How to distinguish toxicosis from food poisoning? Similarities and differences, comparative characteristics

Before giving a definite answer to the question of whether poisoning or toxicosis makes you feel unwell, let’s try to figure out what toxicosis and poisoning are, what causes and symptoms usually accompany them.

Toxicosis or intoxication is a painful condition of the body caused by the action of harmful endogenous substances (chemical elements that make up the body), as well as exogenous toxins (that is, those that enter the body from the outside). The condition of toxicosis can be caused by changes in the body of a pregnant woman, but it is worth understanding that not only pregnancy can be its cause.

Food poisoning is a deterioration of the condition due to eating foods that are contaminated with certain types of viruses, bacteria or parasites, toxins. Symptoms of food poisoning are usually accompanied by nausea leading to vomiting, pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, urine becomes dark yellow, and dry mucous membranes (most often in the mouth).

What is toxicosis

Toxicosis is a frequently observed situation in female representatives who are in an interesting situation; it is preceded by a feeling of nausea and vomiting. It begins during the period of intoxication with toxic and other toxic substances that appear during the development of the fetus.

Toxicosis can occur at any time. The first trimester of pregnancy is underway. Signs of the disease are determined by the position and feeling of the expectant mother. Pregnant women, healthy in all respects, toxicosis passes imperceptibly. If the presence of a kidney, liver or other ailment is noted, the ailment becomes more complicated.

The early period of toxicosis begins in the first quarter, and its symptoms are divided into categories. Initial category: feeling of disgust, urges up to five times a day, loss of strength, weight loss. This situation can be described as good. Second category: arrhythmia, depression, lack of appetite, vomiting, feeling sick up to 15 times a day, weight loss up to 5 kg, detection of acetone. In the third category, fainting, nausea, vomiting up to 25 times a day, tachycardia, fever occur, and weight drops to ten kg. This poses a danger to both the pregnant woman and the gestating fetus.

Signs of toxicosis development:

• Hormonal disruption of the body - while carrying a child, a woman’s hormone structure changes, hence the change in well-being, vomiting, nausea, and odors become worse. But this situation goes away by 15 weeks.
• Formation of the placenta - the stage of its formation is accompanied by intoxication and ends at the end of the first trimester.
• Persistent infectious diseases are the basis for the onset of toxicosis.
• Various stressful situations lead to the appearance of toxicosis at the third stage.
• Multiple pregnancy is a factor of late toxicosis.

General recommendations for pregnant women in case of poisoning

If signs of food poisoning are detected, the patient should follow the following rules:

• Drinking large amounts of liquid. At the same time, a pregnant woman is recommended to drink water often and in small sips . You should not artificially induce vomiting. During this period, it is advisable to use a drug such as rehydron. This pharmaceutical product is available in powder form. It restores electrolyte balance lost due to dehydration. The use of rehydron is also permitted for pregnant and lactating women.
• Refusal of fatty and high-calorie foods. A gradual restoration of the usual diet occurs after the cessation of vomiting and improvement in general well-being. During the recovery period, the patient is recommended to adhere to a gentle diet.
• After the urge to vomit stops, the woman is recommended to take sorbents. These pharmaceutical drugs absorb all the toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. Such medications include smecta, polysorb, activated carbon and enterosgel. The choice of remedy is made after consultation with the attending physician.
• In case of severe poisoning, the patient must be urgently hospitalized. Only in a medical hospital can specialists eliminate intoxication of the body and maintain pregnancy .

Toxic reactions of the body to pregnancy or food poisoning require a professional medical approach to diagnosis and treatment.

The occurrence of acute poisoning

Intoxications can be accidental, suicidal, domestic, industrial, food, or medicinal. Acute and chronic intoxication often begins. Acute intoxication occurs due to chemical or medicinal drugs. It also differs in the source of infection: through the oral cavity - with food, medications; through the nose - gas, paint compositions; through the skin or mucous membranes. There are cases of poisoning due to the wrong method of intramuscular and intravenous injections.

The most common sign of intoxication is food failure. It appears when eating unsuitable, expired food products and as a result, symptoms arise: acute diarrhea and flatulence, pain and heartburn in the stomach and intestines, nausea and single attacks of vomiting, migraine, loss of strength, fever.

