The main measure for food poisoning is gastric lavage. Cleansing the digestive system is also carried out with some diseases. In addition, there is an opinion that absolutely everyone, even perfectly he althy people, needs to systematically flush the body. Next, we will find out what methods of cleansing the stomach exist and whether they have contraindications.
Why flush the gastrointestinal tract
You can understand that it is time to start cleansing the body by various symptoms. Feeling well in case of poisoning and intoxication usually leaves no doubt about the need to take urgent measures. Cleansing the stomach can also help with slagging of the body, which is evidenced by frequent constipation, bad breath, and a tendency to frequent colds. Cleansing the body has the following goals:
- restoring the proper functioning of the digestive system;
- control over the process of production of gastric juice;
- colon cleansing and stool normalization;
- strengthening immunity.
The need for periodic cleansing of the stomach is caused by the physiological characteristics of our body. Outwardly, this organ looks like a kind of bag with folds. In this section of the digestive system, food is digested. From here it moves to the intestines - it is there that the assimilation of valuable and nutrients takes place.
If there are interruptions in the work of the stomach, the diet, diet are disturbed, the body needs to be helped to get rid of harmful substances that accumulate in the intestinal tract. People who regularly eat unhe althy foods develop digestive problems over time, as a result of which not all foods that enter the body are fully absorbed by the intestines. They remain inside and, turning into slags, settle on its walls. Cleansing the stomach and intestines is one of the measures to prevent diseases such as gastritis, gastroduodenitis, proctitis, sigmoiditis.
Indications for cleansing the stomach
To flush the digestive tract, it is not necessary to go to the hospital. You can do this at home. As already noted, the need to cleanse the stomach is most often caused by chronic diseases, poisoning and intoxication. Washing the digestive tract pursues therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.
So, the main indications for procedures related to cleaning the gastrointestinal tract are:
- food poisoning;
- states of alcohol and drug intoxication;
- poisoning with harmful chemicals (alkalis, acids);
- regular constipation;
- pathology of the gallbladder;
- increased acidity of gastric secretion;
- vomiting of unknown etiology;
- overeating.
Gastric lavage at home: tubeless method
Today, at home, it is customary to use one of two methods of cleansing the stomach with water. The first is washing without a probe. This method is used for mild degrees of food poisoning, when the patient is conscious and able to follow simple commands. Tubeless gastric emptying is used for adults and older children. It is performed like this:
- The patient should be given warm boiled or mineral water to drink (during the procedure, it is recommended to use at least 1 liter of liquid).
- After that, you need to provoke vomiting by stimulating the root of the tongue.
Cleansing the stomach with vomiting is the fastest way to remove harmful products from the body. Instead of ordinary water, you can use medicinal solutions, the recipes of which we will give below. They will help to remove harmful and toxic substances from the body, relieve the symptoms of poisoning and improve the patient's well-being. In case of food poisoning, after cleansing the stomach, you must take enterosorbents and consult a doctor.
Probe cleaning: what are the challenges?
Unlike the previous method of cleansing the stomach in case of poisoning, this one requires certain knowledge and the use of medical equipment. Even though such a methodwashing the digestive tract is considered a completely safe procedure, it should be performed only by qualified specialists within the walls of a medical institution, incorrect actions can cause irreparable harm. Even a minor mistake is fraught with rupture of the tissues of the abdominal organs or the onset of suffocation.
Cleaning is carried out using a device resembling a hose with a rounded tip and two holes. During washing, the patient should be in a sitting position. In order not to stain the patient with vomit, his body is covered with oilcloth. Cleansing the stomach with water using a probe involves following the instructions:
- The patient tilts his head and opens his mouth. He should relax as much as possible and not worry.
- The probe is inserted into the throat, while the patient should try not to move his tongue.
- The hose is advanced to the sternum, after which the further movement of the probe is suspended. It is important to make sure that the tube does not catch on the trachea. Otherwise, the patient will experience wheezing, cough, and lips will begin to turn blue. If there are no such symptoms, the probe is inserted further, directly into the stomach.
- The funnel of the probe is placed below the level of the stomach and begin to inject liquid. Purification of the stomach in case of poisoning is carried out with ordinary boiled water at room temperature. 500 ml of water is sufficient for a single cleaning.
- When the entire volume of liquid is in the stomach, the funnel is lowered and the liquid is drained back through the tube.
- The procedure must be repeated several times untila clear liquid will not appear in the drain, without emetic impurities. A total of 5 liters of water may be needed to cleanse the stomach.
