Poisoning pickles: symptoms, treatment

Food poisoning caused by homemade pickles and other preparations, is a rare phenomenon, but they are still there. The most common poisoning pickles that were canned at home. Why is this happening and what can be the cause of these intoxications should be considered in detail.

The causes of poisoning pickles

The preservation technology of fruits and vegetables at home is very different from industrial production of pickles. Housewife scalded cans in boiling water or douse ferry and fruits for canning only rinsed with running water. In such circumstances, to achieve perfect sterilization is simply not realistic. Consequences from the consumption of homemade pickles can be quite sad, especially with regard to canned vegetables. Poisoning cucumbers is much more common, others, and the reasons for this are several:

  1. The vegetables were pesticide – pesticides are actively used for pest control. And the more widely they are used in those farms, where the volume of grown product goes on sale. Pesticides tend to be vegetables and fruits, so purchase the fruits can be toxic.
  2. Vegetables are heavily fertilized and potassium or ammonium nitrate is often fertilize all vegetation types. Once in the ground, such compounds decompose and release nitrogen, which plants need for rapid growth. The larger the volume of fertilizer gets into the soil, the sooner you will grow vegetables and the larger they will be. This will allow you to gather several harvests per season, and the proceeds from the sale of large fruit. This technique is often used by careless farmers who literally fall asleep soil nitrate. In the end, the nitrates in large volume to accumulate in vegetables, and their consumption is very dangerous.
  3. The vegetables were bacteria – poorly washed fruits on the skin can contain pathogens, which include Staphylococcus and botulism. Subject to certain conditions, these bacteria produce poisonous toxins that leads to severe intoxication.
  4. Heavy metal salts – cucumber, which was grown near the road, can be salts of heavy metals, which include lead. Metals tend to accumulate in the body and cause poisoning.

The best fruits and vegetables are considered fruits from his garden. A crop of home grown only for their family, so treat the plants with nitrates and pesticides will not be.

Symptoms of poisoning

Signs of poisoning pickled cucumbers differ depending on the underlying cause. But the illness begins about the same and is expressed by such symptoms:

  • severe pain in the abdomen, pain appear several hours after eating pickles;
  • nausea and uncontrollable vomiting;
  • diarrhoea, although often the diarrhea occurs after subside vomiting;
  • dizziness, headache, low blood pressure;
  • General weakness, pallor and cold sweat;
  • by raising the temperature, this symptom is the main sign that the poisoning caused by pathogenic microorganisms.

In a short time to the total clinical picture is added characteristic symptoms of a particular toxicity.

If the overall health is deteriorating in the eyes, do not delay. The ambulance should be called immediately!

Symptoms of poisoning by nitrates

Intoxication by nitrates is manifested by the appearance in the blood of methemoglobin, which does not deliver oxygen. Due to this, in the body there is a strong deprivation of important organ systems. Mild poisoning by nitrates is manifested by such signs:

  1. Integuments acquire a bluish tint.
  2. Compounded by dizziness and pain in the neck.
  3. A little lost coordination.

If such poisoning is not to use radical methods of treatment, all the symptoms will resolve spontaneously within 1-2 days.

The average form of nitrate intoxication is manifested by increased blueness of skin and mucous membranes, a person wobbly gait, it is not connected, the patient is tormented by shortness of breath, possible fainting.

In severe poisoning with nitrates the skin and mucous membranes become of a pronounced blue color, develop disorders of the Central nervous system, the victim was very excited, but after a short time he falls into a stupor, and coma.

The symptoms of botulism

Infectious disease specialists often recorded cases of botulism which were caused by the consumption of canned pickles. Home canning is the ideal place for breeding bacteria botulism. This pathogenic microorganism is anaerobic, so it is propagated without the presence of oxygen and emit toxic gas. Symptoms of poisoning with botulinum toxin is happy specific:

  • disrupted eye, seeing double or dazzled;
  • observed spasm of the larynx, the patient very difficult to swallow;
  • there was a failure in the respiratory system, the victim is hard to breathe;
  • people overly excited and at the same time all group of muscles is veryweak;
  • possible full paralysis of the respiratory system that leads to death.

It is strictly forbidden to eat pickles, a jar of which is hollow. Also, do not use the preservation of a clouded or a whitish brine.

Sometimes people ask whether it is possible to poison store-bought pickles? Only if there was a violation of the production technology of conservation. The risks of poisoning preservation of home production is much higher.

Treatment of envenomation pickles

Poisoning pickles mild treatment as such does not requireenough to provide a standard aid in case of intoxication, consisting of a number of procedures, as listed below:

  • The stomach was washed with slightly pink solution of manganese or just clean water. Give the victim drink 3-4 glasses of water, then induce vomiting.
  • After rinse water is completely clean, give any adsorbent which is in the house: POLYSORB, APSCO, activated carbon.
  • If you experience severe diarrhea, perform intestinal lavage decoction of chamomile and give smektu.

If the human condition is very heavy, it shows the urgent hospitalization. In anticipation of the arrival of the doctor is required to collect all necessary things and take a slice of pickle, which used a patient, it is useful to determine the causative organism and determine the most appropriate treatment.

In hospital the victim perform such therapeutic procedures:

  • wash out the stomach;
  • perform forced diuresis;
  • intravenous preparations of sodium chloride, glucose, potassium, mixture of vitamin C;
  • if necessary, prescribe antibiotics, and taking into account laboratory tests.

If the poisoning caused the nitrates, intravenous methylene blue, to accelerate the decomposition of methemoglobin, and is administered intramuscularly with a large dose of vitamin C. When a pathogen is botulism, then shows the introduction of a special serum.

The consequences of poisoning

Mild poisoning effects, most likely, will not be any. People a few days will suffer diarrhea and gradually everything will pass. When the source of the disease is the toxin of botulism, it is much more complicated. Affects the important organs and systems, with the untimely assistance provided, the consequences can be:

  • blurred vision;
  • severe migraine headaches;
  • persistent indigestion;
  • chronic jaundice or pancreatitis.

The risk of complications is minimised if the victim brought to the hospital. After a week the patient about the botulism will resemble a slight discomfort and the entry in the medical record.

Prevention of poisoning pickles

To prevent poisoning pickles is easy, you only need to follow some rules, listed below:

  • Thoroughly wash cucumbers before canning at home, better to do it with warm water.
  • The fruit in jars pour boiling water several times, add enough salt and vinegar.
  • To buy only seasonal vegetables and fruits, such plants require less fertilizer during growth.
  • Not eating overdue conservation.
  • Not to acquire conservation in places of spontaneous trade.
  • If a jar of pickles hollow, the preservation of the right calf.
  • When growing cucumbers in the home not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers.

When you do not observe basic rules of hygiene, even loved by many cucumbers become dangerous. To preserve the health of yourself and your loved ones, you must buy products tested at the point of sale.