Factors of food intoxication

Bacilli and microbes enter the stomach along with unsuitable food. Such food products include:

• Fungi that cause serious diseases.
• Canned fish, insufficient quality content.
• Vegetables and fruits containing excess pesticides or other toxic chemicals.
• Expired meat.
• Dairy products used after the specified period cause the growth of staphylococcus.

Symptoms of intoxication in pregnant women

Poisoning from pregnancy is distinguished according to the following indicators. At this time, women who are in an interesting situation experience a loss of strength, vomiting, a feeling of nausea, and diarrhea. The temperature increases to 39 degrees, but chills are felt. These symptoms can be felt together or separately. Mild poisoning usually ends in a couple of days, and there is no point in going to the hospital.

Signs of poisoning in pregnant women

Poisoning can be distinguished from pregnancy by the clinical picture of the disease. When the body is poisoned, a woman gradually develops general weakness, nausea, and bouts of vomiting, which progress to diarrhea . Significant intoxication is accompanied by hyperthermia (38-39 ⁰C) and chills. Thus, there are the following key symptoms of poisoning:

• decreased blood pressure, general malaise and dizziness;
• acute nausea and sudden attacks of vomiting;
• constant flatulence and diarrhea;
• gradual increase in body temperature.

All of the above symptoms may bother the patient individually or in combination. Thus, minor poisoning can occur without an increase in body temperature and attacks of vomiting . Mild intoxication, as a rule, goes away after a few days and does not require the woman to be hospitalized in a hospital.

Distinguishing characteristics of poisoning and toxicosis

The defining manifestation in this case is the unexpected occurrence of food poisoning. In women during pregnancy, after a certain period of time, signs of vomiting begin, dizziness, nausea, and abdominal pain. The intermediate period, which is the intake of a toxic ingredient before the formation of the causes of poisoning, takes from one to five hours. It is important to note the dissimilarity with poisoning; under no circumstances does the disease arise unexpectedly and gradually develop into a pronounced form of toxicosis. The urge to vomit and a feeling of nausea almost always occur in women in the morning, the usual temperature does not increase, bowel movements are normal, and you want to eat.

It is possible to distinguish toxicosis during pregnancy from poisoning by the absence of diarrhea and chilling. The symptoms appear constantly and in the same way; there is no worsening or improvement. The indicator is the growth of lymphoid areas. The skin takes on an earthy-grayish color, and when intoxicated, the skin becomes pale. Migraine, problem with bowel movements occurs in the last period of pregnancy. But this is a normal response of the body to preparations for labor. In this situation, you should not self-medicate. The doctor will determine the diagnosis and prescribe special treatment.

The effect of poisoning on the pregnancy process

Intoxication, even in a simple category, reduces the flow of beneficial products for fetal growth. Negatively affects intrauterine development. Metabolic disorders in food poisoning prevent the flow of nutrition to the placenta. Gastrointestinal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea can cause miscarriage.

Signs of toxicosis

Reye's syndrome is an acute liver failure that causes abdominal cramps. It is worth rejecting the assumption of food intoxication if there are tumors of parts of the face, shortness of breath, sudden changes in pressure, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, convulsions, exacerbation of the liver, cough. The disease manifests itself as ARVI.

The causative agent of infection is a virus in the body. As a result of complications of the disease, coma develops.

It is possible to distinguish the signs of acute adrenal insufficiency - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome - with an increase in temperature, loss of strength, nausea, vomiting and, in addition to this, a depressed state, pallor, convulsions, breathing problems, if there is no motor function, in the absence of a light reaction. Coma also occurs.

Disease with acute renal failure - signs of the disease are similar to intoxication, in addition there is the presence of blood in the urine, swelling, bruises on the skin, pressure surges, nosebleeds, rapid heartbeat, yellowness.

When a staphylococcal bacillus enters the body, there is pallor, dehydration, enlarged lymphoid areas, lack of reaction, and shortness of breath. Leads to the development of oxygen starvation, calcium deficiency, and the formation of dystrophy.

How to generally distinguish toxicosis from food poisoning

To summarize, I would like to draw your attention to how to generally distinguish toxicosis and poisoning.

First of all, it should be remembered that toxicosis does not cause diarrhea. This is a very rare occurrence. Do not rush to begin treatment for food poisoning if you do not feel cramps and pain in the abdomen, and a strong smell or even the sight of food causes you to vomit. These are the main signs of toxicosis, not food poisoning.

