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Symptoms of poisoning with mushrooms

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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Symptoms of poisoning with fungi appear after the ingestion of their toxic species, for example, pale toadstool or mushroom. You can poison yourself by using improperly prepared conventionally edible mushrooms. However, signs of poisoning may well arise when eating absolutely safe representatives, if the process of cooking the product has been violated.

Our article is about the specificity of the symptoms of poisoning by certain fungi.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

The first symptoms of mushroom poisoning

The first signs of fungal poisoning usually come quite quickly. The duration of the incubation period (the time from the moment of eating to the appearance of the first symptom) can be from half an hour to 6 hours.

What are the initial signs of:

  • sharply narrowed pupils;
  • saliva is abundantly allocated;
  • the victim throws into sweat;
  • there is a sharp cutting pain in the abdomen;
  • possibly a sudden appearance of diarrhea or vomiting;
  • there are problems with breathing;
  • there is weakness and dizziness due to lowering of blood pressure;
  • the pulse becomes weak.

With severe poisoning, a rapid onset of collapse is possible, there is an overexcitement of the psyche, an acute sense of fear.

With competent care and urgent urgent measures taken in time, the patient is cured already during the day. If you do not have help, then there is a lethal outcome from exposure to toxic substances.

Symptoms of poisoning with poisonous mushrooms

Symptomatic poisoning depends on the type and amount of toxins that enter the digestive organs and the bloodstream of the affected person.

  • In most cases, intoxication with alkaloids, of them most often - muscarin. This toxic substance is found in such poisonous mushrooms as fly agaric, govorushka and other representatives of the genus cobweb. Signs of intoxication occur only 20 minutes after taking the poisonous fungus - mainly the autonomic nervous system suffers. There is a strong salivation, sweating, lacrimation, attacks of vomiting and diarrhea. After a while, there may be a breakdown in visual function, arrhythmia, lowering blood pressure, difficulty breathing.

Antidote from muscarin is atropine, but it can only be entered by a medical specialist.

  • The second most common intoxication is isoxazole poisoning (for example, muscimol). This toxin is found in the red and panther varieties of fly agaric. At the impact of muscimol atropine can not be administered, otherwise it will only exacerbate the problem.

Symptomics manifests itself in 0.5-2 hours and can persist throughout the day. There may be such signs:

  • dyspepsia;
  • confusion of consciousness;
  • visual impairment;
  • convulsions;
  • sensation of an incredible surge of energy, which is replaced by drowsiness until a long coma (about a day).

After some time, the victim independently returns to consciousness - intoxication recedes.

  • Another toxic substance - amanitine - is found in ammonite fungi, in particular, in pale toadstools. This toxin is considered one of the most dangerous to humans. Without medical assistance, the victim dies 50% of the time.

Amanitine is a complex polypeptide that has a damaging effect on body tissues. The poisoning clinic is divided into several stages:

  • the latent stage lasts from 5-6 hours to one day, during which there is an active destruction of the kidneys and liver, despite the fact that the patient himself at this time does not feel changes in his condition;
  • the next stage lasts about a day; there is exhausting vomiting, diarrhea with an admixture of blood, spastic pain in the abdomen;
  • during the third stage, which lasts approximately 24 hours, the patient feels an imaginary relief, which is often taken for recovery;
  • the final stage looks like a relapse intoxication - there are phenomena of renal and hepatic insufficiency that most often provokes a lethal outcome.

There is no antidote for amanitine, therefore detoxification should be carried out in a hospital until the substance is completely removed from the body.

Symptoms of poisoning with pickled mushrooms

Why can poisoning be caused by edible mushrooms, for example, pickled or salted? This happens most often for the following reasons:

  • violation of the process of processing the product at home;
  • improperly prepared marinade (eg, insufficient amount of acid);
  • improper storage of the finished product;
  • leaky lid;
  • getting into the total number of fungi poisonous representative.

If at least one mushroom from the total mass was poisonous, then the danger can be represented by all the fungi that were prepared simultaneously. Therefore, it is important to carefully review the mushrooms before conservation.

Symptoms of poisoning with salted mushrooms appear about 3 hours after their eating, and can be as follows:

  • general weakness;
  • blurring of vision;
  • cold sweating;
  • impaired consciousness;
  • lacrimation, a feeling of stuffiness in the nose;
  • spasms in the abdomen.

Over time, the list of signs expands: there is diarrhea and vomiting with blood elements, there is a disturbance of movements in the limbs. In severe cases there is an upset of heart activity, a malfunction of the liver and kidneys. This condition can become critical for the victim: it is almost impossible to save him.

