The main measure for food poisoning is gastric lavage. Cleansing the digestive system is carried out in some diseases. In addition, there is an opinion that systematically washing the body is necessary for absolutely everyone, even completely healthy people. Next, we find out what methods of cleansing the stomach exist and whether they have contraindications.
Why flush the gastrointestinal tract
You can understand that it’s time to start cleaning the body for various symptoms. The state of health during poisoning and intoxication usually does not give rise to doubt the need for urgent measures. Cleansing the stomach can also help with slagging of the body, as evidenced by frequent constipation, bad breath, a tendency to frequent colds. Cleaning the body has the following goals:
- restoration of the proper functioning of the digestive system;
- control over the process of production of gastric juice;
- bowel cleansing and stool normalization;
- strengthening immunity.
The need for periodic cleansing of the stomach is caused by the physiological characteristics of our body. Outwardly, this organ looks like a kind of bag with folds. In this section of the digestive system, digestion of the food entering the body occurs. From here it moves into the intestines - it is there that the assimilation of valuable and nutrients occurs.
If interruptions are noted in the work of the stomach, the diet, diet are violated, the body needs to help get rid of the harmful substances that accumulate in the intestinal tract. People who regularly consume unhealthy foods begin to have digestive problems over time, as a result of which far from all products that enter the body are fully absorbed by the intestines. They remain inside and, turning into slags, settle on its walls. Cleansing the stomach and intestines is one of the measures to prevent diseases such as gastritis, gastroduodenitis, proctitis, sigmoiditis.
Indications for cleaning the stomach
To flush the digestive tract, it is not necessary to go to the hospital. You can do this at home. As already noted, the need for cleansing the stomach is most often caused by chronic diseases, poisoning and intoxication. Washing of the digestive tract pursues therapeutic and preventive purposes.
So, the main indications for carrying out procedures related to the cleaning of the gastrointestinal tract are:
- food poisoning;
- state of alcohol and drug intoxication;
- poisoning with harmful chemicals (alkalis, acids);
- regular constipation;
- pathology of the gallbladder;
- increased acidity of gastric secretion;
- vomiting of unknown etiology;
- binge eating.
Gastric lavage at home: probeless method
Today, at home, it is customary to use one of two methods of cleansing the stomach with water. The first is flushing without a probe. This method is used for mild degrees of food poisoning, when the patient is conscious and able to carry out simple commands. A probeless gastric cleansing is used for adults and older children. It runs like this:
- The patient should be drunk with warm boiled or mineral water (it is recommended to use at least 1 liter of liquid during the procedure).
- After this, you need to provoke vomiting by stimulating the root of the tongue.
Cleansing the stomach with vomiting is the fastest method to remove harmful products from the body. Instead of ordinary water, you can use therapeutic solutions, the recipes of which we will give below. They will help to remove harmful and toxic substances from the body, relieve symptoms of poisoning and improve the well-being of the patient. With food poisoning after cleansing the stomach, it is necessary to take enterosorbents and consult a doctor.
Probe cleaning: what are the difficulties?
Unlike the previous method of cleansing the stomach in case of poisoning, this one requires certain knowledge and the use of medical equipment. Despite the fact that this method of washing the digestive tract is considered a completely safe procedure, it should be performed only by qualified specialists within the walls of the medical institution, improper actions can cause irreparable harm. Even a minor error is fraught with rupture of the tissues of the abdominal organs or the onset of suffocation.
The cleaning is carried out using a device resembling a hose with a rounded tip and two holes. During washing, the patient should be in a sitting position. In order not to stain the patient with vomit, his body is covered with oilcloth. Cleansing the stomach with water using a probe requires the following instructions:
- The patient tilts his head and opens his mouth. He should relax as much as possible and not worry.
- The probe is inserted into the pharynx, while the patient needs to try not to move his tongue.
- The hose is advanced to the sternum, after which the further movement of the probe is stopped. It is important to ensure that the tube does not hook the trachea. Otherwise, the patient will have wheezing, coughing, and lips will turn blue. If there are no such symptoms, the probe is injected further, directly into the stomach.
- The probe funnel is located below the level of the stomach and fluid is introduced. Cleansing the stomach during poisoning is carried out with ordinary boiled water at room temperature. For a single cleaning, 500 ml of water is enough.
- When the entire volume of fluid is in the stomach, the funnel is lowered and the fluid is drained back through the probe.
- The procedure must be repeated several times until a clean liquid appears in the drain, without vomiting. In general, 5 liters of water may be needed to clean the stomach.
