Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning appear after eating toxic species, such as death cap or fly agaric. You can get poisoned by eating improperly prepared conditionally edible mushrooms. However, signs of poisoning may well occur when eating absolutely safe representatives if the product preparation process was violated.

Our article is about the specific symptoms of poisoning by certain mushrooms.

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The first symptoms of mushroom poisoning

The first signs of mushroom poisoning usually appear quite quickly. The incubation period (the time from eating to the first symptom) can last from half an hour to 6 hours.

What are the initial signs:

• the pupils narrow sharply;
• profuse salivation;
• the victim breaks out in a sweat;
• a sharp cutting pain appears in the abdomen;
• sudden onset of diarrhea or vomiting is possible;
• breathing problems arise;
• weakness and dizziness appear, caused by a decrease in blood pressure;
• the pulse becomes weak.

In cases of severe poisoning, rapid collapse is possible, mental overexcitement and an acute sense of fear appear.

With proper assistance and timely emergency measures, the patient is cured within 24 hours. If assistance is not provided, then death occurs from exposure to toxic substances.

Symptoms of poisoning by poisonous mushrooms

The symptoms of poisoning depend on the type and amount of toxins that have entered the digestive organs and bloodstream of the victim.

• In most cases, intoxication is caused by alkaloids, most often muscarine. This toxic substance is found in poisonous mushrooms such as fly agaric, talker and other representatives of the genus of cobwebs. Signs of intoxication appear within 20 minutes after taking a poisonous mushroom - the autonomic nervous system is mainly affected. There is intense salivation, sweating, lacrimation, bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. After a while, visual impairment, arrhythmia, decreased blood pressure, and breathing difficulties may be observed.

The antidote for muscarine is atropine, but it can only be administered by a medical professional.

• The second most common intoxication is poisoning with isoxazole substances (e.g. muscimol). This toxin is found in the red and panther varieties of fly agaric. Atropine should not be administered when exposed to muscimol, as this will only make the problem worse.

Symptoms appear within 0.5-2 hours and can persist for 24 hours. The following signs may be observed:

• dyspepsia;
• confusion of consciousness;
• visual impairment;
• convulsions;
• a feeling of incredible strength, which is replaced by drowsiness up to a prolonged comatose state (about a day).

After some time, the victim independently regains consciousness – the intoxication subsides.

• Another toxic substance, amanitin, is found in amonite mushrooms, particularly death caps. This toxin is considered one of the most dangerous to humans. Without medical assistance, the victim dies in 50% of cases.

Amanitin is a complex polypeptide that has a damaging effect on body tissues. The poisoning clinic is divided into several stages:

• the latent stage lasts from 5-6 hours to one day, during which active destruction of the kidneys and liver occurs, despite the fact that the patient himself does not feel any changes in his condition at this time;
• the next stage lasts about a day; debilitating vomiting, diarrhea with blood, and spastic abdominal pain appear;
• During the third stage, which lasts about 24 hours, the patient feels a false sense of relief, which is often mistaken for recovery;
• The final stage looks like a relapse of intoxication – symptoms of renal and hepatic failure occur, which most often provokes a fatal outcome.

There is no antidote for amanitin, so detoxification measures must be carried out in a hospital until the substance is completely eliminated from the body.

Symptoms of poisoning from pickled mushrooms

Why can poisoning from edible mushrooms, such as pickled or salted mushrooms, occur? This most often occurs for the following reasons:

• violation of the product processing process at home;
• improperly prepared marinade (for example, insufficient amount of acid);
• improper storage of the finished product;
• the lid is not sealed tightly;
• inclusion of a poisonous representative in the total number of mushrooms.

If at least one mushroom from the total mass was poisonous, then all the mushrooms that were prepared at the same time may pose a danger. Therefore, it is important to carefully inspect the mushrooms before preserving.

Symptoms of poisoning from salted mushrooms appear approximately 3 hours after eating them, and may be as follows:

• general weakness;
• blurred vision;
• cold sweating;
• disturbances of consciousness;
• lacrimation, feeling of nasal congestion;
• abdominal cramps.

Over time, the list of symptoms expands: diarrhea and vomiting with blood elements appear, movement disorders in the limbs are observed. In severe cases, cardiac dysfunction occurs, as well as liver and kidney dysfunction. This condition can become critical for the victim: it is almost impossible to save him.