S alt and soda: solutions for cleansing the digestive tract
The washing procedure can be performed with a tool that is available to everyone - water. It not only cleanses the gastrointestinal tract, but also activates peristalsis, promotes the movement of feces. Instead of water, you can use a weak saline solution. According to doctors, this remedy is more effective for washing. Cleansing the stomach with s alt water helps to achieve better results, since it is practically not absorbed by the intestinal walls and flushes even hard-to-reach areas.
To prepare a solution, you will need 1 liter of boiled or filtered water and 1-2 tsp. sea s alt. If there is none, you can use the usual, cookbook, which everyone has in the kitchen. If the cleansing of the stomach is carried out not for therapeutic, but for prophylactic purposes, it is advisable to drink the solution in the morning on an empty stomach. However, it is not worth planning important things on this day, since the remedy has a laxative effect. If a bowel movement has not taken place after 2 hours, you must drink another liter of s alt water.
Instead of saline, you can use a soda solution. Sodium bicarbonate, once inside, breaks down into s alt, carbon dioxide and water. When soda reacts with hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach, the walls are cleansed. Soda solution helps to get rid of excess gases, bloating, pain andconstipation. To cleanse the stomach, soda is recommended to be taken in the morning before meals. The solution is prepared in the following proportion: for 1 tsp. baking soda take half a glass of warm water. The procedure is recommended to be repeated throughout the week.
What to do in case of acid or alkali poisoning
Regardless of the reasons why acid (most often table vinegar) could get into the stomach, the simplest rule from a school chemistry course will help the patient: alkali and acid neutralize each other. That is why, in case of acid poisoning, the victim must be given a soda solution. It will quickly eliminate the substance and protect the gastric mucosa from burns.
Healing solution is prepared by taking 5 liters of water and 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda. The solution is thoroughly stirred and filtered so that undissolved particles do not irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus. This rule applies to a weak acetic solution. If the patient drank vinegar essence, it is urgent to call an ambulance and not make any attempts until the arrival of specialists.
Patients who have been poisoned by an alkaline product or substance should urgently be given a solution of citric acid in powder form. To cleanse the stomach, you need 3 liters of boiled water and one teaspoon of citric acid. If a person suffers from chronic gastritis, the amount of acid powder should be halved so as not to cause a relapse. Once in the stomach, the acid will eliminate the alkali and protect the walls of the organ from burns.
Potassium permanganate solution
This is one of the popular folk remedies for cleansing the stomach. PermanganatePotassium is a natural disinfectant and bactericidal agent. A solution of potassium permanganate is effective in poisoning with toxins, poisonous mushrooms, mold and expired products.
At the same time, the misuse of manganese can seriously harm the patient. It is important to use potassium permanganate only in the correct concentration. For 1 liter of water, it is recommended to use 1 crystal of the substance. If the solution has received a rich pink hue, you can’t drink it - such a liquid will burn the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach, which will only aggravate the problem. In addition, it is important to ensure that the crystal is completely dissolved, and does not enter the stomach along with the liquid, otherwise it will stick to the mucous membrane, provoke erosion and bleeding.
You can only use a solution of pale pink color. Before taking the medicine inside, it is filtered through a gauze or paper filter - this will prevent undissolved particles of potassium permanganate from entering the stomach.
Enema for poisoning and body cleansing
To remove harmful substances from the body that have passed beyond the stomach and into the intestines, it is necessary to give the patient an enema. It can be done with an ordinary syringe, but it is preferable to use Esmarch's mug, the volume of which is 2 liters.
The structure is fixed at a height of 1-1.5 m. It is advisable to do an enema in the supine position on the left side or in the knee-elbow position. The knees should be pulled as close to the stomach as possible. After full introductionthe drug solution needs to wait a bit. As soon as the urge to defecate becomes unbearable, empty the bowels. The most suitable time of day to perform the procedure is early morning or evening, a couple of hours before bedtime.
One of the following can be used as a medicinal solution for cleansing the stomach with an enema:
- Vinegar enema. A light acidic solution is gentle on the mucous membranes and intestinal microflora, but at the same time it is effective against multiplying bacteria in the large intestine. For 2 liters of water use 1 tbsp. l. 6% table (apple) vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Garlic enema. Two medium-sized cloves of garlic should be grated and mixed with 1 liter of water.
- Saline enema. A solution is prepared based on the proportion: for 1 liter of water - 1 tbsp. l. s alt. After mixing thoroughly, 10 drops of Lugol's solution should also be added to the liquid, which will enhance the antimicrobial effect of the enema.