Salt and soda: solutions for cleansing the digestive tract
The washing procedure can be performed with a tool that is accessible to everyone - water. It not only cleanses the gastrointestinal tract, but also activates peristalsis, promotes the promotion of feces. Instead of water, you can use a weak saline solution. According to doctors, such a tool is more effective for washing. Cleansing the stomach with salt water helps to achieve better results, since it is practically not absorbed by the intestinal walls and rinses even hard-to-reach areas.
To prepare the solution, you will need 1 liter of boiled or filtered water and 1-2 tsp. sea salt. If one is missing, you can use the usual, cookbook, which everyone has in the kitchen. If the gastric cleansing is carried out not with a therapeutic but with a preventive purpose, it is advisable to drink the solution in the morning on an empty stomach. However, it is not worth planning important things on this day, since the remedy has a laxative effect. If defecation does not take place after 2 hours, you need to drink another liter of salt water.
Instead of saline, you can use a soda solution. Sodium bicarbonate, once inside, decomposes into salt, carbon dioxide and water. When soda reacts with hydrochloric acid, which the stomach produces, the walls are cleansed. Soda solution helps get rid of excess gas, bloating, pain and constipation. To cleanse the stomach, it is recommended to take soda in the morning before eating. The solution is prepared in the following proportion: for 1 tsp. baking soda take half a glass of warm water. The procedure is recommended to be repeated throughout the week.
What to do in case of poisoning with acid or alkali
Regardless of the reasons why acid could get into the stomach (most often table vinegar), the simplest rule from the school chemistry course will help the patient: alkali and acid neutralize each other. That is why when poisoning with acid, the victim must be given a soda solution. It will quickly eliminate the substance and protect the gastric mucosa from burns.
The treatment solution is prepared by taking 5 liters of water and 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda. The solution is thoroughly stirred and filtered, so that undissolved particles do not irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus. This rule applies to a weak vinegar solution. If the patient drank vinegar essence, it is urgent to call an ambulance and not make any attempts before the arrival of specialists.
Patients who have been poisoned with an alkaline product or substance, urgently need to give a solution of citric acid in the form of a powder. To cleanse the stomach, you need 3 liters of boiled water and one teaspoon of citric acid. If a person suffers from chronic gastritis, the amount of acid powder should be halved so as not to cause a relapse. Once in the stomach, the acid eliminates alkali and protects the walls of the body from burns.
Manganese solution
This is one of the popular folk remedies for cleansing the stomach. Potassium permanganate is a natural disinfectant and bactericidal substance. The potassium permanganate solution is effective for poisoning with toxins, poisonous mushrooms, mold and expired products.
At the same time, improper use of manganese can seriously harm the patient. It is important to use potassium permanganate only in the correct concentration. For 1 liter of water, it is recommended to use 1 crystalline substance. If the solution has got a saturated pink tint, you can’t drink it - such a liquid will burn the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach, which will only aggravate the problem. In addition, it is important to ensure that the crystal is completely dissolved, and not enter the stomach with liquid, otherwise it will stick to the mucous membrane, causing erosion and bleeding.
You can use only a pale pink solution. Before taking the medicine inside, it is filtered through a gauze or paper filter - this will prevent the penetration of insoluble particles of potassium permanganate into the stomach.
Enema for poisoning and cleansing the body
To remove harmful substances from the body that have passed beyond the stomach and into the intestines, it is necessary to put an enema on the patient. It can be done with an ordinary syringe, but it is preferable to use an Esmarch mug, the volume of which is 2 liters.
The design is fixed at a height of 1-1.5 m. It is advisable to make an enema while lying on the left side or in the knee-elbow position. Knees should be pulled as close to the stomach as possible. After the complete administration of the drug solution, you need to wait a bit. As soon as the urge to defecate becomes unbearable, empty the intestines. The most suitable time of day for the procedure is early morning or evening, a couple of hours before bedtime.
As a medicinal solution for cleansing the stomach with an enema, you can use one of the following means:
- Acetic enema. Light acid solution gently affects the mucous membranes and intestinal microflora, but at the same time effectively acts against multiplying bacteria in the large intestine. For 2 liters of water use 1 tbsp. l 6% of table (apple) vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Garlic enema. Two medium-sized cloves of garlic should be chopped and mixed with 1 liter of water.
- Salt enema. A solution is prepared based on the proportion: for 1 liter of water - 1 tbsp. l salt. After mixing thoroughly, 10 drops of Lugol's solution should also be added to the liquid, which will enhance the antimicrobial effect of the enema.