Symptoms of poisoning from canned mushrooms may differ slightly from the signs accompanying intoxication with pickled or salted products. This is because canning may be done incorrectly, with pathogenic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria (which reproduce without the presence of oxygen) and toxic substances from the external environment getting into the jar. What can cause the symptoms and how do they manifest themselves:

• the consumption of pathogenic microorganisms that have entered the canned food is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever;
• Eating canned food with a swollen lid or with an expired shelf life may be accompanied by signs of botulism, which are no different from the signs of ordinary microbial intoxication described above;
• The effect of external toxic substances that get into the preserves with insufficiently washed or not fully cooked mushrooms can cause dyspeptic disorders and severe headaches.

To eliminate the listed symptoms, treatment is used that is applicable to common toxic infections.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

It turns out that you can't be completely sure even of such safe mushrooms as champignons. Why?

• Firstly, in forest clearings you can find false champignons, which are very similar in appearance to ordinary ones, but are quite poisonous.
• Secondly, any mushroom is a sponge that absorbs not only the benefits, but also all sorts of harmful substances. Therefore, you cannot pick mushrooms growing near landfills, highways, factories, railways, etc. In such a product you can find a whole list of dangerous chemicals, acidic substances and radionuclides.

Poisoning from porcini mushrooms or champignons from the store is also not uncommon. Thus, mold can get into raw mushrooms, and in canned products the technological process can be violated, the expiration date can expire, etc.

What symptoms may indicate intoxication:

• paroxysmal nausea, pain throughout the abdomen, increased temperature;
• vomiting, visual disturbances, impaired coordination of movements;
• headaches, dizziness, weakness.

In general, all the signs of food poisoning are present. When visiting a doctor, it is necessary to indicate what and when you ate. This will make it easier for the doctor to choose the right treatment tactics.

Symptoms of Morel Poisoning

Morels contain helvellic acid, which has a hemotoxic (hemolytic) effect. This toxic substance is destroyed during heat treatment, but poisoning can occur when eating insufficiently heat-treated mushrooms or broth.

6-10 hours after eating, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting with bile appear. Diarrhea is not always present.

In severe poisoning, hemolytic jaundice rapidly increases, the liver and spleen become enlarged, and signs of dehydration appear (pale skin, collapsed state, delirium).

There are also characteristic signs: severe headache, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), signs of hemoglobin in the urine (red urine).

Subsequently, a convulsive syndrome develops, the patient may lose consciousness, and cardiac insufficiency is observed, which without appropriate assistance may well lead to death.

Symptoms of honey mushroom poisoning

When picking such popular mushrooms as honey fungus, you need to be very careful. Situations when honey fungus poisoning occurs (mostly false) are quite common, the symptoms of which are nausea, dizziness, dyspeptic phenomena, which immediately suggest an acute lesion of the digestive system. Due to the high content of toxic substances, gastroenteritis develops, which causes spastic pain in the abdomen and eventually leads to dehydration. If all the mushrooms are picked by a competent mushroom picker, then poisoning can be caused by their improper preparation. If the dish is undercooked, then the likelihood of intoxication increases, the signs of which are detected several hours after eating. Undercooked mushroom product is considered hard to digest food, which provokes a disorder of digestive functions. Children perceive such dishes especially hard - their stomach and intestines are still too weak to digest them.

Remember that honey mushrooms can be dangerous if boiled for less than 45 minutes.

Symptoms after poisoning with oyster mushrooms

Cherry mushrooms (correctly – oyster mushrooms) are considered to be one of the safest mushrooms. Some fans even eat them raw, so it is commonly believed that it is impossible to get poisoned by them. By and large, this is true. It is difficult to get poisoned by store-bought oyster mushrooms, just like champignons.

However, these mushrooms can also cause intoxication, just like any other food products, if they are prepared or stored incorrectly.

Signs of intestinal poisoning may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, episodic and spasmodic abdominal pain. In some cases, these symptoms go away on their own within a few days, without additional treatment. If after 1-2 days the condition has not returned to normal, but only worsened (for example, thirst appeared, dizziness, urine darkened), you should immediately seek medical help.

Symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, and slurred speech may be signs of botulism, a relatively rare form of food poisoning that occurs after eating improperly canned food.

Mold poisoning

In case of mold intoxication, the clinical picture will depend on many factors: the type of fungus, the duration of its life in the body, the amount of toxic products it releases.

Long-term inhalation of mold spores is considered very dangerous, which can be observed in damp rooms and basements. Poisoning in such cases increases gradually, sometimes over several years: chronic respiratory diseases or allergic reactions occur. Possible diseases include:

• bronchial asthma;
• sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic cough;
• severe migraine;
• rash on the skin and mucous membranes.

