It's the season: truths and myths about food poisoning. Remedy for dehydration

Water is the second most important substance after oxygen, necessary for chemical and metabolic processes in the human body. That is why dehydration of the body can provoke the occurrence of various diseases and pathologies. Against this background, various endocrine, cardiovascular, muscular and mental diseases develop.

Causes of dehydration

Dehydration of the body is primarily caused by an excess of water being removed from it compared to its intake. Lack of water provokes the emergence of a variety of diseases. For example, water lubricates joints and participates in the processes of digestion and respiration, since human lungs need continuous hydration in order to free the blood from carbon dioxide and saturate it with oxygen.

Basically, dehydration occurs due to dry air that enters the lungs. The first reaction to this is increased urination, which means a significant loss of not only fluid, but also sodium chloride, which leads to disturbances in water-salt metabolism.

Blood that has lost the required amount of water decreases in volume and begins to circulate more slowly, which leads to excessive stress on the heart. Thus, the body loses the ability to get rid of excess heat in hot conditions and distribute it in cold times.

It has been established that the body needs up to 3 liters of fluid per day to maintain water balance, and in the hot season this amount increases. Therefore, its deficiency can provoke dehydration of the body. If the air temperature exceeds +35°C, the human body begins to heat up, especially during any physical activity. Maintaining a normal temperature and getting rid of excess heat is achieved through sweating. During this process, a person loses a lot of fluid, which must be restored. If the required amount of moisture is not restored, such losses lead to its deficiency.

The main reasons for lack of water in the human body are:

• Intense sweating;
• Increased urination;
• Severe nausea and vomiting;
• Acute diarrhea;
• Insufficient fluid intake caused by loss of appetite or vomiting.

Symptoms of dehydration

The first symptom of dehydration is, naturally, an increased feeling of thirst, however, it does not manifest itself in everyone from the very beginning of this pathological process. The surest sign of its presence is a change in the color and quantity of urine: if its volume has decreased significantly and the color has become dark yellow, this indicates a lack of fluid in the human body and the need to replenish it.

In addition, sure signs of dehydration are severe sweating at high temperatures and physical exertion, dark circles under the eyes, a noticeable decrease in activity, fatigue and various disturbances in the functioning of the senses.

It is known that a lack of fluid primarily has a negative effect on the brain, since it consists of 85% water. In conditions of its shortage, energy production in the brain sharply decreases, which greatly affects the senses. That is why among the symptoms of dehydration the following should be highlighted:

• Irritability and restlessness;
• Dejection and depression;
• Weakening of sexual desire;
• Heaviness in the head and headaches;
• Food addictions, cravings for alcohol, smoking and drugs.

All these signs of dehydration may indicate the initial stage of depression, which can trigger the development of chronic fatigue in a person. According to some experts, lack of water in the brain tissue is a direct cause of continuous social stress, accompanied by feelings of self-doubt, fear, anxiety and other emotional problems.

The most serious symptoms of dehydration that develop if the required amount of fluid is not restored are:

• General weakness;
• Confusion leading to fainting;
• Grayness and flabbiness of the skin;
• Convulsions;
• Tachycardia.

These indicators of water deficiency, left unattended, often lead to complications such as kidney damage, shock, and even death.

Treatment of dehydration

Experts note that dehydration is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, regardless of activity level and health status, it is necessary to drink the maximum amount of fluid throughout the day. The risk group primarily includes young children and older people, especially with attacks of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Treatment for dehydration involves drinking water constantly, but if you lose electrolytes, you need to replace the lack of sodium and potassium. To restore salts, there are special formulations such as glucosolan or citraglucosolan, which can be used both for prevention and for mild dehydration. It is recommended to add a little salt to your drinking water during or after heavy physical activity. However, this method is considered effective only if you drink a lot of water during the day.

When fluid deficiency leads to a significant decrease in blood pressure, which poses a threat to life, solutions containing sodium chloride are administered intravenously. In addition, to treat dehydration, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that provoked it. For example, for diarrhea, in addition to restoring the required amount of water, you should take medications that correct stool. If the kidneys excrete a lot of water, treatment with a synthetic hormone may be needed.

After eliminating the cause of dehydration, it is necessary to monitor fluid intake and prevent relapses. To do this, it is recommended for an adult to drink at least 2-3 liters of water daily, especially in hot weather and during significant physical activity.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are symptoms of many infectious diseases that affect the digestive system, as well as poisoning. With high intensity vomiting and diarrhea, the patient's body can lose a large amount of fluid, which leads to the development of dehydration.

Health care professionals define dehydration as too much fluid loss. This condition develops not only with diarrhea and vomiting; high temperature, profuse sweating, thirst and other factors can also lead to it. Dehydration can affect people of any gender and age, but it is especially dangerous for young children and the elderly.

The reasons for increased fluid loss may be different, but still the most common cause of dehydration is diarrhea and vomiting due to infectious pathologies. Taking certain medications can only worsen the problem.

Signs of dehydration with diarrhea

A very alarming symptom in a diagnostic sense is rapid weight loss. It can amount to several kilograms in 3-4 days. Losing weight by more than 10% of the original weight is considered very severe. The main manifestations of dehydration during diarrhea are signs of a lack of moisture in the body. Severe dehydration can lead to fluid imbalance, kidney failure, and other serious consequences that pose a threat to health and life.

The first symptoms of dehydration are usually weakness, dry mouth, increased viscosity and stringiness of saliva, and change in the color of urine.

For mild to moderate pathology The following symptoms may be observed:

• increased thirst;
• reduction in the amount of tear fluid;
• dry skin and mucous membranes;
• lethargy, drowsiness, apathy;
• dizziness.

Symptoms of severe dehydration similar, but more pronounced:

• strong, unbearable thirst;
• children may experience excessive fussiness or, conversely, drowsiness;
• drying of mucous membranes and skin;
• "dry" crying;
• sunken eyes;
• urine becomes dark in color, its amount decreases significantly;
• In infants, the fontanelle sinks;
• blood pressure decreases noticeably;
• heartbeat and breathing rate increase;
• sweat production decreases, which can lead to an increase in temperature;
• Often patients become irritable, their consciousness may become confused;
• in particularly severe cases, loss of consciousness and death may occur.

In the early stages, in addition to thirst and other subjective sensations, the development of dehydration may be indicated by a change in the color of urine, that is, its darkening. If you have obvious symptoms of dehydration, especially with diarrhea, fever and vomiting, you should definitely seek medical help.

Dehydration due to diarrhea in a child

Dehydration due to diarrhea is especially dangerous for young children, since in infants all symptoms develop very quickly. A baby under 6 months of age should drink about a liter of water per day. This amount includes not only liquid in the form of juices, teas and other drinks, but also water present in fruits, vegetables and other foods. A healthy child should be offered water periodically.

But diarrhea and vomiting can cause rapid dehydration, since large amounts of fluid are released along with feces and vomit. High temperature can aggravate the situation. Therefore, in case of any illness, young children require increased attention. If your child experiences dark urine, a decrease in urine quantity, or dry lips and skin, you should call your doctor. Severe repeated vomiting and diarrhea in themselves are a reason to call specialists.

Regularly pouring a small (1-2 spoons) amount of water into the baby’s mouth will help prevent the development of dehydration during diarrhea. This needs to be done every 10 minutes. Such measures replenish fluid loss and do not provoke repeated vomiting. Breastfeeding women can be advised to put their baby to the breast as often as possible, even if the mother is also showing signs of illness. After all, in this case, antibodies against pathogenic microorganisms will be present in mother's milk. After an attack of vomiting, the baby can be breastfed only after some time, so as not to cause a new attack. During treatment for diarrhea, dairy products, prunes, beets and other similar products are excluded from the diet.

Calling an ambulance is necessary if the following signs of dehydration with diarrhea are observed:

• diarrhea and vomiting last more than 5-6 hours;
• the baby cries a lot, is capricious, and becomes drowsy and apathetic;
• the child’s lips become dry and cracked;
• the skin dries out and loses its normal elasticity;
• the number of urinations decreases significantly.

