Intoxication literally means "poison in the body." Throughout life, every person, regardless of age and gender, has at least once encountered such a condition. The cause of intoxication syndrome is an excess of substances of toxic origin in the body. This ailment can occur in both adults and children.
Types of intoxication
Depending on the reasons for the excess of toxins in the blood, several types of intoxication are distinguished:
- Exogenous - damage to internal organs by toxins that enter the body from the external environment. Ways of entry are different. For example, food or water with insufficient purification or processing, prolonged use of drugs. Toxins may be contaminated by airborne droplets.
- Endogenous - for some reason, toxins are produced by the body itself. Most often develops with bacterial and viral infections, injuries, malignant neoplasms.
Regardless of the type of intoxication syndrome, a malfunction in the vital activity of the body is observed, which is most pronounced in children.
Causes of intoxication syndrome
The most common causes of intoxication are:
- External environment. Various chemical elements and their compounds that cause air pollution, animals, plants and microorganisms that produce toxic substances.
- The products of the processing of certain substances that penetrate the body through the digestive system, when breathing, when it enters the human mucous membranes.
- Products with toxic effects in the presence of damaged tissues.
- Excess toxic substances due to improper functioning of the body, for example, an excess of hormones.
- As one of the reasons - metabolic disorders.
One of the determining factors is the amount of toxin that has entered the bloodstream. It depends on him in what form the general intoxication syndrome will proceed. It is important to know what signs indicate the presence of pathology in the body.
Acute intoxication syndrome: signs
Symptoms in children and adults are practically the same. Intoxication syndrome in children, as a rule, proceeds in a more acute form, especially if the child was born prematurely or has reduced immunity. The most common symptoms are:
- Sharp weakness.
- The child begins to act up.
- There is a deterioration or lack of appetite.
- Fever.
- Nausea.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Spastic abdominal pain.
- In some severe cases, the child may have a lack of facial expressions.
- Accelerated heartbeat.
- Chills due to decreased pressure.
Establishing a diagnosis in children is complicated if the child currently has a poor understanding of what is happening to him and cannot describe the symptoms of the disease. The diagnosis is also complicated if it is still too small to independently talk about the signs of pathology.
Signs of chronic intoxication syndrome
These symptoms occur if the child was not provided with timely medical care at the stage of acute intoxication or it did not help enough:
- Fast fatigue.
- Depression.
- Irritability.
- Bad memory. The child may forget what happened to them a few minutes ago.
- Dizziness, up to loss of consciousness.
- Severe headaches.
- Flatulence.
- Gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea continues or constipation appears).
- Drowsiness or insomnia.
- There are problems with the skin, as well as with nails and hair.
- The appearance of a constant unpleasant odor, both from the mouth and from the body of the child.
At this stage, it is difficult for the child to make a diagnosis and help at home, since chronic intoxication has not so pronounced signs as acute. It is difficult to treat and has serious consequences.
Stages of intoxication
In the process of intoxication syndrome, several stages are distinguished:
- Hidden. At this stage, the toxic substance only enters the body and begins to spread until the first symptoms of the disease appear. If at this moment the first signs of intoxication are noticed, then it is very easy to prevent the development of a further process.
- Active stage. This is the period of the most powerful toxin. The vast majority of the symptoms of the disease are present, and treatment usually begins at that moment.
- Stage of late manifestation of intoxication syndrome. At this stage, the toxic substance is no longer in the body, but due to its negative effects, the symptoms still persist, and treatment needs to be continued.
- Recovery stage. It has a different duration and depends on the type of toxin, its amount in the body and the disorders that it caused.
Each stage has its own period of time, which depends on the age of the child, the strength of the body's resistance to toxic substances and the time provided assistance.
How to diagnose intoxication syndrome
The first symptoms in children can begin to appear in 10-15 minutes and continue to develop up to 15 hours, depending on the type of toxin and its amount. In such situations, it is better not to engage in treatment at home. A doctor’s call is simply necessary, since only the clinical picture that the child’s parents see is not enough to determine the stage and severity of the syndrome. The exact level of intoxication can only be determined with the help of special medical and laboratory examinations in stationary conditions.
Pathology treatment
A child's body is more susceptible to toxic substances than an adult. Poisonous substances are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread in children much faster. The effectiveness of therapy and the outcome of the disease largely depend on the time of diagnosis.
Treatment of intoxication syndrome - elimination of the cause that caused this disease. You need to understand that the main goal is to destroy the toxin and accelerate the process of its removal from the body. A competent approach is important here, since improperly selected treatment or self-medication can only aggravate the situation. If this happens, then the intoxication syndrome from the acute stage will turn into the chronic one.
At home, within the framework of first aid, the following actions apply:
- Gastric lavage. This is the first and main help in relieving the syndrome. Thanks to washing, it is possible to remove food residues and toxins from the gastrointestinal tract, which have not yet had time to penetrate the blood. This is done quite easily: 1-2 liters of boiled warm water are taken with the addition of one teaspoon of baking soda or a very weak solution of manganese. At this stage, the child needs to be persuaded to drink a given volume of liquid.
- It is necessary to induce vomiting. To do this, enter one or two fingers into the mouth and lightly press on the root of the tongue. Carry out the procedure several times until the water comes out clean and without food residues. It should be noted that this procedure should be carried out only with food intoxication and children after five years.
- The procedures for washing the stomach and inducing vomiting should be approached very responsibly. An illiterate approach can lead to negative consequences.
- Give the child drinks from the sorbent group. They reduce the effect of toxins and contribute to their removal from the body.
- A must is a plentiful drink. It is not necessary to make a child drink large quantities at a time. It is advisable to drink often in small portions - one or two tablespoons every few minutes is enough. As a liquid, you can use slightly sweetened water or weak tea.
- It is important to know that in no case should a child be fed until the active stage of the disease has passed. Then you can give some crackers. And only the next day you can give food that will not contain fatty, sweet, salty, spicy, sour foods. Food should be neutral and sparing.
At any stage of the disease, it is better to call an ambulance doctor who will determine the condition of the child and be able to provide qualified advice and assistance. In any case, it is advisable to place such a patient in a hospital, where the doctor will be able to prescribe and calculate the dosage of the necessary drugs.
Intoxication prevention
A disease is always easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, the first thing that is required is the timely prevention of poisoning by poisons or toxic substances:
- The child should be accustomed to personal hygiene, in particular to monitor clean hands.
- Explain that you can’t eat unfamiliar berries and plants, household chemicals, medicines, etc.
- Do not inhale unfamiliar odors and powders.
- Try to exclude foods with pronounced tastes from the diet.
- Observe the daily routine.
- Do not overwork.
Compliance with preventive measures is the best way to protect a child from negative consequences.
Parents note
The main task is to detect the first negative symptoms in time and consult a doctor urgently to avoid negative consequences!
The same goes for adults. Intoxication syndrome, the symptoms of which can be dangerous, must be treated at the first manifestation of symptoms.