Treating Food Poisoning At Home. What Medicines To Drink In Case Of Poisoning?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Treating food poisoning at home

If food poisoning is not severe, then you can deal with it at home. At the same time, it is important that the person does not develop symptoms that pose a threat to life. The patient comes to the aid of drugs that should be in every family medicine cabinet. You can also resort to folk remedies to help you recover faster.

Content:

• What you need to know about food poisoning
• Symptoms and pathogenesis
• First aid for poisoning
• What medicines to drink in case of poisoning?
• Diet after poisoning
• Prevention

What you need to know about food poisoning

A person with food poisoning is not contagious. This violation develops due to the consumption of foods that contain harmful microorganisms or poisons.

There are 2 types of food poisoning:

• PTI, that is, foodborne diseases. They develop due to the fact that a person eats foods in which pathogenic flora is present. It can multiply in them due to the expired shelf life. Another reason for PTI is non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards.
• Toxic poisoning of non-infectious origin. The deterioration of well-being occurs due to the ingestion of toxins (chemical or natural) into the body. These can be both chemicals and poisons from mushrooms, plants, etc.

It is non-infectious toxic poisoning that poses the greatest threat to human health. To cope with such intoxication on your own will not work, you must immediately contact a doctor.

You can not self-medicate pregnant women, the elderly and children. Even if the poisoning is easy for them, you need to see a doctor.

Fortunately, most often people are faced with poisoning, which can be successfully dealt with at home. The article will focus on how to help the body in the event of uncomplicated IPT.

Symptoms and pathogenesis

The symptoms of food poisoning will depend on which toxin or microorganism is causing the disorder. The age of the person and the state of his health in general matters. However, there are general signs of poisoning that occur in both children and adults.

These include:

• Nausea.
• Painful cramps in stomach and intestines.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea, with a stench uncharacteristic of a healthy person.
• Increased body temperature.
• Weakness and malaise.
• Dizziness, lack of coordination, fainting. These symptoms occur against the background of intoxication of the body.
• Decrease in blood pressure. Most often, this symptom occurs in older people.
• Convulsions and other symptoms of damage to the nervous system.

The incubation period for IPT is short. The first signs of poisoning appear within 2-6 hours after ingestion of a toxic product. Toxic infection develops very quickly.

If, after 2 days, the symptoms of the disorder persist, and also if the person's well-being worsens, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Threatening signs are: dark urine or lack of it, dry mouth, fever, dizziness. All of them signal the developing dehydration, which is dangerous not only for health, but also for life.

First aid for poisoning

The main task facing a person with food poisoning is to remove toxins from the body. You also need to prevent a serious violation of the water-salt balance.

First aid comes down to the implementation of the following actions:

• Gastric lavage. The patient should drink as much water as possible, after which he is provoked vomiting. The procedure is repeated until the liquid leaving the stomach is completely clear. If possible, replace water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This allows you to disinfect the digestive tract. The solution should be pale pink. Manganese must be thoroughly dissolved and filtered through cheesecloth folded in 4 layers. You can also prepare a soda solution (take a teaspoon of soda per liter of water). If vomiting suddenly turns black, they stop flushing the stomach. This sign signals gastric bleeding, which requires emergency hospitalization. This complication often occurs in people with stomach ulcers or gastritis.
• Colon cleansing. If a person does not develop diarrhea, a laxative or enema should be taken. This will help flush out toxins from the intestines. For an enema, use ordinary water. It should be boiled and at room temperature. Enema is also repeated several times. It is necessary to ensure that the waters become clean.

When the patient is given first aid, you can offer him folk and pharmaceutical remedies.

What medicines to drink in case of poisoning?

If the poisoning is easy, then you can cope with it without taking any medication. It will be enough to limit yourself to adherence to the drinking regime and diet.

The main therapeutic measures that can be carried out at home:

• Removal of symptoms of intoxication.
• Elimination of toxins from the body.
• Restoration of intestinal microflora.
• Stabilization of the digestive system.

It must be remembered that only a doctor can correctly assess a person's well-being.

Rehydration therapy

Diarrhea and vomiting cause the body to rapidly lose water reserves. To prevent this from happening, you need to drink about 3 liters of liquid per day. It must be salted. Take a teaspoon of salt per liter of water. You can alternate water with sweet tea. It is also allowed to take rehydration drugs, for example, Rehydron or Oralit. They have a powder form of release; before taking them, they must be dissolved in boiled water.

Rehydron is the most popular drug for restoring water-salt balance. It is used for infectious diseases, for diarrhea of various origins. One bag of powder is enough to prepare a liter of solution. Most often, there are no side effects from taking the drug.