How to avoid dehydration with diarrhea

In order to prevent the development of dehydration, it is necessary to begin introducing fluid into the body at the first sign of its appearance. In a medical facility, special droppers can be placed to replenish the amount of fluid in the body. At home, you should try to give the sick person more liquid, but if vomiting, single portions should be very small. When vomiting and diarrhea, a person can be given a water-salt solution to prevent dehydration. It is easy to prepare at home. To do this, you will need salt and sugar, which are added to clean water. In this case, water can be mixed 1:1 with orange juice. Pharmacies also sell special powders for preparing such a solution, for example, rehydron.

Medicine for dehydration and diarrhea

Treatment of dehydration due to diarrhea consists of replenishing the amount of fluid in the body and restoring the water-salt balance. The treatment regimen can be adjusted depending on the severity of the pathology, its causes and the age of the patient.

The most common and effective drug prescribed for rehydration is Regidron and its analogues. This solution contains potassium and sodium, which help normalize the balance of electrolytes in the body. You can prepare a similar solution yourself at home. To do this, you need to dissolve 6 small spoons of sugar and 1 spoon of salt in a liter of clean water. When administered, the solution should be at room temperature. Give the child a small spoonful of water every few minutes. If he vomits, then you need to pause, and give the next portion of the solution only after 30-45 minutes. A solution of rehydron or salt and sugar cannot be stored for a long time. Do not stop breastfeeding if young children become dehydrated. In addition, you definitely need to reconsider your diet.

Treatment of dehydration in adults includes fluid replenishment, but it is better to give preference to plain water. For diarrhea and diarrhea, it is also recommended to take a rehydrating solution. Severe forms of dehydration in both adults and children are treated in a hospital setting with intravenous fluids.

Every person needs water for normal functioning of the body. The liquid transports necessary substances to the tissues and cells of the body and plays an important role in the process of digestion and thermoregulation. Lack of moisture can lead to dangerous consequences. The topic of the article is dehydration, symptoms and treatment of the condition.

What is a phenomenon?

The human body contains sixty percent fluid. If you lose even 2% of water, your health worsens. In addition, mood drops, there is a lack of energy, and the functioning of various organs and systems is disrupted. Mental activity suffers. The heart muscle functions poorly. Dehydration and symptoms of pathology are observed in cases where the human body spends more fluid than it consumes.

The most susceptible to this condition are minors, elderly people, and patients suffering from serious illnesses. For them, dehydration is especially dangerous and often leads to death.

The mechanism of pathology development

Before talking about dehydration, symptoms and treatment of the disease, you should first find out how dehydration occurs. It is known that a person is able to exist without liquid for three to ten days. However, these indicators vary depending on weather conditions, physical activity and the emotional background of the individual. Dehydration in itself is not a disease. But it appears as a complication of diseases.

Dehydration and the symptoms of this condition pose a threat to both adults and children. If for certain reasons the human body lacks fluid, it begins to take it from the body tissues. Consequently, the amount of urine excreted is reduced and the individual sweats less. In severe cases of the disease, the cells of the brain and other organs decrease in volume. The result of this process can be coma and other serious disorders.

Causes of dehydration

Factors that can cause this condition include:

• Diseases accompanied by high fever.
• Diabetes.
• Consequences of intoxication.
• Infectious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, which are accompanied by severe diarrhea and bouts of vomiting.
• Loss of a large volume of blood due to mechanical damage, wounds, dysfunction of the female reproductive organs.
• Prolonged exposure to the sun in hot weather.
• Heavy sweating due to intense exercise.

• Heatstroke.
• Lack of food or fluid.
• Excessive use of drugs that cause frequent urination.
• Burn.
• Addison's disease.
• Cancer pathologies.
• Abuse of alcohol-containing products, sweets, and drinks containing caffeine.

Symptoms of dehydration in adults and children depend on the severity of the disease.

Stages of dehydration

There are several stages of the condition:

1. Mild degree (it is diagnosed when there is a loss of no more than 3 percent of moisture and does not pose a threat to the patient’s life).
2. Average (shortage of 6% water).
3. Severe form (fluid deficiency is 9%). The patient's life is at risk and he needs medical care in a hospital setting.
4. Critical (loss of 10 percent of moisture, in many cases ending in death).

General signs characteristic of dehydration

Regardless of the reason that provoked this phenomenon, the following symptoms of dehydration are observed:

• Feeling the need to drink fluids.
• Feeling of dryness in the mouth.
• Decreased urine and sweat output.
• Dark skin tone under the eyes.
• Severe dizziness.
• Brokenness.
• Dark yellow coloration of urine.
• Headache.
• Decreased skin tone.
• Disorders of consciousness.
• Decrease in blood pressure.
• Loss of body weight (observed in rare cases).
• High fever (most common in children).

It should be noted that when the body is dehydrated, the symptoms in adults and minors are almost the same.

Signs of mild dehydration

This condition is characterized by the following manifestations:

• Feeling of dryness in the mouth.
• Feeling the need for fluid.
• Thick saliva.
• Loss of appetite.
• Reducing the amount of urine.
• Feeling overwhelmed and tired.
• The appearance of weakness in the muscles.
• Unpleasant sensations in joints and bones.
• Retention of stool.
• Discomfort in the upper part of the peritoneum.
• Flabbiness and grayish tint of the skin.
• Headache.

When the body is dehydrated, the symptoms indicated above indicate that a person urgently needs to take measures to restore fluid balance. If this does not happen, the disease can move to the next stage.

Moderate dehydration

This condition provokes dysfunction of several organs and systems. The malaise manifests itself in this way:

• The patient experiences an acceleration in heart rate.
• The breathing process is disrupted even in the absence of physical activity.
• Body temperature is greatly elevated. Antipyretic drugs are not able to reduce it.
• Urine production is suspended for 12 hours.

Signs of severe dehydration

If the body is severely dehydrated, the patient will experience the following symptoms:

• Feeling nauseous.
• Exhausting vomiting.
• Disorder of consciousness.
• Wrinkling of the skin.

Severe dehydration leads to impaired blood supply. This situation is very dangerous.

Consequences that pose a threat to the patient’s life

Dehydration can cause the following disorders in the body:

• Disorder of the functions of the urinary system.
• State of shock. The pathology is characterized by a pale tint of the skin, accelerated breathing, sweating, and loss of consciousness.
• Fatal outcome in the absence of adequate therapy.

Consequences of chronic water shortage

The lack of fluid can be acute. However, its symptoms are pronounced. However, it happens that a person experiences a slight lack of water, but it is constantly present. And although severe discomfort is not observed in this case, the condition is dangerous because it provokes serious complications. The consequences can be listed:

• Disorders of the functions of the digestive system.
• Strong fluctuations in blood pressure.
• Rapid aging process in adults.
• Poor functioning of the immune system.
• Pathologies of the liver, urinary organs, joints and bones.
• The development of diseases such as sclerosis, shaking palsy, cancer, senile dementia.
• Problems with conception.

Signs from the nervous system

Continuing to talk about what symptoms of dehydration are noted first, it is worth noting that this condition has a negative impact on the emotional sphere and mental abilities of the individual. In this case, the following pathological phenomena occur:

• Fatigue.
• Nervousness and aggressiveness.
• Lack of energy.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Deterioration in sleep quality.
• Difficulty doing mental work.
• Feeling the need to consume products containing caffeine and ethyl alcohol. These drinks are known to increase dehydration. Therefore, craving for them is a signal from the brain that a person needs water.
• Dreams in which seas, rivers or lakes are present.

These signs are characteristic of chronic dehydration. They indicate that as a result of illness or poor lifestyle, a person does not receive enough fluid.

Dehydration in an expectant mother

Symptoms of dehydration in women often occur during pregnancy.

They are caused by the following reasons:

• Excessive physical activity and insufficient fluid intake.
• Diarrhea and vomiting as a result of intestinal infections, toxicosis or poisoning from spoiled foods.
• Traveling by plane. Dehydration in this case is caused by a refusal to drink a normal amount of water due to the inability to visit the bathroom on time (in pregnant women, urination is very frequent). In addition, low levels of air humidity disrupt the fluid balance in a woman’s body.
• Overheating and prolonged exposure to the sun.

It is important for the expectant mother to drink enough water. After all, malaise can affect not only her well-being, but also the condition of the fetus.

Dehydration in minors

The following are observed:

• Dry skin, lips and tongue.
• No tears.
• Increased fatigue. The baby becomes lethargic and does not show activity.
• Decreased amount of urine.
• Loss of appetite.
• High temperature and increased heart rate.