Eating bread and other moldy foods also causes poisoning, which manifests itself in signs of food intoxication:

• nausea with vomiting;
• digestive disorders, intestinal dysfunction;
• headaches, unmotivated fatigue, low blood pressure;
• pain in the stomach and intestines.

If mold fungus appears in the body in large quantities, then mycosis may develop - a disease associated with the widespread reproduction of its spores. In such cases, all organs and systems, as well as skin and mucous membranes, are affected.

Kombucha poisoning

Kombucha, also known as medusomycetes, is a fermentation product of acetic acid bacteria and yeast fungus. A drink based on this mushroom is considered very useful: it has a beneficial effect on digestion processes, strengthens the body's defenses, stabilizes the amount of cholesterol in the blood and even serves as a preventative measure against malignant tumors.

Despite the fact that such a drink is considered tasty and healthy, drinking it in unreasonable quantities can lead to poisoning. This is especially true for children, the elderly, and those prone to allergic reactions. The usual drink can cause skin rashes, stomach upset, jaundice, and the development of metabolic acidosis - the so-called "acidification" of the body, which can lead to improper functioning of most organs.

To avoid intoxication, it is necessary to adhere to moderation, consuming no more than 4 g of the mushroom per day.

Bear's ear poisoning

Bearberry (aka bearberry) is not a mushroom crop - it is a common medicinal plant, but in this article we decided to answer a fairly common question from our readers: is it possible to get poisoned by bearberry?

Preparations from bear's ears are low-toxic. Numerous studies have shown that poisoning can only be caused by the substance hydroquinone contained in the plant - in theory, it can provoke general agitation, hand tremors, seizures, comatose state and even death. However, in practice, such cases are isolated - taking normal doses of medicinal herbal preparations cannot cause poisoning.

However, when consuming large amounts of infusion of bear's ears, irritation of the urinary and digestive systems may develop. This condition may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. Most of all, pregnant women are not recommended to take products based on this plant: bear's ears, in addition to the diuretic and antiseptic effect, can provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus, which can ultimately lead to premature termination of pregnancy.

Mushroom intoxication can occur as a result of eating toxic mushrooms - these can be toadstools, fly agarics, etc. In addition, you can get poisoned by eating conditionally edible russula and morels, as well as by violating the technique of preparing mushroom dishes.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning in children

Signs of poisoning in children are usually more pronounced, and intoxication progresses much faster. Initial symptoms can be noticed within 6-10 hours. The first to appear are pains in the stomach, paroxysmal nausea, which turns into vomiting. The child looks weak, pale, breathing is shallow. There may be no diarrhea, but a headache is almost always present. In severe cases, jaundice may develop, which indicates toxic liver damage - this is a bad sign that can lead to death.

Poisoning with a mushroom such as the death cap in childhood almost always ends in death. The poison of the death cap is so strong that the weakened child's body is unable to cope with the intoxication. Symptoms can develop both after 30 minutes and after 12 hours. Very severe pain occurs in the abdomen, uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth (the child constantly asks for a drink), convulsions appear. Weakness increases, the voice becomes hoarse. All this time the child is conscious. In severe cases, hallucinations, delirium and confusion are observed.

When a child eats conditionally edible mushrooms or mushroom dishes that are not cooked enough, the symptoms of poisoning appear after about 4 hours. Nausea is observed first, followed by diarrhea and vomiting. Such symptoms are not much different from a normal intestinal disorder.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning during pregnancy

Mushroom poisoning is very dangerous for pregnant women, as toxic substances easily penetrate the unborn child through the placental barrier. It is precisely in order to avoid poisoning that doctors always do not recommend eating mushrooms during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If you still couldn’t resist and ate mushrooms, you should pay attention to the following possible symptoms:

• sudden loss of appetite;
• feeling of weakness and discomfort;
• slight nausea, which eventually turns into vomiting;
• stomach pain, from aching to spasmodic;
• diarrhea, increased gas formation;
• increased temperature (not a mandatory symptom);
• in case of severe poisoning – chills, headaches;
• decreased blood pressure, dizziness and even fainting.

Even with such symptoms, it is strongly recommended to urgently visit a doctor, or even better, call an ambulance. More severe signs of poisoning can be unpredictable: the consequences for the expectant mother and baby will be irreversible.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning are generally quite specific – it is almost always possible to understand what exactly caused the intoxication. This allows you to promptly consult a doctor and prevent adverse effects.