Symptoms of poisoning with canned mushrooms may differ slightly from those accompanying intoxication with pickled or salted foods. All because conservation can be done incorrectly, with the entry into the bank of pathogenic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria (which multiply without the presence of oxygen) and toxic substances from the external environment. What can cause the appearance of symptoms and what they are manifested:

  • the consumption of pathogenic microorganisms that have fallen into conservation is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever;
  • eating canned food with a bloated lid or with an expired storage term may be accompanied by signs of botulism that are no different from the signs of the usual microbial intoxication described above;
  • exposure to external toxic substances that have fallen into conservation with insufficiently washed or not fully prepared mushrooms may cause dyspeptic disorders and severe headache.

To eliminate these symptoms use the treatment, which is applicable for common toxic infections.

Symptoms of Champignon Poisoning

It turns out that one can not be completely sure even in such safe mushrooms as champignons. Why?

  • Firstly, on forest clearings you can meet false mushrooms, which are very similar in appearance to usual ones, but are quite poisonous.
  • Secondly, any mushroom is a sponge absorbing not only the benefits, but also all kinds of harmful substances. Therefore, you can not collect mushrooms growing near dumps, roads, businesses, railways, etc. In this product, you can find a whole list of hazardous chemical, acid substances and radionuclides.

Poisoning with white mushrooms or champignons from the store - is also not uncommon. So, mold can get into raw mushrooms, and in the can product the technological process can be broken, the expiration date, etc., can end.

What symptoms may indicate intoxication:

  • paroxysmal nausea, pain throughout the abdomen, an increase in temperature;
  • vomiting, visual disorders, movement coordination disorders;
  • pain in the head, dizziness, weakness.

In general, there are all signs of food poisoning. When you visit a doctor, you must specify what and when you used to eat. This will make it easier for the doctor to choose the right treatment strategy.

Symptoms of poisoning with lines

Lines or morels contain helvellic acid, which has a hemothytic (hemolytic) effect. This toxic substance is destroyed during heat treatment, but poisoning can occur when eating insufficient heat-treated fungi or broth.

After 6-10 hours after eating, there are pains in the abdomen, attacks of nausea and vomiting with bile elements. Diarrhea does not always happen.

When severe poisoning rapidly increases hemolytic jaundice, there is an increase in the liver and spleen, there are signs of dehydration (pale skin, kollaptoidnoe state, delirium).

Present and characteristic signs: severe pain in the head, the phenomenon of hemolysis (destruction of erythrocytes), signs of hemoglobin in the urine (urine red).

Subsequently, the convulsive syndrome develops, the patient may lose consciousness, there is a lack of cardiac activity, which without the appropriate help can easily lead to death.

Symptoms of poisoning with honey agarics

Collecting such popular mushrooms as mushrooms, you need to be very careful. Suffice it to spread situations where there is a poisoning of mushrooms (mostly false), the signs of which reveal themselves as nausea, dizziness, dyspeptic phenomena, which immediately suggest the acute damage to the digestive system. Because of the high content of toxic substances, gastroenteritis develops, which causes spasmodic pain in the abdomen and eventually leads to dehydration of the body. If all the fungi are collected by a competent mushroom picker, then poisoning can cause them to be improperly cooked. If the dish is not cooked, the likelihood of intoxication increases, the signs of which are detected a few hours after eating. The undercooked mushroom product is considered to be an intractable food, which provokes a breakdown in digestive functions. Particularly difficult to perceive such dishes are children - their stomach and intestines are still too weak to digest them.

Remember that honey mushrooms can be dangerous if you boil them less than 45 minutes.

Symptoms after oyster poisoning

Mushrooms cherry (correctly - oyster mushrooms) are considered one of the safest mushrooms. Some lovers eat them even in raw form, so it is customary to think that it is impossible to poison them. By and large, this is so. It is difficult to poison shop mushrooms, as well as champignons.

However, these fungi can cause intoxication, as well as any other food, if they are cooked, or stored incorrectly.

Signs of intestinal poisoning can be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, episodic and spastic soreness in the abdomen. In some cases, these phenomena pass independently for several days, without the use of additional treatment. If after 1-2 days the condition is not normalized, but only worsened (for example, thirst, dizziness, urine darkened), you should immediately seek medical help.

Symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, blurred pronunciation can be signs of botulism - a relatively rare form of food intoxication that occurs after eating improperly preserved foods.

Poisoning by mold fungi

When intoxication with mold fungi, the clinical picture will depend on many factors: the type of fungus, the duration of its life in the body, the amount of toxic products released by it.

It is very dangerous to prolong inhalation of mold spores, which can be observed in damp areas and cellars. Poisoning in such cases increases gradually, sometimes - for several years: there are chronic respiratory diseases or allergic manifestations. Among the possible diseases:

  • bronchial asthma;
  • sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic cough;
  • severe migraine;
  • rash on the skin and mucous membranes.