If parents notice the appearance of these symptoms in a child, they urgently need to call an ambulance. Indeed, for minors, dehydration is especially dangerous and can quickly lead to death.

How to alleviate the patient's condition?

Assistance activities include the following:

• The person must be laid on a flat surface.
• It is advisable that it be located in a cool room in which air circulates well. It is recommended to remove or unbutton clothes.
• The patient is given drinks often, but in small portions, in small sips. Plain water, mineral water, and frozen juice help restore fluid balance in the body.
• You should use special products (“Regidron”, “Orasan”, “Hydrovit”).
• A wet cloth is applied to the forehead. It is advisable to take a shower. If this is not possible, wipe your body and face with cool water.

Sometimes dehydration can be a consequence of frequent and loose stools. This occurs as a result of intestinal infection or intoxication with spoiled foods. If dehydration occurs due to diarrhea, the symptoms of this condition are alleviated by taking medications that stop diarrhea and the activity of viruses.

How to prevent the development of pathology?

To avoid dehydration, you need to:

• Avoid exercising in hot weather.
• Do not stay in the sun for a long time.
• Don't get carried away with sugar and alcoholic drinks.
• Don't forget about proper drinking regimen.

When talking about dehydration, symptoms in adults and treatment of this condition, it should be added that moderate and severe pathology requires treatment in a hospital setting. Signs of mild dehydration can be managed on your own.

Summer heat is a harsh test for the body, which often leads to dehydration. And this is fraught with more serious illnesses. How to recognize it in the early stages? What to do at the first symptoms? What should you eat if you are dehydrated? Let's figure it out together.

Who is guilty

The most common cause of dehydration in the summer is food poisoning with inevitable vomiting and diarrhea. Strenuous physical activity also causes excessive fluid loss. Overheating in the sun, poor drinking habits and frequent urination lead to the same result.

The first symptoms of dehydration are dry mouth, viscous saliva, high fever and nausea. They are accompanied by fatigue, drowsiness, poor appetite and unquenchable thirst. What are the dangers of dehydration? First of all, metabolic disorders. After all, water delivers vital elements to all organs. And with its deficiency, malfunctions in the functioning of all systems begin, toxins are eliminated worse, cells are destroyed and the immune system weakens.

Life-giving cocktails

The danger of dehydration is especially great for children and the elderly, as well as for those with diabetes, kidney and heart disease. In the early stages, it is easiest to restore water balance. To do this, you need to drink at least 2 liters of regular or mineral water without gas per day.

What should you drink if your body is dehydrated and has become serious? Special saline solutions that are available in any pharmacy. However, they can be made at home. Dilute ½ tsp in a liter of boiled water. soda, 1 tsp. salt and 2-4 tbsp. l. Sahara. For another folk recipe, take 250 ml of orange juice, stir ½ tsp in it. salt, 1 tsp. soda and bring the volume to 1 liter with water. Take these drugs 200 ml in small sips 3 times a day.

Salvation Army

It is important to know not only what to drink when you are dehydrated, but also what to eat. And here, summer vegetables are ahead of all products. For example, 85% consists of water, and its pulp is saturated with vitamins A, C, K, as well as potassium, magnesium, zinc and folic acid. This striking combination improves metabolism, nourishes the heart and normalizes sugar levels.

Cucumber contains even more invaluable moisture. But its main advantage is the abundance of fiber and special enzymes that stimulate digestion. In addition, cucumber protects the skin from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. That's why it makes the healthiest summer salads and cosmetic masks. When dehydrated, it is also helpful to lean on spinach, celery, radishes, cabbage and tomatoes.

Healing with fruits

Considering that the cause of dehydration is a lack of fluid and vitamins, you can replenish their loss with the help of fruits and berries. In this regard, it is most beneficial if it consists of more than 90% water. In addition, it is rich in antioxidants, which protect cells from destruction.

Any citrus fruit is an invaluable gift for the body when there is a lack of moisture. Their juicy pulp gushes with vitamins A, C and E, essential for good health. To get the full amount, it's best to make a smoothie. In a blender, beat 150 g of pitted apricots, 200 ml of yogurt, 250 ml of orange juice and 1 tsp. vanilla sugar. And if you are dehydrated, it is recommended to include apples, plums, kiwis and any berries in your diet.

Fermented milk therapy

Fermented milk products will help you heal as soon as possible and completely avoid dehydration. The undisputed champion in this area is medium-fat kefir. It quickly restores the disturbed intestinal microflora and tones the rest of the digestive organs. Kefir has been proven to combat fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps and excessive sweating.

Greek yogurt is not inferior to it in beneficial properties. Lactic acid bacteria are a powerful nourishment for a broken digestive system and a weakened immune system. A balanced combination of proteins and carbohydrates not only saturates the body with energy, but also normalizes metabolic processes. Ripe strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries will help enhance their effect.

From the world by thread

There are several other foods that are helpful in preventing dehydration. First of all, these are beans with its very successful set of elements. Iron improves the flow of oxygen to cells, zinc improves carbohydrate metabolism, and sulfur prevents intestinal infections.

Being a generous source of slow carbohydrates, buckwheat is great for reducing energy loss. Its active substances stimulate hematopoiesis and increase the elasticity of blood vessels. In addition, the body absorbs buckwheat easily, thereby receiving a colossal supply of vitamins.

There are reasons to include eggs in the treatment menu, which improve the functioning of the liver and bile ducts. The abundance of iron combined with vitamin E helps to quickly restore strength. In addition, eggs protect the skin from UV rays, keeping it youthful.

Remember, the best treatment for dehydration is prevention. Drink more fluids, eat right, and spend less time in the hot sun without protection. And if alarming symptoms cannot be overcome, consult a doctor immediately.

Everyone knows about the benefits of water, but sometimes we have no idea about its lack in the body. Meanwhile, Bad mood, anxiety, depression, insomnia - these are perhaps the most harmless manifestations of dehydration, which is caused by the lack of habit of drinking water.

Dehydration is a state of lack of water necessary for chemical and metabolic processes that do not stop for a moment throughout our lives.

The human body primarily consists of water, but most of it cannot participate in vital ongoing processes that require only fresh water. The “old” one, drunk yesterday and even a few hours ago, has become history.

Water is the second most important substance necessary for life after oxygen. Water deficiency causes severe stress, changing hormonal balance, increasing blood concentration and body acidity.

Stress often triggers irreversible processes in the development of mental, cardiac, endocrine, and cancer diseases, destroys cells of the spinal cord, brain, and bone tissue, which leads to osteoporosis.

Pain is a sure sign of dehydration

Doctor and scientist Fereydoun Batmanghelidj, author of the book “Your Body Is Asking for Water,” who has devoted more than 20 years to studying water metabolism and the phenomenon of pain, considers pain a true, but ignored sign of a lack of water in the body.

If the pain is not a consequence of injury or infection, then it is a signal of water deficiency in the place where it occurred.

Pain is the body's cry about the lack of water to flush out the area affected by dehydration of toxins and increased acidity, which are metabolic products.

Nerve cells detect and transmit changes in the chemical environment in the affected area. The brain tries to tell us about the problem through pain.

Critical signs of dehydration:

• heartburn,
• dyspepsia (digestive disorder when the stomach is “stuck”),
• back pain,
• rheumatoid joint pain,
• pain in legs when walking,
• muscle pain,
• pain with colitis and constipation,
• pain in the heart area,
• morning sickness and vomiting during pregnancy indicates thirst of the fetus and mother,
• bad breath,
• talking in your sleep.

F. Batmanghelidj, during his medical practice, proved that sufficient water consumption can get rid of pain and the causes of many ailments.

Thirst for the brain will turn into depression

When water supplies are depleted, the brain, which consists of 85% water, is the most dehydrated; nine trillion of its cells constantly need it. In conditions of water shortage, the amount of energy sharply decreases, which is reflected, first of all, on the sense organs, forming in them

Sensory signs of thirst:

• untimely fatigue,
• anxiety,
• irritability,
• flushed face,
• depression,
• heaviness in the head
• despondency,
• weakening of sexual desire,
• agoraphobia (fear of open spaces),
• food addictions,
• craving for alcohol, smoking, drugs.

These signs may indicate the early stages of depression. A person, faced with an emotional problem, becomes fixated on it; he is unable to perceive any other information and respond to it with the necessary actions.

Problems consume him so much that for some period of time sober thinking and normal behavior are absent.

