Yogurt poisoning
Yogurt is one of the most beloved dairy products by people of any age. It is made from skim milk fermented with a mixture of cultures of thermophilic streptococcus and Bulgarian bacillus. The use of yogurt allows you to quickly satisfy the feeling of hunger and at the same time not gain extra pounds, normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora.
But eating a low-quality fermented milk product can lead to very sad consequences. Most often, yogurt poisoning is observed in children, due to the immaturity of their immune system, but it can also be in adults.
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How does yogurt poisoning happen?
The following reasons can lead to yogurt poisoning:
- expired shelf life;
- violation of storage and transportation conditions;
- violation of manufacturing technology (use of milk infected with pathogenic microorganisms, violation of the sanitary regime of production).
It must be understood that yogurt poisoning can occur both when eating a product manufactured in an industrial setting, and at home.
Violation of the manufacturing technology, conditions and shelf life of any fermented milk product, including yogurt, causes microorganisms to multiply in it (Shigella, Proteus, Escherichia coli, streptococci, etc.), accumulation of toxins. Once in the human body with an infected drink, microbes begin to have a negative effect initially on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Subsequently, their toxins enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body, causing damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Poisoning symptoms
Once in the gastrointestinal tract, pathogenic microbes produce substances that are toxic to our body. These toxins significantly increase the flow of fluid into the lumen of the digestive tract, which leads to diarrhea. Once in the bloodstream, toxins become the cause of the development of intoxication syndrome.
The first signs of yogurt poisoning appear within a few hours after eating a low-quality product. But in some cases, the incubation period is longer and is several days.
The disease is characterized by a violent acute onset. Its main symptoms are:
- loose, abundant frequent stools;
- nausea;
- stomach ache. They are usually cramping and decrease somewhat after bowel movement;
- vomiting. It is often multiple;
- fatigue, headache, lack of appetite, muscle weakness and other manifestations of intoxication;
- dry skin and mucous membranes, increased thirst, which is associated with dehydration.
Often, yogurt poisoning is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, sometimes to high values (38 ° C and above).
Diagnosis of the disease is carried out on the basis of a characteristic clinical picture that developed after a short time from the moment the fermented milk product was consumed. To identify a specific type of pathogen, a bacteriological study of feces and vomit is carried out.
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First aid for poisoning
First aid for yogurt poisoning should be started from the moment the first signs of the disease appear. It should be aimed at removing pathogenic microbes and toxic products of their vital activity from the body. To do this, you should:
- Carry out gastric lavage by the "restaurant" method. The patient is given two or three glasses of water to drink with the addition of salt, after which they begin to put pressure on the root of the tongue with a spoon or fingers. As a result, vomiting occurs, during which the remnants of the eaten infected food are removed from the stomach. This is done several times, until water comes out without food impurities. Gastric lavage with this method can only be carried out by adults who are conscious.
- Take a suspension of activated carbon. For its preparation, tablets of activated carbon should be crushed into powder (at the rate of one tablet for every ten kilograms of body weight) and mixed with a small amount of boiled water. Instead of activated carbon, it is allowed to take any other absorbents, in particular Smecta or Enterosgel.
To prevent the development of dehydration and reduce the severity of the intoxication syndrome, the patient should be given as much fluid as possible. For this purpose, it is best to use unsweetened tea, still mineral water or Rehydron solution. You should not drink a lot at once, as a large amount of liquid will increase nausea and even provoke vomiting. Drink very often, but in small sips. Children should be given liquid one teaspoon every five minutes.
When is medical attention required?
Medical assistance is needed in the following cases:
- poisoning happened in a child, pregnant woman or elderly person;
- the patient has a high body temperature, which cannot be reduced by conventional methods;
- symptoms of poisoning persist for more than three days;
- the appearance of seizures, severe weakness, loss of consciousness.
Medical care for yogurt poisoning includes the appointment of antidiarrheal drugs, antibacterial agents, intravenous fluids.
Possible consequences
In most cases, yogurt poisoning, if properly treated, disappears within two to three days. In the recovery period after yogurt poisoning, the patient may experience impaired absorption of nutrients due to the inflammatory process in the intestinal walls. To prevent this complication, you must adhere to a diet.
After the cessation of vomiting, the patient can be given a weak chicken broth with crackers, mashed potatoes in water and without adding oil, unsweetened rice porridge. Properly organized nutrition reduces the burden on the digestive system and thereby contributes to a speedy recovery.
Yogurt poisoning can also cause the development of intestinal dysbiosis in the future, especially if antibacterial drugs were used in the treatment. For the treatment of this condition, eubiotics (Bifidumbacterin, Lactobacterin) or probiotics (Hilak, Linex) are used.
The most dangerous complication of yogurt poisoning is a pronounced violation of the water-electrolyte balance, up to the development of hypovolemic shock, which requires urgent hospitalization of the patient.
Prevention
To avoid yogurt poisoning is quite simple, you just need to follow the following rules:
- do not eat yogurt that is past its expiration date, has an unpleasant odor or has mold;
- observe the temperature regime of its storage;
- buy products from only trusted companies;
- use boiled milk for home production and observe hygiene requirements.
At the slightest doubt about the quality of a fermented milk product, it is better to refuse to eat it.
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Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