Pharmacy preparations
In addition to soda, salt and potassium permanganate, medications can be used at home. The safest, the reception of which does not require consultation with a doctor, is activated carbon. Cleansing the stomach with its help can be carried out both for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Activated carbon is a cheap enterosorbent that removes toxins, harmful bacteria and microbes from the body. Each tablet consists of small pores in which toxins accumulate. The mechanism of action of this drug is simple and resembles the principle of the vacuum cleaner: a medicine to cleanse the stomach, leaving the body, as if attracting poisonous components to itself and adsorb them from the body.
It is difficult to find a person who would not know how to calculate the dosage of activated carbon: 1 tablet is used per 10 kg of weight. With food poisoning, you need to take the drug twice a day, drinking plenty of water. Activated carbon has no side effects, so it can be treated with it within 2-3 weeks.
"Magnesia" - this drug has a laxative effect. The active component in its composition is magnesium sulfate. Doctors call this chemical compound "Epsom salt." Once in the gastrointestinal tract, “Magnesia” causes the intestinal walls to contract and dispose of contents. Unlike other laxative drugs, this drug is not absorbed into the bloodstream and produces a choleretic effect. The medicine is produced in the form of a dry powder, which must be diluted in 100 ml of boiled water. After thoroughly stirring, the solution must be drunk on an empty stomach or two hours before bedtime. The drug is taken in a three-day course, during which it is desirable to exclude coarse foods (meat, fiber), fatty, salty foods and sweets from the diet.
"Fortrans" - a drug that was heard by those who have had to undergo an examination of the gastrointestinal tract. The drug has a powerful laxative effect, cleanses the stomach of mucus and does not injure the intestinal microflora. One sachet is used based on 15-20 kg of body weight. It is dissolved in one liter of water. Thus, an adult with a weight of 80 kg needs to drink four liters of water, after dissolving four Fortrans packets in it.
It is recommended to drink one liter of solution in one hour (on average, you need to drink 200-250 ml of liquid once every 15 minutes). Accordingly, the reception of all four liters will take about 4-5 hours. You can rinse the gastrointestinal tract with this tool at any time, the effect will come literally in an hour. Since the medicine for cleansing the stomach and intestines has a specific taste, patients are allowed to seize every glass with an orange slice.
Folk recipes
Alternative methods can be used to clean the digestive tract. To rinse the stomach, you can use herbal decoctions, which have a laxative effect. One of these is Senna grass. It is sold in any pharmacy and is relatively inexpensive. Effective for cleaning the stomach are its leaves and stems. To wash the intestinal tract using an infusion of senna. It can be prepared as follows: pour 2 tsp with a glass of boiling water. dry raw materials and leave to insist under the lid. After 15 minutes, the infusion is considered ready for use. It must be filtered and drunk before bedtime.
Another recipe for cleansing the body involves the use of herbal collection based on another herb with a laxative effect - buckthorn. To prepare the medicinal mixture, take 3 tsp. buckthorn, as many immortelle, fennel and 1 tsp. peppermint. All components are thoroughly mixed. To prepare one glass of infusion, 1 teaspoon will be required. plant materials. Herbal drink during the week once a day.
Castor oil can cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. The main disadvantage of this tool is an unpleasant specific aroma, which can be drowned out if you mix castor oil with lemon juice or kefir. For example, one of the recipes looks like this: take 1 tsp. wheat bran, castor oil and 1 tbsp. l kefir, mix and drink twice a day before meals. A mixture of castor oil with lemon juice is prepared in a similar way: two parts of the juice will require one part of the oil.
Tea for cleansing the stomach from needles can also be used after poisoning. This tool will help to recover faster and cleanse the blood of toxins. For cooking, you need 5 tbsp. l pine needles and two glasses of boiling water. Needles need to be chopped beforehand. A container with pine needles and water is put on fire and boiled for 10 minutes. After this, the product must be left overnight for insisting. Coniferous infusion delicately affects the walls of the stomach and intestines, enveloping them and exerting an astringent antacid effect. You need to drink it several sips during the day, regardless of the meal. A side effect of this tea is the darkening of urine. You do not need to be afraid of this phenomenon: as soon as all the harmful substances leave the body, urine will again become transparent.
Contraindications to cleaning the stomach
In some cases, rinsing the stomach at home is dangerous to the health of the patient.If he is in an unconscious state or the cause of his poisoning was the ingestion of petrochemical products (gasoline, kerosene, solvents, etc.) into the body, you can not self-medicate. In no case should you give the patient potassium permanganate or activated carbon. Urgently it is necessary to call an ambulance or take a person to the nearest surgical department. You can not wash the stomach to a person who:
- complains of acute abdominal pain;
- suffers from arterial hypertension;
- Sick stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer;
- recently suffered a stroke or heart attack.