Of such kind ineffectiveness of actions is called depression, which can become a prerequisite for chronic fatigue.

Dr. Batmanghelidj's advice:

If you get out of bed in the morning and start your daily life, it means your body and brain are dehydrated. The best tonic for the brain is a glass of clean water, which can bring the brain out of apathy in just a couple of minutes.

According to Batmanghelidj's theory, a lack of water in brain tissue provokes constant social stress, which is accompanied by feelings of fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and frequent family and emotional problems.

All-consuming emotional and mental activity is necessary for a person; it contributes to the formation of personality, shapes and strengthens character, and develops the ability to cope with one’s own negative emotions.

Usually short-term, it passes quickly if you are surrounded by care, love and mutual understanding, which help resolve any conflicts.

However, recently the number of people falling into long-term depression due to life difficulties has increased. The help of antidepressant medications is very doubtful; they are becoming less and less safe for the psyche, and have side effects in the form of a negative perception of the world, loss of empathy for others and for oneself, and thoughts of suicide.

The mechanism of stress during dehydration. What depletes the body's reserves

When there is a shortage of water in the body, it has to work in emergency mode: launch physiological processes, as with any other stress, mobilize all its reserves and use up water reserves.

Thus, a chain of events is observed:

dehydration - stress - consumption of water reserves - further dehydration.

In any stressful situation, the human body prepares for active action - to fight or flee. He cannot explain the fact that modern man has no one to run from and no one to fight with. Reactions inherent at the genetic level always work: either run or fight. Moreover, they work no matter where: at work, at home or in transport.

This happens:

• release of powerful hormones that remain “combat ready” throughout stress (endorphins, prolactin, vasopressin),
• release of cortisone
• activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).

Endorphin. This natural drug or joy hormone maintains a high concentration in the blood during all times of stress. Endorphins increase the pain threshold: if an injury occurs, the person does not feel the fullness of the pain at first, which allows him to take the necessary actions to save himself. In women, endorphins are activated more often in connection with menstruation and childbirth. This explains their better resistance to stress and pain, as well as a higher predisposition to alcoholism (more on this later).

Prolactin is responsible for the production of breast milk in a nursing woman; it is produced in all species of mammals. Thanks to this hormone, milk is produced even under conditions of stress, leading to dehydration of the mother's body. Prolactin is similar to growth hormones in many ways, but its main target is the reproductive organs.

Scientists have made a sensational conclusion: Dehydration is one of the main causes of cancer development. The risk group consists of people who are in a state of long-term depression: Excessive production of prolactin provokes the development of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Strange as it may sound, an effective prevention of this terrible disease is the habit of regularly drinking water, especially when under stress.

An increase in prolactin in the body, which means the development of cancerous tumors, can also occur under the influence of aspartame: a sugar substitute found in more than 5,000 products.

Vasopressin- a hormone produced by the pituitary gland is involved in the rational distribution of water.

In conditions of dehydration, vasopressin primarily provides water to the cells of the brain, nerves, kidneys, and liver. To do this, it constricts the blood vessels, forcibly taking water from them, which increases the viscosity of the blood.

In addition, vasopressin increases the concentration of urine, forcing the kidneys to retain water. Thanks to vasopressin, the adrenal glands during stress synthesize powerful anti-inflammatory agents (cortisol, cortisone, etc.), which increase pressure on the kidneys a thousand times. Salt retention in the kidneys occurs, and the volume of extracellular water and its influx into the most important cells increases.

If vasopressin levels are low, general dehydration occurs, including the most important brain cells. The production of vasopressin is significantly suppressed by alcohol, caffeine-containing drinks, tea and coffee.

Alcohol under stress conditions, it reduces the production of vasopressin, the body has to intensively produce other anti-stress hormones, including endorphins. When women become dehydrated while drinking alcohol, the risk of developing chronic alcoholism increases.

This is due to their natural tendency to increase the synthesis of endorphins during menstruation and childbirth.

Women only need 3 years to become completely dependent on alcohol; men usually need seven years.

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is activated in the kidneys when the body’s reserves of water and salt decrease, the lack of which leads to dehydration.

The RAS stimulates increased salt intake to induce thirst and thus water consumption. RAS, like vasopressin, causes a narrowing of capillaries and blood vessels, squeezing out all the fluid from them for more important organs.

Lack of salt in the body leads to a destructive lack of water in the extracellular space, contributes to increased blood pressure and the development of chronic diseases. When there is a deficiency of salt, the salivary glands produce kinins - substances that stimulate increased salivation in the salivary glands, and also activate the RAS.

Warning signs of dehydration are

• high blood pressure,
• vasoconstriction (headache),
• dry mouth.

What are the risks of replacing water with tea, coffee and carbonated drinks?

These drinks contain natural stimulants of the nervous system: caffeine and theophylline. They have a strong diuretic effect and worsen dehydration. Caffeine content per cup: coffee - 85 mg, tea or cola - approximately 50 mg.

Caffeine releases energy even when the body does not need it at all. By constantly replacing water with caffeine-containing drinks, the body is deprived of the ability to generate hydroelectric energy necessary for normal functioning.

Excess caffeine undermines health and leads to:

• to the inability of prolonged concentration of attention in young people,
• to chronic fatigue,
• inhibits memory development and learning processes,
• impairs vision,
• depletes the heart muscle
• disrupts the functioning of the heart and blood vessels,
• provokes gastrointestinal diseases, allergies, cancer,
• destruction of nerve tissue occurs at a rate exceeding their natural regeneration. Externally, this process manifests itself in the form of chronic fatigue and multiple sclerosis.

Thus,
Causes of chronic unintentional dehydration include:

• lack of feeling of thirst and desire to drink water, which steadily weaken after 20 years,
• replacing water with drinks.

The era of evolution has “rewarded” us with a reduced sense of thirst. We kill it completely by drinking drinks instead of water that satisfy the feeling, but not the need for water itself. Daily water intake: 20 ml - per 1 kg of weight. If you lead an active lifestyle or are losing weight, then the norm is 30 ml per kilogram.

The consequence of dehydration is always a weak immune system. This is a forced measure of the body, which devotes all its reserves to providing water to the most important organs. He has no time to fight infections and DNA damage if the brain is thirsty.

With the elimination of dehydration, the immune system is restored and easily copes with the causes of illnesses and even cancer.

The outstanding doctor and scientist Batmanghelidj is confident, and I completely agree with him:

Without changing your lifestyle, you cannot improve your health. Any pain indicates that we are living incorrectly. Traditional medicines are not able to cure; they only suppress diseases, but do not remove the causes. If you rely on medications, you can lose precious time and health. By drinking the required amount of water, the body is able to cleanse itself and improve its health within a few months.

Think of water as a healing liquid that gives life. Dissolve all your worries and ailments in it.

One of thousands of reviews:

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I also appreciate getting rid of my addiction to caffeine and sugar. I am filled with energy and a thirst for life. I had forgotten what the energy crash that usually follows caffeine-induced energy was like. Having broken out of the vicious circle, I became calmer, more balanced and much more productive at work, I began to look at things more optimistically and be more attentive to the natural rhythms of my body, which I previously drowned out with caffeine.
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Each of our bodies consists of approximately 80% liquid.. Blood, most organs, the spinal cord and brain, eyes, and every cell of the body mostly consists of water, so the lack of this vital fluid inevitably leads to disruptions in the functioning of all processes in the body.

What is dehydration? Dehydration or dehydration is an unhealthy state of the body that results in a large loss of fluid in the human body, which is not replenished with the required amount of water.

Unfortunately, absolutely no one is immune from dehydration, but high-risk groups include the elderly, children, and patients with any chronic diseases.

This article will help you understand why dehydration can occur, how it manifests itself, what it leads to, and, most importantly, how to best treat dehydration at home.

Causes

Why does dehydration occur? Fluid loss can occur as a result of various factors:

Loss of 20-25% of water can be fatal, both in hot and cold weather.

Some doctors consider water only as a medium that dissolves and transports various substances, and think that any drinks are suitable for replenishing this fluid.

Therefore, to the simple question of what kind of water is healthier to drink, doctors answer: any, and as much as possible. However, this is not at all true.

Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, alcoholic drinks, beer contain not only water, but also other components that dehydrate the body. It has been scientifically proven that when consuming them, the human body does not gain water, but loses it.