Pharmacy preparations
In addition to soda, s alt and potassium permanganate, medications can be used at home. The safest, the reception of which does not require consultation with a doctor, is activated charcoal. Cleansing the stomach with it can be carried out both for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Activated charcoal is a cheap enterosorbent that removes toxins, harmful bacteria and microbes from the body. Each tablet consists of small pores in which toxins accumulate. The mechanism of action of thisthe drug is simple and resembles the principle of a vacuum cleaner: a medicine for cleansing the stomach, leaving the body, as if attracting poisonous components to itself and adsorbing them from the body.
It is difficult to find a person who would not know how to calculate the dosage of activated carbon: 1 tablet is used per 10 kg of weight. In case of food poisoning, you need to take the remedy twice a day, drinking plenty of water. Activated charcoal has no side effects, so it can be treated within 2-3 weeks.
"Magnesia" - this drug has a laxative effect. The active ingredient in its composition is magnesium sulfate. Doctors call this chemical compound "epsom s alts". Once in the gastrointestinal tract, "Magnesia" causes the intestinal wall to contract and get rid of the contents. Unlike other laxative drugs, this remedy is not absorbed into the bloodstream and produces a choleretic effect. The medicine is produced in the form of a dry powder, which must be diluted in 100 ml of boiled water. After mixing thoroughly, the solution must be drunk on an empty stomach or two hours before bedtime. The drug is taken in a three-day course, during which it is desirable to exclude roughage (meat, fibrous fiber), fatty, s alty foods and sweets from the diet.
"Fortrans" - a drug that has been heard by those who have had a chance to undergo an examination of the gastrointestinal tract. The drug has a powerful laxative effect, cleanses the stomach of mucus and does not injure the intestinal microflora. One sachet is used for 15-20kg of body weight. It is dissolved in one liter of water. Thus, an adult weighing 80 kg needs to drink four liters of water, after dissolving four bags of Fortrans in it.
One liter of solution is recommended to drink in one hour (on average, you need to drink 200-250 ml of liquid once every 15 minutes). Accordingly, it will take about 4-5 hours to receive all four liters. You can wash the gastrointestinal tract with this remedy at any time, the effect will come in just an hour. Since the stomach and bowel cleansing medicine has a specific taste, patients are allowed to seize each glass with an orange slice.
Folk recipes
To clean the gastrointestinal tract, you can use non-traditional methods. To flush the stomach, you can use herbal decoctions that have a laxative effect. One of these is the herb senna. It is sold in any pharmacy and is relatively inexpensive. Its leaves and stems are effective for cleansing the stomach. Senna infusion is used to wash the intestinal tract. You can prepare it as follows: pour 2 tsp with a glass of boiling water. dry raw materials and leave to infuse under the lid. After 15 minutes, the infusion is considered ready for use. It must be strained and drunk before going to bed.
Another recipe for cleansing the body involves the use of herbal collection based on another herb with a laxative effect - buckthorn. To prepare the medicinal mixture, take 3 tsp. buckthorn, the same amount of immortelle, fennel and 1 tsp.peppermint. All components are thoroughly mixed. To prepare one glass of infusion, you need 1 tsp. vegetable raw materials. Herbal collection is drunk for a week once a day.
You can cleanse the body of toxins and toxins with the help of castor oil. The main drawback of this remedy is an unpleasant specific aroma, which can be drowned out by mixing castor oil with lemon juice or kefir. For example, one of the recipes looks like this: take 1 tsp. wheat bran, castor oil and 1 tbsp. l. yogurt, mix and drink twice a day before meals. A mixture of castor oil and lemon juice is prepared in a similar way: two parts of the juice will require one part of the oil.
Tea for cleansing the stomach from the needles can also be used after poisoning. This tool will help you recover faster and cleanse the blood of toxins. For cooking, you need 5 tbsp. l. pine needles and two cups of boiling water. Needles must first be crushed. A container with pine needles and water is put on fire and boiled for 10 minutes. After this, the remedy must be set aside for the night to infuse. Coniferous infusion delicately affects the walls of the stomach and intestines, enveloping them and providing an astringent antacid effect. You need to drink it several sips throughout the day, regardless of the meal. A side effect of this tea is the darkening of the urine. There is no need to be afraid of this phenomenon: as soon as all harmful substances leave the body, the urine will become transparent again.
Contraindications for brushingstomach
In some cases, gastric lavage at home is dangerous for the patient's he alth. If he is in an unconscious state or the cause of his poisoning was the ingestion of petrochemical products (gasoline, kerosene, solvents, etc.), self-medication cannot be done. In no case should you give the patient potassium permanganate or activated charcoal. It is urgent to call an ambulance or take the person to the nearest surgical department. Do not gastric lavage for a person who:
- complains of acute abdominal pain;
- suffers from arterial hypertension;
- has a stomach or duodenal ulcer;
- recently had a stroke or heart attack.