Rehydron is drunk in small sips. Within 10 minutes, you need to drink 200 ml of the solution. To achieve the optimal effect, you need to take a liter of the drug per hour. As a rule, in 1.5-3 hours of such therapy, it is possible to restore the water-salt balance of the body and normalize the patient's well-being.

If the fluid continues to leave the body at an accelerated rate, that is, diarrhea does not stop, then the treatment with Regidron continues.

At the first stage, the volume of fluid is calculated based on the degree of dehydration of the body:

• With 1 degree of dehydration, 30-40 ml / kg of body weight is required.
• At 2 and 3 degrees - 40-70 ml / kg of weight.

The second stage of the fight against dehydration requires taking the amount of fluid that is excreted from the body for each case of diarrhea or vomiting. You should not drink Rehydron in large quantities, overdose should not be allowed.

Sorption therapy

Sorbents are drugs that help remove toxic substances from the body. Most often, people use activated carbon as a sorbent. It prevents the absorption of harmful substances in the intestines and allows them to be excreted. For every 10 kg of weight, you need to take 1 tablet.

Black charcoal can be replaced with white. It acts selectively, that is, it removes only toxins outside, and useful substances are stored in the body. The dose is reduced by 2 times. For an adult with food poisoning, 2-4 tablets are sufficient. It all depends on the severity of its course.

Enterosorbents should be taken with caution by patients with high body temperature. The same applies to children and the elderly. It is better to replace coal with Smecta, Lactofiltrum or Enterosgel.

• Smecta is a drug for diarrhea that acts like an adsorbent. It is used for food poisoning, intestinal infections, alcohol poisoning. It promotes the restoration of the digestive tract.
• Enterosgel. This is a silicon preparation that is practically safe for humans. It is prescribed for children, pregnant women. It perfectly absorbs toxins and quickly removes them outside. It can be used to relieve toxicosis in pregnant women, to relieve alcohol intoxication. All nutrients remain in the body and are not excreted.
• Polysorb. This is a combined drug that allows you to quickly remove poisons. It is used to relieve alcohol intoxication, food poisoning and drug poisoning.
• Lactofiltrum. It contains lactulose and lignin. This drug not only absorbs harmful substances, but also allows you to restore the intestinal microflora. It is prescribed for patients with hepatitis, liver disease, IBS and allergies. Every day you need to take 2 tablets (3 times a day). It is possible to carry out treatment with Lactofiltrum in patients over a year old. It is not prescribed for pregnant women, patients with stomach ulcers and bleeding in the digestive system. Side effects include allergies, bloating, and diarrhea.

Pain relief therapy

Doctors advise against taking painkillers until the patient has been examined. Such drugs can change the symptoms of the disease and make diagnosis difficult. A spasm reliever can only be taken if the pain is severe. The most commonly used agents are: No-shpa, Papaverin, Drotaverin.

The active ingredient in No-shpa is drotaverin. The drug can be taken in pill form, or you can give it an injection. No-shpa allows you to eliminate spasm from smooth muscles and eliminate pain. The drug works quickly.

The maximum daily dose is 120-140 mg (3-6 tablets or 40-240 mg for ampoules).

It is forbidden to take the drug to persons with impaired liver and kidney function, lactose deficiency and low cardiac output.

Antimicrobial and antibacterial therapy

Antibiotics are not often prescribed for food poisoning. Only a doctor can write them out. Self-medication threatens with dysbiosis and other complications. The most commonly used drugs include: Enterofuril, Phthalazol, Ciprofloxacin, Intetrix.

Ersefuril is prescribed for acute food poisoning. Ciprofloxacin is indicated for intoxications caused by anaerobic flora, staphylococci.

Antidiarrheal and antiemetic therapy

When microbes enter the gastrointestinal tract, or toxins enter, you should not stop vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms are a defense reaction of the body, which thus cleans itself. Only a doctor can make a decision on taking antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs. As a rule, they are prescribed after the bulk of the harmful flora and toxins have been released with feces and vomiting.

Antiemetic drugs include Motilium and Cerucal. The following medicines can be used for diarrhea: Loperamide, Trimebutin, Neointestopan.