Consequently, with regular consumption of these drinks, completely unnoticed, our body comes to a state of dehydration.

Let's give a simple example. Most of us treat a cold or fever with medicinal hot tea, but in reality this drink does more to promote fluid loss in the body. This occurs as a result of sweating.

To feel better in this state, it is better to simply drink hot water dissolved with a pinch of rock salt.

Dehydration due to medication use

In order for the body to absorb any medical drug (chemical substance), it is necessary to spend a certain amount of water, and this leads to even greater dehydration.

In addition, a disappointing trend can currently be observed - approximately 90% of medications are prescribed and used without reasonable justification (a person is fighting not the cause of the disease, but its consequence), which further worsens the person’s health.

Degrees of dehydration:

• light (5-6% of water or 1-2 liters lost);
• average (6-10% or 2-4 liters of water lost);
• severe (lost 10% or more than 4 liters of water);
• acute dehydration (more than 10 liters of water lost) - this degree of dehydration can be fatal.

Types of dehydration:

• isotonic (the composition of salt in the blood is normal);
• hypertensive (increased level of blood salts);
• hypotonic (low blood salt level).

How does dehydration manifest? The symptoms of this disease can be distinguished based on the severity of its manifestations.

Thus, the symptoms of dehydration are:

In addition to noticeable changes in physical health, dehydration also affects the psychological state of the patient.

Fatigue for no apparent reason. Water is the main source of energy in the body. Food has no value until all the nutrients it contains undergo hydrolysis.

Hot temper, irritability. Irritability is a kind of maneuver, an attempt by the brain not to perform work that requires a lot of energy. Interestingly, if an irritable person drinks a couple of glasses of water, he will calm down much faster.

Fears,anxiety. With the help of a feeling of anxiety, the brain gives a signal about a severe lack of water.

Dejection, depression. Dehydration leads to a rapid depletion of amino acids, and this, in turn, can cause not just a bad mood, but even a feeling of despondency.

Depression. Water deficiency inevitably causes a deficiency of dopamine, epinephrine and norepnephrine, which can cause melancholy and depression.

Lethargy. This is a signal that you should drink water for normal brain function.

Restless sleep. If the body is in a state of dehydration, you should not even count on a restful, healthy sleep. A full night's sleep can lead to even greater dehydration, since a considerable amount of water is lost through sweat (while sleeping under the covers).

If you give the body water with a small amount of salt, the quality of sleep will immediately return to normal.

Unreasonable impatience. For normal functioning, the brain has to spend a lot of energy. If there is clearly not enough energy, the brain usually tries to finish the work as quickly as possible. This brain trick is often called “impatience.”

Inattention. The more saturated the brain is with water, the more energy it is allowed to spend on accumulating information in the memory departments. In exactly the same way, dehydration leads to lack of attention in children addicted to sweet soda.

Shortness of breath that is not due to infection or pulmonary disease. People who love physical activity are required to consume the required amount of water.

Strong cravings for drinks such as coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated drinks. This way your brain informs you that you need water.

These often uncontrollable desires are based on a conditioned reflex that connects replenishing water reserves with the consumption of the above drinks, which, as we have already said, actually lead to much greater dehydration.

Dreams about rivers, seas or other bodies of water- This is a form of unconscious expression of the need to quench thirst. The brain specifically creates dreams of this kind to encourage a person to quench his thirst, even during deep sleep.

Dehydration in a child almost always results in a decrease in the child’s activity. Therefore, parents, be observant!

Home dehydration test

Complications of dehydration

What are the dangers of dehydration in the human body? Possible complications include:

• shock (the skin is pale, breathing quickens, cold sweat appears, the skin becomes sticky, the pulse quickens, then slows down, the person loses consciousness);
• kidney damage;
• Dehydration can be fatal, especially in the case of infectious diseases and weakened immunity.

Consequences

What does dehydration lead to, both in adults and children? As dehydration increases, with prolonged fluid deficiency, there is a gradual decrease in the volume of fluid inside the cells.

What are the dangers of dehydration?

The consequence of severe, prolonged dehydration is the development or exacerbation of various immunodeficiency pathologies: chronic bronchitis, asthma, lupus erythematosus.

Multiple sclerosis is manifesting itself with renewed vigor, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are intensifying. There is a high probability of developing cancer, and infertility may occur.

For moderate dehydration, the patient should be placed on a bed in a fresh, cool room and given water to drink in small sips or through a straw.

Why is it recommended to drink this way? This is the only way to more effectively restore the required fluid concentration in the body.

If it is not possible to place the patient in a room with air conditioning, be sure to place him in the shade. Wrap your body in a damp sheet or pour cool water over it.

It is important to remember that a sudden loss of a large amount of water, or its presence in a negligible amount, greatly increases the feeling of thirst, however, if you start drinking water immoderately, there is a high probability of severe swelling, and, in some cases, even death.

What should you drink if you are dehydrated? Prepare this solution: in one liter of warm water, dissolve one teaspoon of sugar, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and half a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Why do you need sugar, salt, juice? It is necessary not only to replenish the loss of water, but also potassium, salts, and sodium. Sugar is necessary for better absorption of salt and water.

To restore water and salt balance, you can use sports drinks or special electrolytes purchased at the pharmacy. Frozen ice water or juice is also a good tonic for the body.

Maintain a simple diet until all symptoms of dehydration go away.. When dehydration occurs, it is recommended to consume foods that contain potassium and sodium. These include tomatoes, raisins, green vegetables, nuts, potatoes, bananas, citrus fruits.

Light vegetable broths will be very useful. Over time, when signs of dehydration pass, drink about two liters of clean water daily.

If your job involves physical labor, or your body temperature is elevated, the volume of fluid you absorb should be increased.

It is useful to drink a glass of water immediately after waking up, 30 minutes before meals and an hour and a half after meals.. However, you need to drink water slowly, in small sips.

If you drink enough and regularly, your body will register a lack of water at the right time and you will feel thirsty. But at the same time, avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, tea and carbonated drinks.

If alarming signs of dehydration persist for a long time, you should consult a doctor.. A specialist can determine the exact cause of dehydration, and if the patient does not drink water due to vomiting, he will restore the balance of water in the body by administering electrolytes through a vein.

Dehydration - symptoms and what to do

How to get rid of dehydration? It turns out that many fruits contain a large amount of liquid, and therefore they can become excellent protectors of the body from dehydration.

At the first sign of dehydration, try to eat as many juicy fruits and vegetables as possible. According to some studies, such products hydrate the body twice as much as a glass of pure water.

Watery vegetables and fruits contain sugar, minerals, salts and work similarly to isotonic drinks consumed by athletes.

Vegetables and fruits that doctors recommend including in the diet: watermelon, melon, grapefruits, strawberries, cucumbers, grapes, oranges, papaya, spinach, zucchini and tomatoes. They can be eaten as a snack, made into vegetable or fruit smoothies, or added to salads.

Bananas especially deserve the utmost attention.. This is an excellent fruit that can be used to treat dehydration because, as mentioned above, along with the loss of water, the body also loses a lot of potassium.

And banana, like no other, is rich in this microelement. It is useful to eat several bananas throughout the day or make cocktails and smoothies from them.

How to prevent dehydration? Below are effective tips from doctors to protect against dehydration:

Food poisoning– a non-contagious disease that occurs as a result of eating food containing harmful microorganisms or substances toxic to the human body.

Food poisoning is a collective concept, as it can be caused by a number of different reasons, but the mechanism of development of the disease, as well as its manifestation, are similar. All types of food poisoning are characterized by: general intoxication, inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, as well as frequent development of dehydration.

Types and classification of food poisoning

There are 2 main groups of food poisoning:

1. Food poisoning of microbial origin

• Toxic infections (Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, E. coli, Bac. cereus, Str. faecalis, etc.)
• Toxicoses
  • Bacterial (toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus, Cl. botulinum.)
  • Fungal (toxins produced by fungi Aspergilus, Fusarium, etc.)
• Mixed

1. Food poisoning of non-microbial origin

• Poisoning caused by poisonous plants and animal tissues:
  • Plants that are poisonous by nature (henbane, belladonna, fly agaric, etc.)
  • Animal tissues that are poisonous in nature (organs of fish - barbel, pufferfish, Marinka, etc.)
  • Plant products that are poisonous under certain conditions (green potatoes containing corned beef, raw beans, etc.)
  • Products of animal origin that are poisonous under certain conditions (caviar, milk, liver of some fish during spawning - mackerel, burbot, pike, etc.)
  • Poisoning due to chemical impurities (pesticides, nitrates, compounds introduced into the product from packaging materials, etc.)

