Intoxication literally means "poison in the body". During the life of every person, regardless of age and gender, at least once faced with such a condition. The reason for the intoxication syndrome is the excess of substances of toxic origin in the body. This ailment can occur in both adults and children.
Types of intoxication
Depending on the reasons for the excess of toxins in the blood, several types of intoxication are distinguished:
- Exogenous - damage to internal organs by toxins that entered the body from the external environment. The routes of entry are different. For example, food or water with insufficient purification or processing, long-term use of drugs. Possibly airborne toxins.
- Endogenous - for some reason, toxins are produced by the body itself. It most often develops with bacterial and viral infections, injuries, malignant neoplasms.
Regardless of the type of intoxication syndrome, there is a failure in the vital activity of the body, which is most pronounced inchildren.
Causes of intoxication syndrome
The most common causes of intoxication are:
- External environment. Various chemical elements and their compounds that cause air pollution, animals, plants and microorganisms that produce toxic substances.
- Products of processing of certain substances that enter the body through the digestive system, when breathing, when it comes into contact with the mucous membranes of a person.
- Foods with poisonous effects in the presence of damaged tissues.
- Excess of toxic substances due to improper functioning of the body, for example, an excess of hormones.
- As one of the reasons - metabolic disorders.
One of the determining factors is the amount of toxin that has entered the bloodstream. It depends on him in what form the general intoxication syndrome will proceed. It is important to know what signs mean the presence of pathology in the body.
Acute intoxication syndrome: signs
Symptoms in children and adults are practically the same. Intoxication syndrome in children, as a rule, proceeds in a more acute form, especially if the child was born prematurely or has reduced immunity. Most common signs:
- Sharp weakness.
- Child starts acting up.
- There is deterioration or lack of appetite.
- Temperature risebody.
- Nausea.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Muscle pain.
- Spastic abdominal pain.
- In some, severe cases, the child may experience a lack of facial expressions.
- Increased heartbeat.
- Chilling due to low blood pressure.
Establishing a diagnosis in children is complicated if the child currently does not understand well what is happening to him and cannot describe the symptoms of the disease. Also, the diagnosis becomes more complicated if it is still too small to tell about the signs of pathology on its own.
Signs of intoxication syndrome at the chronic stage
These symptoms occur if the child was not provided with timely medical care at the stage of acute intoxication or it did not help enough:
- Rapid fatigue.
- Depression.
- Irritable.
- Bad memory. The child may forget what happened to them a few minutes ago.
- Dizziness to the point of losing consciousness.
- Severe headaches.
- Meteorism.
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract (continued diarrhea or constipation).
- Drowsiness or insomnia.
- There are problems with the skin, as well as nails and hair.
- May cause persistent bad breath, both from the mouth and from the body of the child.
At this stage, it is difficult for a child to diagnose and help at home, since chronic intoxication has nosuch pronounced signs as acute. It is difficult to treat and has serious consequences.
Stages of intoxication
In the process of intoxication syndrome, several stages are distinguished:
- Hidden. At this stage, the toxic substance only enters the body and begins to spread before the first symptoms of the disease appear. If at this moment you notice the first signs of intoxication, then it is very easy to prevent the development of a further process.
- Active stage. This is the period of the strongest action of the toxin. The vast majority of the symptoms of the disease are present, and treatment usually begins at this point.
- Stage of late manifestation of intoxication syndrome. At this stage, the toxic substance is no longer in the body, but due to its negative impact, the symptoms still persist, and treatment must be continued.
- Recovery stage. It has a different duration and depends on the type of toxin, its amount in the body and the disorders it caused.
Each stage has its own period of time, which depends on the age of the child, the strength of the body's resistance to toxic substances and the timely assistance provided.
How to correctly diagnose intoxication syndrome
Children's first symptoms may begin within 10-15 minutes and continue for up to 15 hours, depending on the type of toxin and its amount. In such situations, it is best not totreatment at home. Calling a doctor is simply necessary, since only the clinical picture that the child's parents see is not enough to determine the stage and severity of the syndrome. The exact level of intoxication can only be determined with the help of special medical and laboratory examinations in stationary conditions.
Treatment of pathology
Children's bodies are more susceptible to toxic substances than adults. Poisonous substances are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread much faster in children. The effectiveness of therapy and the outcome of the disease largely depend on the timely diagnosis.
Treatment of intoxication syndrome - elimination of the cause that caused this disease. It must be understood that the main goal is to destroy the toxin and accelerate the process of its removal from the body. A competent approach is important here, since improperly selected treatment or self-medication can only aggravate the situation. If this happens, then the intoxication syndrome will go from an acute stage to a chronic one.
At home, within first aid, the following actions apply:
- Gastric lavage. This is the first and main aid in removing the syndrome. Thanks to washing, it is possible to remove food debris and toxins from the gastrointestinal tract that have not yet had time to penetrate into the blood. This is done quite easily: 1-2 liters of boiled warm water is taken with the addition of one teaspoon of baking soda or a very weak solution of manganese. At this stage, the child must be persuaded to drink this volume of liquid.
- Must induce vomiting. ForTo do this, insert one or two fingers into the mouth and lightly press on the root of the tongue. Carry out the procedure several times until the water comes out clean and without food debris. It should be noted that this procedure should be carried out only with food intoxication and children after five years.
- The procedures for gastric lavage and induction of vomiting should be approached very responsibly. An illiterate approach can lead to negative consequences.
- Give the child drugs from the group of sorbents to drink. They reduce the effect of toxins and promote their removal from the body.
- Drinking is a must. It is not necessary to force the child to drink large quantities at a time. It is advisable to drink often and in small portions - one or two tablespoons every few minutes is enough. Lightly sweetened water or weak tea can be used as a liquid.
- It is important to know that in no case should a child be fed until the active stage of the disease has passed. Then you can give some crackers. And only the next day you can give food that will not contain fatty, sweet, s alty, spicy, sour foods. Food should be neutral and sparing.
At any stage of the disease, it is better to call an ambulance doctor who will determine the child's condition and be able to provide qualified advice and assistance. In any case, it is desirable to place such a patient in a hospital where the doctor can prescribe and calculate the dosage of the necessary drugs.
Prevention of intoxication
Disease is always easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, the first thing that is required is the timely prevention of poisoning with poisons or toxic substances:
- Child should be taught about personal hygiene, in particular to keep hands clean.
- Explain that you can not eat unfamiliar berries and plants, household chemicals, medicines, etc.
- Do not inhale unfamiliar odors and powders.
- Try to eliminate foods with strong flavors from your diet.
- Observe daily routine.
- Don't overwork.
Preventive measures are the best way to protect your child from negative consequences.
Note to parents
The main task is to detect the first negative symptoms in time and immediately consult a doctor in order to avoid negative consequences!
The same applies to adults. Intoxication syndrome, the symptoms of which can be dangerous, should be treated at the first sign of symptoms.
