prepared the food or contaminated water, dishes, equipment. Mass food poisonings "start" quickly, with several people who ate food in the same place being hospitalized with signs of a food infection. Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of infectious agent. As a rule, they are identical for all patients.

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Food additive poisoning

This is intoxication with natural or artificial substances added to food products. In dietetics and toxicology, there is a concept called "Chinese cuisine syndrome", which describes a characteristic allergic reaction to certain flavor additives in Chinese dishes. Food components are added to products to improve their organoleptic properties, but most additives are prohibited in European countries and the United States, since they provoke mass food poisoning and even cancer. Symptoms of poisoning with food additives are often similar to signs of allergy, at least the initial stage of the development of toxic infection looks like an allergic reaction:

1. Rash.
2. Itching.
3. Swelling of the face and limbs.
4. Colic, abdominal pain.
5. Rarely – diarrhea.

Any synthetic oxidizers, stabilizers, dyes, preservatives or thickeners are not natural substances that are familiar to the digestive tract. Exceeding the permissible norms or eating foods of dubious origin can lead to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body and the onset of food poisoning, even while following a strict diet.

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Food poisoning from dairy products

This is a common occurrence, especially in the spring and summer. The variety of dairy products is truly impressive - biokefirs, fermented baked milk, yogurts with various flavors, homemade feta cheese or cottage cheese - how can you resist trying healthy and tasty food? Despite the obvious benefits, all dairy products are sources of potential intestinal infection. Viruses, microbes, fungi, pesticides and salts of heavy metals, parasitic infections and biotoxins - what epidemiological laboratories do not find in dairy products. Milk is also the most common "culprit" of mass food poisoning, when technological rules and standards are grossly violated during the process of cooking or preparing products. In addition, all dairy products are classified as perishable, even yogurt from a trusted manufacturer can become a source of toxic infection if it is on the store shelf longer than the prescribed period. Food poisoning from dairy products manifests itself as typical enteral intoxication: cramping abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

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Baking soda poisoning

It is almost never used in toxicological practice. Sodium bicarbonate, on the contrary, was previously considered a panacea for almost all diseases; soda was used to treat high blood pressure, cleanse the intestines, and relieve heartburn. Indeed, if there is no way to get emergency medical care for alcohol, iodine, phosphorus, or mercury intoxication, soda is suitable as an emergency aid: rinsing the stomach with a soda solution will help to slow down the spread of the poison a little. However, soda should not be used for toxic infections with various types of acids (hydrochloric acid, vinegar). In such cases, amateur treatment can actually provoke poisoning with baking soda. The reaction of sodium and acid is accompanied by a violent release of carbon dioxide, primary intoxication is not only not stopped, but also develops much faster and more severely.

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Symptoms of Meat Food Poisoning

These are 4 forms of classic meat poisoning:

1. Rotten meat, which contains toxins of enterovirus or paratyphoid bacillus, manifests itself with symptoms of food poisoning, similar to dysentery and cholera. Such toxic infections are called gastroenteritis. Fever, general weakness, in addition to persistent diarrhea and vomiting, can lead to cachexia (exhaustion) and death.
2. Meat containing the typhus bacillus provokes not only local intoxication of the intestinal tract, but also poisoning of the entire body. Symptoms develop quickly - from chills and high body temperature to loss of consciousness. Diarrhea is rare, as is persistent vomiting.
3. Putrefactive toxins found in spoiled meat can cause paralytic symptoms - dilated, motionless pupils, dry mouth, tachycardia, visual disturbances and loss of coordination. Paralysis affects all muscles and often leads to intestinal cessation.
4. The most dangerous type of meat poisoning is botulism. Food poisoning with meat containing Clostridium botulinum is a threat to human life. Paralysis of the eye muscles occurs, pupils dilate, and severe weakness appears. Botulism manifests itself not only with ophthalmological symptoms, the most dangerous are the syndrome of respiratory and swallowing disorders, as well as disruption of the central nervous system.

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Symptoms of food poisoning from canned food

This is most often poisoning with botulinum toxins, since these anaerobic bacteria can live and reproduce only in a sealed environment, that is, without access to air. Less often, canned food contains other dangerous microorganisms - staphylococci, enteroviruses. The signs that manifest food poisoning from canned food are typical for the clinical picture of botulism:

• Headache that increases gradually.
• Dry mouth, decreased salivation.
• General weakness, malaise.
• Subfebrile body temperature, rarely hyperthermia up to 38-39 degrees.
• Vomiting or diarrhea are not typical of botulism; constipation is more common.
• Ophthalmological disorders – double vision, “fog”, asymmetrical dilation of the pupils.
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing food and even liquids.
• Severe muscle weakness, the person is unable to hold the head upright.
• Lowering blood pressure.
• Urination disorder (retention) due to paralysis of the bladder.
• Respiratory paralysis.

Symptoms of food poisoning can be varied, but there are also typical manifestations - colic, diarrhea, vomiting. At the first signs of poisoning, it is necessary to assess the severity of the patient's condition and seek medical help.

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Food poisoning in children is dangerous because of its rapid development

Unlike adults, a child has a poorly developed gag reflex, especially in children under one year of age. In addition, a child's body loses fluid faster with diarrhea and vomiting; dehydration is the main threat to the baby's life. His body weight is small and the loss of even 500 ml of fluid is fraught with renal failure and hypovolemic shock. Many procedures assumed as first aid are also not applicable to children at home. A child is simply unable to take a large number of activated charcoal tablets, and sometimes refuses to drink, which is necessary for food poisoning. Cleansing enemas and medications most often have to be used in hospital settings. Food poisoning in a child in a clinical sense is much more acute and is accompanied by lethargy, weakness, diarrhea, cyanosis of the skin, weakening of cardiac and renal function.