1. Food poisoning of unknown cause.

Toxic infection – an acute disease that occurs after eating food containing a large number of living microorganisms. The causative agents of toxic infections actively multiply on food products; when they enter the human body, the harmful effects are determined both by the microbe itself and by the toxins that are released after its death.

The main pathogens of food poisoning: Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, E. coli, Bac. cereus, Str. Faecalis, as well as little-studied Hafnia, Pseudomonas, Klebsiela, etc.

Toxicoses– an acute or chronic (in the case of fungal toxicosis) disease in which the development of the disease occurs due to the action of a toxin that has accumulated on food products. The pathogen itself enters the body in small quantities. For example, when cheese is aged for a long time, only staphylococcal toxin without a living microorganism can be preserved.

General mechanisms of food poisoning development

Food poisoning agents can produce toxins both in food and in the human body. Also, when the pathogen is destroyed, an additional portion of various toxic substances is released in the gastrointestinal tract. When toxins enter the human body, the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is primarily affected, which is manifested by an inflammatory reaction and disruption of intestinal motor activity. This is accompanied by pain in the abdominal area, diarrhea and vomiting. After toxins begin to enter the blood, general intoxication of the body develops, which is accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms (headache, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, etc.).

Symptoms and signs of food poisoning

The first symptoms of poisoning

How long does it take for poisoning to appear?

Regardless of the factor that caused the poisoning, the manifestations of the disease are similar and can be divided into 3 main groups of symptoms:

1. Symptoms of inflammation of the stomach and intestinal mucosa (symptoms of gastroenterocolitis)
2. Symptoms of intoxication
3. Symptoms of dehydration

Symptoms of gastroenterocolitis

Symptoms arise as a result of the damaging effects of microbes and their toxins on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.

• Stomach ache
• Discomfort in the abdomen
• Nausea
• Vomit

Symptoms of intoxication

Intoxication occurs as a result of toxins entering the blood, which leads to various disorders in many organs and systems. Intoxication reflects the body's response to infection. The severity of the patient's condition is largely determined by the degree of intoxication.

Main symptoms of intoxication:

• General weakness
• Chills
• Headache
• Increased body temperature
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Lethargy
• Nausea
• Vomit

How to determine the degree of intoxication?

Symptoms of dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration are caused by fluid loss through vomiting and diarrhea.
Main symptoms of dehydration:

• General weakness
• Thirst
• Dry mucous membranes
• Increased heart rate
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomit
• Diarrhea
• Decreased urine output

How to determine the degree of dehydration?

Factors indicating food poisoning:

• The onset of the disease is acute, sudden (from 30 minutes to 7 days, usually 2-6 hours)
• The disease develops simultaneously in a group of people
• As a rule, the course of the disease is short (3-5 days)
• A clear connection between the disease and the consumption of a certain dish or product
• Food poisoning is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, and this is their main difference from infectious diseases.

The main types of food poisoning depending on the product and the causative agent of the disease and some of their features

First of all, we should separately highlight diseases such as shigellosis and salmonellosis, which are essentially infectious diseases. However, they are often considered as foodborne diseases. These diseases are somewhat more severe than banal food poisoning and require close attention, especially in treatment.

Dairy product poisoning

Poisoning with milk, kefir, butter, cheese, cottage cheese...

Possible causative agents of the disease: Shigella Sonne, name of the disease shigellosis(“urban disease”, dysentery), staphylococcus, etc.

Shigella– a bacterium, shaped like a rod with a rounded end. They live on food in the soil for up to 5-14 days. They die in direct sunlight within 30 minutes, or instantly when boiled.

Cause:

1. There are carriers of Shigella Zone infection who hide their illness and do not want to seek medical help; if they do not comply with sanitary rules, food products are contaminated. Contamination of food products by patients occurs at various stages of collection, transportation and sale of these products.
2. Insufficient disinfection or contamination of milk and dairy products directly at dairies and factories.
3. Dairy products are an excellent nutrient substrate for bacterial growth.
4. Sour cream, milk, cottage cheese, kefir, cream, and cheese come first as risk factors.

Symptoms

Symptoms of general intoxication:

• Onset is acute (1-7 days)
• General malaise
• Moderate headache
• Temperature is usually normal, rising to 38 °C or higher is rare
• Sudden loss of appetite

Symptoms of colitis (inflammation of the large intestine):

• Cramping pain, usually on the left side of the lower abdomen
• False urge to defecate(tenesmus)
• Frequent, scanty stools ( rectal spit) with a large amount of cloudy mucus and streaks of blood, often more than 10 times a day

Laboratory diagnostics:

• Shigella is isolated from stool

Poisoning with meat, chicken, eggs, protein poisoning

Salmonella is a common pathogen causing the so-called salmonellosis.

Salmonella- rod-shaped bacterium with rounded edges, mobile - has flagella over its entire surface.

Salmonella can survive in meat for up to 6 months, in frozen meat for more than six months, in eggs for up to 1 year or more, on eggshells for up to 24 days. In the refrigerator, being in meat, salmonella not only survive, but are also able to multiply (at low temperatures above zero). Salmonella at 70 °C dies within 5-10 minutes, but in the thickness of a piece of meat it can withstand boiling for several hours.

Symptoms of poisoning:

Type of patient:

• Pallor, possible bluishness of the extremities

Symptom of general intoxication:

• Onset is acute or acute (from 2 hours to 72 hours)
• General malaise
• Headache
• temperature rise to 38°C or higher
• Sudden loss of appetite
• In severe cases, loss of consciousness, convulsions

Symptoms of enterocolitis (inflammation of the intestines):

• Cramping pain, mainly above and around the navel
• The stool is copious, watery, up to 10 times a day, greenish or dark brown in color, foul-smelling, sometimes looks like “swamp mud.”
• There is no blood in the stool.

Laboratory diagnostics

• Salmonella is isolated from vomit and feces. In the common form, from blood and urine.

Confectionery poisoning

Poisoning is mainly caused not by the microorganism itself, but by the toxin it produces.

Most often, staphylococcus gets into food products from people suffering from various purulent diseases (furunculosis, festering wounds, tonsillitis, sinusitis). Staphylococcus multiplies well in dairy products, especially in confectionery creams, etc. During their life, staphylococci release a special type of toxin - enterotoxin, which causes poisoning. Enterotoxin does not change the taste or smell of food. The toxin is resistant to heat and can withstand heating up to 100 C for 1-2 hours.

Symptoms and distinctive features of staphylococcal toxin poisoning:

• Rapid onset of illness (30-60 minutes after eating contaminated food)
• Nausea, the most common symptom
• Uncontrollable vomiting
• Severe cutting pain in the abdomen, above the navel
• Body temperature is normal or low, rarely rises to 38-39 C, lasts several hours.
• Lethargy
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea in 50% of cases, no more than 2-5 bowel movements per day, duration 1-3 days
• There are no blood or mucus in the stool
• High likelihood of development, seizures and loss of consciousness

Fish poisoning

If after visiting a sushi bar you feel general malaise, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea, it looks like you have been poisoned. The most common causative agents of poisoning in sushi bars are 1) bacteria from the group of Escherichia coli (E.Coli, Citrobacter, Enterobacter), 2) Staphylococcus aureus 3) Proteus, etc. Usually, such bacteria get into food if basic hygiene rules are not followed and improper storage. In this case, the classic development of food poisoning occurs. Symptoms: general weakness, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

However, there are fish poisonings that become poisonous on their own under certain conditions. For example, during spawning, milk, liver and caviar of fish such as pike, perch, burbot, barbel, and beluga become poisonous, causing severe poisoning.

Poisonings that occur as an allergic reaction also occur. After eating fish, symptoms such as redness of the skin, itching, swelling of the face, burning in the mouth, headache, nausea, diarrhea may occur. This manifestation of poisoning is explained by the high content of substances in fish that cause allergy symptoms, such as histamine, etc. After the action of histamine ends, all symptoms disappear without a trace, after about 7-8 hours. But for your own safety, it is better to take antiallergic drugs (suprastin, cetirizine, etc.) and consult a doctor, because the development of a true allergic reaction to fish components cannot be ruled out.

