Honey mushrooms - autumn mushrooms, which can be found on rotted tree trunks, as well as stumps. Many love them for their delicate aromatic flesh and pleasant taste. However, it is worth remembering that in the forest you can find false mushrooms, which are very poisonous and dangerous to humans. More detailed information about false insects, symptoms of poisoning and treatment will be considered below.
How to distinguish false mushrooms from edible
Poisoning with false honey mushrooms can be caused by an inattentive collection, during which the mushroom picker can not accurately recognize the type of fungus. Poisonous and edible mushrooms are very similar to each other, their growing places often coincide, and the growth pattern on stumps in large groups is also copied.
Despite the great similarity of these mushrooms among themselves, there are still certain differences, among which it is necessary to highlight such as:
- skirt;
- color;
- hat texture;
- smell.
Only inedible mushrooms have the so-called skirt located under the hat. They differ in the color of the cap and the plates located on the inside. Poisonous mushrooms have a brighter and more saturated color. Edible mushrooms have a light brown hat with cream plates located under it.
You can distinguish mushrooms by texture only if there are old mushrooms, since young ones do not have this feature. Inedible species have flakes in the central part of the cap.
It will help to recognize and distinguish between edible and false mushrooms photo and description. Poisoning with these mushrooms can be very dangerous for humans, and in some cases even leads to death.
Types of false mushrooms
Before determining what the signs and symptoms of poisoning by false mushrooms exist, you need to know what types of these mushrooms exist. In particular, they distinguish such species as:
- sulfur yellow mushroom;
- brick red poisonous honey agaric;
- Chandol's False Foam.
Sulfur yellow honey agaric is most like edible mushrooms. To distinguish between them, a very careful examination is required. The cap of a poisonous mushroom has a brighter and more saturated color. Often it is reddish or yellowish and smooth. The edible version has a light film between the leg and the cap, which is absent in the false openings.
The plates located on the underside of the cap also differ. They are white in edible mushrooms, and brown in poisonous mushrooms. The taste of the poisonous mushroom is bitter.
Brick-red poisonous honey agaric has a bright hat, as well as yellow plates located under it. Over time, they begin to change color to brown, dark or even greenish. It has an unpleasant odor and a bitter taste.
Candol’s false foam has a very large and soft hat, which easily breaks when touched. At the edges of the cap is a white fringe. Bottom plate black, with a grayish or purple tint.
Causes of poisoning
You can poison not only poisonous mushrooms, but also edible, since this mushroom has the ability to accumulate heavy metals. This is especially pronounced when they grow in ecologically unfavorable places. Similar conditions are created at a small distance from highways and roads with a large flow of cars. Significant toxic emissions are characteristic of industrial areas and radioactive areas.
Poisonous substances can be released during prolonged or improper storage of mushrooms. In this case, they become a favorable environment for the propagation of pathogens. For the same reason, it is worth paying attention to the preliminary preparation of the product.
Symptomatology
Many are interested in when poisoning with false mushrooms after how long the symptoms appear, so that the presence of a problem can be recognized in a timely manner. Often, the first signs appear after 10-60 minutes from the moment of eating dishes, which include mushrooms. Symptoms of poisoning by false mushrooms are very acute. After how long this happens, largely depends on the quantity of the product, as well as the features of its preparation.
As the primary signs, we can distinguish:
- bouts of nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness and headache;
- severe diarrhea;
- respiratory failure;
- loss of consciousness;
- abdominal pain;
- chills, numbness of limbs.
Attacks of nausea and vomiting continue even after removing food particles from the stomach with liquid, which can provoke severe dehydration of the body. A sign of poisoning by false honey can also be a violation of coordination, since it seems to a person that everything around him is spinning. Severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration.
In addition, there are breathing problems, which are manifested in the occurrence of shortness of breath and asthma attacks. In this case, a person must necessarily provide urgent medical care, as this threatens with serious consequences, up to death. In some situations, fainting is possible, and in especially severe cases, a coma may occur. Pain in the stomach can occur even when eating a small amount of mushrooms.
It is worth noting that symptoms of poisoning with false honey mushrooms can be observed even if you eat a small amount of poisonous mushroom. Substances can retain their toxicity after prolonged cooking, salting or frying.
Hepatotoxicity of false mushrooms
Symptoms of poisoning with false honey mushrooms resemble signs of ordinary food poisoning. A negative factor is the rapid absorption of toxic substances into the bloodstream, and then spread throughout the body. The biggest danger is that toxins provoke liver damage, which can not cope with toxic substances. As a result of this, an increase in the organ occurs.
Among the external manifestations, it can be distinguished that the skin acquires a somewhat yellowish tint. In especially severe cases, yellowness extends to the mucous membranes. Among the symptoms of poisoning with false honey mushrooms, one can highlight the presence of painful sensations on the right under the ribs. Initial signs are not pronounced enough, however, with the use of poisonous mushrooms in large quantities, necrosis of liver cells can begin.
First aid for poisoning
Symptoms of poisoning with false mushrooms can be very different, which is why it is important to consult a doctor in time for a diagnosis. If a person has signs of intoxication after eating mushrooms, it is important to take urgent measures. First aid is to cleanse the body of toxic substances. To do this, you need to do a gastric lavage and take activated charcoal.
To do a gastric lavage, you need to drink several glasses of water and cause a gag reflex. To reduce the possible harm from poisons and toxins, you need to flush the intestines with an enema and laxative.
In case of poisoning, the patient loses a lot of fluid and can die from dehydration, so a lot of warm drink is provided to the patient. To eliminate weakness, tremor and numbness of the limbs, a person must drink sweet strong tea and he needs to put a heating pad on his legs and hands.
Poisoning treatment
When the first symptoms of poisoning occur, timely first aid measures should be taken. Treatment consists of the use of drugs that induce vomiting. A medication is also needed to help remove poisons and toxins from the body. After eliminating the main signs of intoxication, it is necessary to take medications to restore the affected organs.
You need to follow a special diet for faster recovery during the first day from the moment the first signs of poisoning appear. You can consume only light soups and broths, low-fat meat, dairy products, as well as cereals.
Complications after poisoning
If qualified assistance is provided to the victim in a timely manner, then in a few days all the signs will pass. With more serious poisoning, when there is a high concentration of toxins in the liver and blood, the prognoses may not be comforting enough. Severe poisoning can lead to complications such as:
- violation of the functioning of internal organs;
- damage to the nervous system;
- deterioration of the water-salt balance;
- death of the patient.
The most severe signs of poisoning are observed in older people and children under 3 years old. A weakened immune system can lead to a rapid course of the disease, which is why people should not eat mushrooms for these age groups. Significantly increase the risk of death in case of poisoning such factors:
- pregnancy;
- weak immunity;
- rehabilitation period after serious illness;
- diseases of the liver, kidneys and heart.
It is important to determine the first signs of the disease in a timely manner and consult a doctor. Properly carried out therapeutic measures will help eliminate signs of poisoning without consequences for health.
Prevention
Prevention of poisoning by poisonous mushrooms is as follows:
- eat only familiar types of mushrooms;
- completely eliminate the use of worm mushrooms;
- carefully inspect each mushroom before cooking.
Conducting preventive measures will help prevent poisoning and prevent deterioration of well-being.