The use of bread and other moldy foods also causes poisoning, which are manifested by signs of food intoxication:

  • nausea with vomiting;
  • digestive disorders, intestinal malfunction;
  • pain in the head, unmotivated fatigue, lowering of pressure;
  • soreness in the stomach and intestines.

If the mold appeared in the body in large quantities, then the development of mycosis, a disease associated with the widespread reproduction of its spores, is possible. In such cases, all organs and systems are affected, as well as cutaneous and mucous membranes.

Poisoning by tea mushroom

A tea fungus, a medusomycete, is a product of fermentation of acetic acid bacteria and a yeast fungus. The drink based on this fungus is considered very useful: it favorably affects the digestive processes, strengthens the defenses of the body, stabilizes the amount of cholesterol in the blood and even serves as a preventive measure for malignant tumors.

Despite the fact that such a drink is considered tasty and useful, its consumption in unreasonable amounts can lead to poisoning. Especially it concerns children, elderly people, and also those who are inclined to allergic reactions. A habitual drink can cause rashes on the skin, upset stomach, jaundice, as well as the development of metabolic acidosis - the so-called "acidification" of the body, which can lead to improper operation of most organs.

To avoid intoxication, it is necessary to adhere to the measure, consuming no more than 4 g of mushroom per day.

Poisoning with a bearish eye

Bear ears (aka bearberry) do not belong to mushroom cultures - this is a common medicinal plant, but we decided in this article to answer the fairly common question of our readers: is it possible to poison a bear's eye?

Preparations from bear ears are low-toxic. Numerous studies have shown that poisoning can be caused only by the hydroquinone substance contained in the plant - in theory it can provoke general excitement, trembling in the hands, the appearance of seizures, coma and even death. However, from practice, such cases are rare - taking conventional doses of a medicinal plant preparation can not cause poisoning.

Nevertheless, when using a lot of infusion from bear ears, irritation of the urinary and digestive system may develop. This condition can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and a loose stool. Most of all, it is not recommended to take funds based on this plant to pregnant women: bear ears, in addition to a diuretic and antiseptic effect, can provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus, which can eventually lead to premature termination of pregnancy.

Mushroom intoxication can occur due to the intake of toxic representatives of fungal cultures - these can be toadstools, or fly agarics, etc. In addition, it can be poisoned by using conditionally edible russules and stitches, as well as in violation of the technology of cooking mushroom dishes.

Symptoms of poisoning with fungi in children

Signs of poisoning in children are usually more pronounced, and intoxication progresses much faster. Already for 6-10 hours you can see the initial symptoms. The first to appear pain in the stomach, paroxysmal nausea, which goes into vomiting. The child looks weakened, pale, breathing shallow. Diarrhea may not be, but almost always there is a headache. In severe cases, jaundice may develop, indicating a toxic damage to the liver - this is a bad sign that can lead to death.

Poisoning with such a fungus as pale toadstool, in childhood almost always ends in death. Poisonous poisons are so strong that weakened children's body can not cope with intoxication. Symptoms can develop as in 30 minutes, and after 12 hours. In the abdomen there are very severe pain, there is uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth (the child is constantly asking to drink), cramps. The weakness grows, the voice becomes hoarse. All this time the baby is conscious. In severe cases, there are hallucinations, delusions and confusion.

When a child uses conditional-edible fungi, or mushroom dishes with insufficient treatment, the symptoms of poisoning manifests itself after about 4 hours. First, there is nausea, followed by diarrhea and vomiting. Such signs are not much different from the usual intestinal disorder.

Symptoms of poisoning with fungi during pregnancy

Poisoning with mushrooms is very dangerous for pregnant women, because toxic substances easily penetrate the future child through the placental barrier. In order to avoid poisoning, doctors always do not recommend eating mushrooms during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If you still did not resist and ate mushrooms, then you should pay attention to the following possible symptoms:

  • a sharp loss of appetite;
  • feeling of weakness and discomfort;
  • a slight nausea, eventually vomiting;
  • pain in the stomach, from aching to spastic;
  • diarrhea, increased gassing;
  • temperature increase (not an obligatory sign);
  • with severe poisoning - chills, pain in the head;
  • lowering of blood pressure, dizziness up to fainting.

Already with such symptoms it is strongly recommended to visit a doctor urgently, or even better - to call an ambulance. More severe signs of poisoning can be unpredictable: the consequences for the future mother and baby will be irreversible.

Symptoms of fungal poisoning are mostly quite specific - you can almost always understand what caused the intoxication. This allows you to consult a doctor in a timely manner and prevent adverse effects.

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