How to understand that you are poisoned by mushrooms
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Poisoning with mushrooms is a frequent occurrence, especially in spring and autumn, at the height of "quiet hunting". To avoid trouble, you need to know the signs of poisoning and be able to provide first aid to the victim.
If after eating mushrooms you have symptoms such as dizziness, lethargy, shortness of breath, severe abdominal pain, vomiting or headache - immediately call for an ambulance. Do not endure, hoping that well-being will improve by itself. Intoxication is growing very quickly, so you do not need to drive yourself to get to the nearest hospital. If there is no possibility to call an ambulance, ask a friend to take you to a medical facility.
Prior to the arrival of the doctor, the victim should wash his stomach. Do it better with water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate (manganese), artificially causing vomiting. Then the patient should be put on the bed and give him a drink in small sips of cold salted water (one teaspoon of salt per glass of water) - this will help to avoid dehydration. Without a doctor's recommendation, you do not need to take any medicine. It should be excluded any alcoholic beverages, since alcohol helps the rapid absorption of fungal poisons.
Do not throw away the remainder of the dish from the fungi, which caused poisoning. They will be useful for the doctor for research, for the most accurate diagnosis and for proper subsequent treatment.
The causes of acute poisoning are poisonous or conditionally edible fungi. Of the poisonous most common pale toadstool, fly agaric and false honey agarics. Particularly severe poisoning pale toadstool, which kills a large number of affected people. In order not to become a victim of poisoning with mushrooms, you need to collect and eat only those that you are sure of.
However, cases of poisoning and completely edible mushrooms are known. This can happen for several reasons: if they are old or have accumulated a large amount of toxic substances during growth or storage. Experienced mushroom pickers never collect too large mushrooms and those that grow along the roads, next to a dump or near fields (there is a possibility of treatment with pesticides).
Despite the attractiveness and good taste qualities from the consumption of mushrooms, children, pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as elderly people and all those who have problems with the digestive tract and chronic kidney diseases should refrain. Gourmets who do not represent their menu without mushrooms, in order to avoid poisoning it is better to replace the forest harvest with safe purchased champignons and oyster mushrooms.