Be careful when choosing fish:

• It is strictly forbidden to eat fish that has lost its scales, has a swollen belly, or has cloudy eyes.

Be careful when cooking fish:

• Fish is stored at 1 °C
• You should not defrost fish unless you have decided what you will cook. After defrosting, fish very quickly begins to deteriorate and release dangerous toxins.

Fish poisoning is a serious disease and in most cases requires qualified medical care.

Mushroom poisoning

Among poisonings with plant poisons, mushroom poisoning occupies a leading place.
There are more than 70 species of poisonous mushrooms in Russia, 20 of which have highly toxic properties. Throughout the year, cases of mushroom poisoning occur in every 5th Russian family. The number of victims increases during the so-called “mushroom season” from May to November. At this time, severe, sometimes mass poisonings of people occur, many of which result in death. No one is safe from poisoning; sometimes even the most experienced mushroom pickers encounter this problem.

Canned food poisoning botulism

Botulism– a severe, potentially fatal infectious disease caused by botulinum toxin entering the body. It is characterized by damage to the nervous system with impaired vision, swallowing, speech and progressive respiratory depression.

Read more about canned food poisoning in the article: Botulism

Emergency care for poisoning

Treatment of poisoning at home

The main task in the treatment of food poisoning is the removal of toxins from the body and restoration of water-mineral balance.

What to do?	How?	For what?
Perform gastric lavage	See Gastric lavage	Rapid removal from the body of contaminated food residues, microorganisms and their toxins. Gastric lavage is most effective if performed for the first time hours after poisoning.
Cleanse the intestines if there is no diarrhea.	Take a laxative or do an enema. Saline laxatives: Gauber's salt - 1 tbsp per glass of water. salt. Carlsbad salt - 1 tbsp for half a glass of water. spoon Cleansing enema - high siphon enema (10 liters of water). A siphon enema is done on the same principle as gastric lavage using a thick probe. Only the probe is inserted into the colon 40 cm.	Diarrhea is a natural process of cleansing the body of harmful substances, so you should give the body some time to remove everything unnecessary on its own. And you should not interfere with it, namely, immediately take antidiarrheal drugs.
Replace fluids and minerals lost through vomiting and diarrhea.	Fluid replacement is carried out depending on the degree of dehydration 2 ways to replenish fluid: 1. Orally (Per os) for patients with mild to moderate poisoning. Special solutions are used: Regidron Citralucosol Glucosolan Regidron application: Dissolve 1 packet in 1 liter of boiled water (temperature 37-40 C). You should drink in small sips, 1 glass (200 ml) for 10 minutes. For best effectiveness, you should drink 1-1.5 liters in 1 hour. The first stage of fluid replenishment lasts 1.5-3 hours, in 80% of cases it is enough to normalize the condition. However, if losses continue, correction is carried out within another 2-3 days (stage II). At the first stage of treatment, the required fluid is calculated based on the degree of dehydration and the patient’s weight: I degree 30-40 ml/kg II-III degree 40-70 ml/kg At the second stage of treatment, the required volume of fluid is determined based on the volume of fluid lost with vomiting and diarrhea in the next day. 2. Intravenous infusion: trisol quartasol xlosol The speed and volume of infusions depends on the degree of dehydration and the patient’s body weight: Severe degree - 60-120 ml/kg, 70-90 ml/min Moderate degree – 55-75 ml/kg, 60-80 ml/min	Timely replenishment of lost fluid and minerals quickly normalizes the general condition, accelerates the removal of toxins from the body, and prevents severe metabolic disorders. Contraindications for the use of oral solutions: infectious-toxic shock uncontrollable vomiting fluid loss more than 1.5 l/h diabetes glucose malabsorption dehydration of II-III degree with unstable blood circulation In case of contraindication to oral therapy, intravenous replacement therapy is performed.
In most cases, the above actions are quite enough to improve your general condition and ensure a speedy recovery. However, for concomitant chronic diseases (chronic pancreatitis, cholecystitis, etc.), treatment must be supplemented with some other drugs.
Take enterosorbent, a drug that binds toxins.	Filtrum: 2-3 tab. 3-4 times a day, 3-5 days course. White coal: 3-4 times a day, 3-4 tablets. Enterosgel: One and a half tablespoons 3 times a day Polysorb: 1 tables. Place a spoon with the top in 100 ml of water. 3-4 times a day, 3-5 days.	The drugs bind microbes and their toxins. Reduce symptoms of intoxication, improve general condition, speed up recovery.
Reduce pain	Duspitalin 1 cap. 2 times a day No-shpa 1 tab. 3 times a day	The drugs relieve spasms that occur during poisoning, thereby eliminating pain.
Protect the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines	Take astringents and enveloping agents: Kassirsky powder: 1 powder 3 times a day; bismuth subsalicylate - 2 tablets. four times a day.	Protects the mucous membrane from irritation and damage, helps reduce pain.
Take an antiseptic (for severe diarrhea)	Intetrix: 1-2 drops. 3-4 r. per day, for 3-5 days Intestopan: 1-2 t.. 4-6 times a day, duration 5-10 days	Has a detrimental effect on the causative agent of the disease. It has antimicrobial, antifungal and antiprotozoal effects.
Take enzymes	Mezim Festal Panzinorm 1 tablet 3 times a day with meals. For 7-14 days after poisoning.	As an adjuvant therapy, taking into account possible disorders of the secretion of digestive glands and insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes.
Restore intestinal microflora	Normaze, 75 ml per day, for 2-3 weeks Bio-cocktail “NK” During acute diarrhea, 2-3 tablespoons, 3-4 times a day, 1-2 days. After which 1-2 tbsp. 3 times a day for 1-3 months. You can also use other eubiotics: bactisubtil (1 capsule, 3-6 times a day, before meals), linex (2 capsules, 3 times a day), bifidumbacterin forte Duration of treatment is 2 weeks.	Normaze - lactulose included in the drug, promotes the growth of healthy microflora, thereby preventing the development of putrefactive ones. Biococktail is an ecological, clean food product that normalizes intestinal microflora, binds, neutralizes and removes toxins from the body.
Specific treatment of food poisoning caused by Shigella: Antibacterial drugs: The drug of choice is furazolidone, Application: 4 times a day, 0.1 g for 5-7 days For moderate severity of the disease - Biseptol, Application: 2 r. 2 tablets per day, for 5-7 days. In severe cases - ampicillin, Application: 4 times a day, 0.5 g, for 5-7 days.
Some features of the treatment of poisoning caused by salmonella: Antimicrobial drugs are not indicated for the gastrointestinal form of the disease. In the presence of Salmonella carriage, Salmonella bacteriophage is indicated, 2 tablets. 3 times a day, for 30 minutes. before meals, 5-7 days. Those sick with salmonellosis are allowed into the team only after complete recovery.

Poisoning, treatment with folk remedies

• Bath or sauna will help actively remove toxins from the body.
• Dill decoction with honey. For 200 ml of water 1 tsp. dry herbs or 1 tbsp. fresh greens. Boil for 20 minutes over low heat, cool, add boiled water to the initial volume, then add 1 tbsp. l. honey. It is recommended to drink the decoction 30 minutes before. before meals 100 ml . Dill has an analgesic effect, relieves spasms, accelerates the elimination of toxins due to increased urination. Normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract. Honey relieves inflammation, has bactericidal properties, binds toxins, and contains a healing composition of vitamins and minerals.
• Marshmallow infusion. 1 tbsp. chopped marshmallow root, pour 200 ml of boiling water, close the lid and leave for 30 minutes. Strain, drink 1 tbsp. before meals 4-5 times a day.

Althea relieves inflammation, envelops and protects the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines from damage, reduces pain and discomfort in the intestines.

• Ginger tea. Pour 1 tsp. ground ginger 200 ml boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon every 30 – 60 minutes. Ginger actively binds toxins and promotes their elimination. It has antibacterial properties, eliminates spasms, strengthens the body's immune mechanisms.
• Water with lemon juice, rosehip tea, rowan berries. Drinks contain large amounts of vitamin C, which is involved in the processes of neutralization and removal of toxins. In addition, other vitamins and minerals found in drinks well replenish micro and macroelements lost through vomiting and diarrhea.
• During the day, instead of food, it is recommended to consume decoctions of rice and flaxseed. Prepare rice water: 1 part rice to 7 parts water, boil for 10 minutes, take 6 times a day, 1/3 cup.

