Food poisoning is often confused with indigestion. But the difference between them is enormous, since in the first case, malaise with untimely help can lead to death, and in the second it only causes anxiety and deterioration in well-being. The symptoms and treatment of food poisoning are very different from a normal GI disorder.
Judge for yourself
The difference is that indigestion most often occurs due to improper use of products, and poisoning is the result of poisons and toxins entering the body. In the first case, food is not digested or poorly digested due to the fact that, for example, the stomach is too full during feasts. But in the second case, not everything is so simple - here there is a danger to life and he alth. However, the symptoms and treatment of food poisoning and indigestion are often confused, resulting in extremesituations when doctors simply do not have time to save the patient.
What causes indigestion
It happens that the foods eaten do not mix well with each other. Everyone, for example, guesses that pickles, fresh fruits and s alted bacon cannot be washed down with milk - diarrhea is guaranteed. But can you keep track of the children in the village what they ate before drinking fresh milk. Yes, and adults sometimes boast that, they say, their he alth is iron.
Disorder can occur if you eat hot (only removed from the fire) fish, pies and freshly baked bread. Very fatty, fried, smoked and spicy foods can also cause anxiety in the form of heaviness in the stomach or heartburn. But these symptoms are easily relieved with soda water (for heartburn), dill tea (for diarrhea), a 6-hour fast, or preparations that contain enzymes that make food easier to digest (for flatulence and heaviness in the stomach).
Signs of food poisoning
Now consider the symptoms that indicate that there is a danger to life. They can appear together or separately. This is:
- Severe abdominal pain.
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Chills and/or fever.
- Weakness, dizziness and even loss of consciousness.
The patient's condition directly depends on how much poison has entered the body. The stronger the poisoning, the worse the person feels. Sometimes it may seem that the signs do not cause concern, but keep in mind that at risk are:
- pregnant women and children (theycan even get poisoned by cucumbers);
- those who ate mushrooms (especially forest mushrooms);
- those who mixed alcohol the day before;
- those who drank drugs without a doctor's prescription;
- those with pets in the house.
First aid for food poisoning
At the slightest suspicion of a serious illness, you need to call an ambulance. This is especially necessary if you do not know the cause of the poisoning. It is in the hospital that they will be able to do the necessary tests and prescribe treatment depending on the result. Only a doctor can determine the symptoms and treatment of food poisoning. At home, this is almost impossible. The only thing you can do before the arrival of the doctors is to wash the sick stomach and force him to drink water in large quantities. In this case, nothing can be eaten by an unhe althy person until the condition stabilizes. Any food poisoning only worsens the condition. This, by the way, is the main difference from indigestion, which helps rice, infusion of dill, chamomile, rosehip, as well as jelly, a tablet of Glycine, Mezima, Black Coal, etc.
Prevention
Be careful - you can get poisoned even by conservation, if you ignore the swollen cap. What else? Of course, early berries and vegetables: radishes, cucumbers, watermelons, eggplants, melons. Also keep in mind - you can’t cut food into yesterday’s half-eaten “salad”, especially mayonnaise. You should also not reheat food on yesterday's fat left in the pan from frying meat, lard, fish, so that carcinogens do not enter the body.
Please note
You may not be aware that you are seriously ill due to the fact that the symptoms and treatment of food poisoning are similar to liver, stomach and other diseases of the internal organs. But always keep in mind that with chills, sudden weakness and a temperature above 37.5 degrees, you need to call an ambulance. Especially if a child, a pregnant woman or an elderly person is sick.