We need to dwell on them in more detail:

• Motilium. It stops vomiting and diarrhea, activates the contractile function of the intestines. For food poisoning, you need to take 2 tablets. The next dose is indicated in 6-8 hours. You can also take the drug before bed.
• Cerucal. This drug is taken with vomiting that occurs with food poisoning and with toxicosis of pregnant women. It comes in the form of tablets and in injection solution. Cerucal quickly relieves nausea and vomiting.
• Neointestopan. Attapulgite is the main active ingredient. It absorbs pathogenic flora and toxic substances. The drug is prescribed for acute diarrhea, for dysbiosis and for allergies. Up to 14 tablets can be taken per knocking.
• Loperamide. This drug slows down the motor function of the intestines, which stops the diarrhea. It can be prescribed to children over 6 years old.

Antipyretic therapy

The body temperature rises rarely with food poisoning.

If this happens, medications such as:

• Paracetamol. The drug lowers the temperature well in adult patients. The effect develops 40 minutes after ingestion and lasts up to 4 hours. Paracetamol allows you to eliminate inflammation, reduce pain.
• Ibuklin. It acts as an analgesic and antipyretic agent. The drug works quickly, since it combines 2 active components of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol at once. Take it orally after eating. The maximum daily dose is 3 tablets. The course of treatment is 3 days (if you want to reduce body temperature), or 5 days (if you need to stop the pain).
• Ibuprofen (Nurofen). Patients tolerate this drug well. It can be assigned to children. It lowers body temperature and relieves pain.

Microflora restoration therapy

The normal flora of the intestines against the background of food poisoning is disrupted. To restore it, drugs such as:

• Linex. This is a modern remedy that is prescribed for dysbiosis caused by bacterial and viral infections, food poisoning.
• Bifidumbacterin. The drug is available in capsules and powder. A suspension is prepared from it. Bifidumbacterin helps to normalize the intestinal microflora.

In addition, in case of food poisoning, drugs such as Bioflor, Bionorm, Enterohermina, Bactisubtil can be prescribed.

Enzyme therapy

Enzyme preparations stabilize the intestinal microflora and help it recover. For this purpose, use means such as:

• Festal. It compensates for the insufficient function of the liver and pancreas, helps the body cope with food poisoning. Patients are prescribed 1-2 tablets 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 5 days.
• Mezim. This drug helps to stop the symptoms of dyspepsia. It can be taken by children over 3 years old. Patients with food poisoning are prescribed 1 tablet with meals. Drink Mezim with plenty of water. It is not prescribed for inflammation of the pancreas, as well as for mechanical intestinal obstruction.
• Creon. The main active ingredient of this drug is pancreatin. Its reception allows you to normalize the function of digestion.

Video: about the most important thing - what is needed and what cannot be done in case of poisoning?

Food after poisoning

In the first day after poisoning, it is recommended only to drink water, weak black or green tea, rosehip broth. On the second day, you can eat mashed potatoes and vegetable broths. Porridge is boiled in water.

Dishes should be warm. The patient is offered small portions. Their volume is increased gradually.

They take food 6-7 times a day. This allows you to quickly normalize the digestion process. When the function of the gastrointestinal tract returns to normal, you can supplement the diet with rice porridge, low-fat broth, and crackers.

Allowed Products

Allowed products include:

• Steamed meat cutlets. They are included in the menu from day 3 of the diet.
• Casserole.
• Pudding with cottage cheese.
• Steamed fish meatballs.
• Buckwheat and rice on the water.
• Baked and boiled vegetables.
• Dill decoction.
• Rice soup.
• Homemade croutons.
• Steamed omelet.
• Baked apples and pears.
• Chamomile tea.
• Fruit jelly.

A week after the poisoning, fermented milk products are introduced into the menu, which help restore the intestinal microflora. It is important to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and its severe consequences.

Prohibited foods

Foods not to be eaten:

• Any conservation.
• Bakery products.
• Alcoholic drinks.
• Sausages.
• Milk products.
• Salty fish.
• Pearl barley and corn.
• Chocolate.
• Meat broths.
• Lard and meat.
• Caviar.
• Fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Legumes.

These products contribute to the occurrence of flatulence, increase pain, provoke the production of enzymes, and start fermentation processes in the intestines. If you do not exclude them from the diet, then the recovery of the body is delayed.

Prevention

To prevent food poisoning, you need to eat only fresh and quality food. The kitchen should always be clean. Wash fruits, herbs and vegetables thoroughly.

Cooked dishes should be stored under a closed lid; it is recommended to boil yesterday's food.

Be sure to wash your hands before approaching the table. Compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards is the best prevention of food poisoning.

The author of the article: Gorshenina Elena Ivanovna | Gastroenterologist

Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Russian State Medical University named after N. I. Pirogova (2005). Postgraduate studies in the specialty "Gastroenterology" - educational and scientific medical center.