Decoctions have an enveloping effect, protecting the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, reducing inflammation, and preventing the absorption of toxins. Flax seeds are not inferior to activated carbon in binding toxins. Decoctions normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

Diet for poisoning, what can you eat?

Patients are prescribed a gentle diet. Food that can have a mechanical or chemical effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines (smoked meats, canned food, hot and spicy dishes, milk, raw vegetables and fruits) is excluded from the diet. For the first days of illness, diet No. 4 is recommended, then as diarrhea stops, diet No. 2 is prescribed, after which they switch to diet No. 13.

Diet No. 4
A diet with limited fat and carbohydrates and normal protein content. Products that have a mechanical and chemical effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa (milk, sweets, legumes), products that enhance the processes of fermentation and putrefaction in the intestines, as well as products that stimulate gastric secretion and bile secretion (sauces, spices, snacks) are excluded.

• Free liquid 1.5-2 liters
• Energy value – 2100 kcal
• Diet 5-6 times a day
• Dishes are boiled or steamed.
• Recommended: soups, non-concentrated broths, boiled lean fish, water porridge (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal), mashed potatoes, jelly, cottage cheese, dried white bread, cookies, tea, rosehip infusions, blueberry jelly.
• Exclude: bakery and flour products, milk and dairy products, legumes, fruits and vegetables, sweets, fatty meats, fish, canned food, soups with cereals and vegetables.

Take enzyme preparations such as Mezim, Panzinorm 1 tablet. during meals, in order to help the digestive system that has not yet become stronger. Take 7-14.

Poisoning prevention

• Correctly determine the suitability of a product for consumption; refuse “suspicious” products, especially if:
  • Product has expired or is about to expire
  • The seal of the packaging is broken
  • The smell, taste, color of the product has changed
  • Uncharacteristic consistency of the product (heterogeneous, layered)
  • The appearance of bubbles when stirring, sediment at the bottom, lack of transparency, etc.
• Don't experiment with eating raw eggs
• It is better to refrain from snacking on the go from stalls
• During this time, put food in the refrigerator.
• You should not defrost food in the place where you will cook it later.
• It is good to heat-treat foods, especially meat, fish, eggs. You cannot marinate foods at room temperature.
• Protect products from contact with insects, rodents and other animals that may be carriers of harmful microorganisms.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before eating. Wash for at least 20-30 seconds with soap, preferably under warm water.
• Keep kitchen utensils clean. Kitchen surfaces should be wiped down both before and after cooking.
• Be sure to wash vegetables and fruits well before eating.

For the normal functioning of our body, which consists of 70% water, it is necessary to constantly monitor its level of hydration. If there is not enough fluid in the body, the water-salt balance will be disrupted and dehydration will occur. It can manifest itself as a mild feeling of thirst, and in severe forms it can be fatal. Dehydration is especially dangerous in hot weather, when fluid actively evaporates from the body. Our simple homemade recipes and useful tips will help you protect yourself from dehydration and prevent unpleasant consequences.

Dehydration is a process in which the body loses more fluid than it receives. Every cell of the human body needs oxygen and water for normal functioning. No one is immune from dehydration, but children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases are at risk.

The most common causes of dehydration:

• heavy physical activity in the heat,
• diarrhea,
• vomit,
• increased sweating,
• frequent urination.

The symptoms of this disease vary depending on the severity of its manifestation. Signs of mild to moderate dehydration:

• dry mouth,
• headache,
• thirst,
• rare urination,
• dry skin,
• fatigue,
• muscle spasms,
• dizziness,
• constipation,
• general weakness.

Symptoms of severe or chronic dehydration:

• strong thirst
• confusion,
• sunken eyes,
• dry skin with loss of elasticity,
• practically no urination,
• severe dry mouth,
• rapid breathing,
• low blood pressure,
• cardiopalmus,
• faintness or loss of consciousness.

If treatment is not started in time, dehydration can lead to a number of serious health complications. For severe forms of dehydration, you should immediately consult a doctor; for moderate dehydration, you can take preventive measures at home. Below we publish useful tips and home recipes for treating this disease.

The first and most important rule as a measure to prevent dehydration in hot weather is to increase the amount of fluid consumed. Doctors' advice for treating dehydration at its first symptoms also begins with recommendations to increase the water content in the body.

A person needs to drink enough water throughout the day, even if he does not feel thirsty. On average, a healthy man in a temperate climate should drink about three liters of water per day, and a woman - about two liters of water per day.

In addition to regular water, it is useful to include more broths and soups in the volume of fluid consumed as a measure to prevent dehydration. With their help, you can replenish lost minerals and vitamins. They are also effective in treating dehydration. To make broth or soup even healthier, add zucchini, radishes or celery. Chicken and meat broths are considered the most nutritious. In the hot weather, treat yourself to fruit ice, which is easy to prepare yourself. To do this, just pour freshly squeezed juice into an ice tray and put it in the freezer to cool.

At the forefront of dairy foods useful in the fight against dehydration is yogurt - one of the most effective remedies against vomiting and diarrhea. This product is a real “spring” of electrolytes. In addition, yogurt is easy to digest and soothes the stomach. Homemade recipes for dehydration often include yogurt dishes. On hot days, it is useful to consume it several times a day and preferably without sweet fillers. It is better to add non-calorie foods such as low-fat cottage cheese or regular boiled rice with a little salt to yogurt.

Buttermilk, or the skim cream obtained from butter production, is another great remedy for dehydration recognized by the ancient teachings of Ayurveda. Buttermilk is rich in minerals, which are lost in the body due to excessive sweating. To prevent dehydration, drink this dairy product several times a day, or instead drink a cup of kefir mixed with dry ginger.

When the body is dehydrated, it is very important to quickly restore lost fluid and minerals. There is one simple way to achieve this using a rehydration solution. You can prepare it yourself using a home recipe:

• Add half a teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar to four glasses of water.
• Stir the solution thoroughly until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
• Drink the resulting solution several times a day until you fully recover from dehydration.
• If you do not want to prepare the solution yourself, then you can purchase a similar product at the pharmacy.

Homemade recipes using barley and water are no less useful. Such solutions help to quickly return a dehydrated body to its normal state. The nutrients contained in barley replenish the minerals lost due to dehydration. Here is one simple recipe:

• Bring the water with barley to a boil.
• Let the resulting solution cool and then strain it.
• Add a little honey and lemon juice.

Another simple way to restore a dehydrated body is lemon water. In addition to hydration, lemon juice fills the body with energy and gives a boost of vigor. Making lemon water at home is easy:

• For one glass of water you need to take half a lemon.
• Add a teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of ground black pepper and a pinch of salt.
• The resulting drink must be consumed regularly for one month.

Many fruits contain a considerable amount of liquid, and, therefore, they can become good protectors of the body from dehydration. At the first symptoms of dehydration, try to eat more juicy vegetables and fruits. According to the results of many studies, such foods hydrate the body twice as effectively as a glass of ordinary water.

Watery fruits and vegetables contain minerals, sugar, salts and work in a similar way to isotonic drinks that athletes drink. Fruits and vegetables that should be included in every person's diet are watermelon, grapefruits, melon, strawberries, oranges, cucumbers, grapes, papaya, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes. Eat them as a snack, make them into fruit or vegetable smoothies, or add them to salads.

Bananas deserve special attention. This is an excellent fruit to use in the treatment of dehydration, since along with the loss of fluid, the body also loses a lot of potassium. And bananas contain a lot of this microelement. In addition, this fruit will help restore the functionality of tight muscles that function poorly when there is a lack of water in the body. It is useful to eat two bananas during the day or make smoothies and cocktails from them.

Doctors' advice for protecting against dehydration:

• Avoid strenuous exercise in hot weather.
• Rest in a cool place.
• Carry a bottle of water with you.
• In hot weather, avoid drinking sparkling water, sugary drinks and coffee.
• Don't drink alcohol.
• Don't eat a lot of sweets and sugar.
• If you spend a lot of time in the heat, wear breathable clothing made from organic materials.
• If you are dehydrated, consume juicy fruits and liquid foods.
• If dehydration occurs during exercise, drink sports drinks that contain electrolytes.

By adhering to all these rules, you will always feel healthy, cheerful and full of energy!