However, we should not forget that toxicosis in acute liver failure can also cause abdominal cramps, but you can safely reject the suspicion of food poisoning if you experience swelling of parts of the face, pressure surges, shortness of breath and many other symptoms described above. You need to know the differences between these diseases so as not to confuse them. Consult with specialists, they will help you professionally understand what exactly is happening to your body.

How to reduce the likelihood of poisoning during pregnancy

No one is safe from poisoning, and this is a fact. Nevertheless, it is worth following a certain set of preventive actions in order to reduce the chance of experiencing all the delights of this condition:

• Before purchasing products, it is very important to pay attention to the expiration date and the integrity of the packaging.
• It is not recommended to enjoy sweets in places with questionable sanitary conditions.
• Be sure to wash your hands before eating.
• Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly, ideally pour boiling water over them.
• Refuse for a while from unfamiliar foods, from fruits that are unfamiliar to our body.
• You should not leave food on the table, as room temperature provokes the spread of infection.
• If you like to drink fresh cow's milk, then pay attention to the seller. It should at least be neat. It is best to buy dairy products from friends.
• Heat treatment helps kill most germs. Avoid eating undercooked meat or undercooked fish, at least during pregnancy.
• Avoid eating fresh eggs, as well as soft-boiled eggs, canned food, ham, soft cheeses such as Feto, and canned food.
• Be careful when visiting newly opened food establishments.
• When traveling abroad, drink either well-boiled water or specially purified water.
• Try to avoid swimming in bodies of standing water. If you can’t wait to splash around, then choose a river.
• Admire the leaves and flowers of unfamiliar plants with caution. It’s better not to touch them with your hands at all!
• Do not self-medicate. Take only those medications prescribed by your doctor, and do not exceed the prescribed dose. Just in case, read the instructions. Doctors are people too; they can accidentally prescribe the wrong drug. Or the pharmacist will not fully understand the handwriting on the prescription, which will lead to confusion.

Poisoning, the symptoms of which do not bother the pregnant woman too much and pass quickly, does not require serious intervention. But even in severe cases, the expectant mother will not be kept in the department for more than 2 - 3 days. Since you understand what to do in case of poisoning, all that remains is to follow the rules of caution. Nine months will fly by very quickly, leave all the culinary delights for later.

Sources of food intoxication in the body

Microbes enter the human body along with low-quality products. In a favorable environment, they begin to multiply very quickly, creating copies of themselves.

It is worth noting that in 90% of cases the human body will react to the ingestion of these microbes by vomiting and gastrointestinal disorders. Pregnant women are almost 100% susceptible to them.

Foods that can cause poisoning during pregnancy

The list of foods that can cause food poisoning in the early stages of pregnancy is simply huge. Moreover, it includes both exotic delicacies and even familiar bread with almost imperceptible traces of mold. In general, this list poses the greatest danger:

• confectionery with creams;
• sausages, sausages;
• dairy products;
• fish, seafood;
• mushrooms;
• eggs;
• fast food menu, semi-finished products;
• canned food from the store, last year’s canning;
• dishes that contain mayonnaise;
• fresh meat.

Of course, it is almost impossible to completely eliminate all these foods. Therefore, it is necessary to follow a number of rules to minimize the chances of being among the victims.

What every woman planning to become a mother should know

Toxicosis is a pathological condition in which a woman feels a feeling of nausea and vomiting. Such a reaction of a woman carrying a child is caused by the impact of fetal waste products on her body. External factors can also cause toxicosis.

Toxicosis during pregnancy is classified:

• Early toxicosis appears in the first weeks of pregnancy or by the time of missed menstruation, its symptoms disappear by the 14th week of pregnancy;
• Toxicosis during pregnancy is late, its symptoms first appear in the second or third trimesters.

1. Mild degree, characterized by a feeling of nausea in early pregnancy, increased sensitivity to odors, without vomiting. There may be urges and vomiting, but not more than 5 times a day.
2. The average severity of toxicosis is characterized by vomiting about 10 attacks per day, a decrease in body weight by 4 kg. A decrease in blood pressure may be observed.
3. Severe toxicosis of pregnant women: a rapid pulse is recorded, attacks of vomiting up to 25 times a day (prolonged). A woman loses body weight up to 10 kg.

When conceiving a child, the body of the expectant mother tries to adapt to the work of the fetus, and therefore the woman may feel weakness, dizziness, nausea, and changes in taste preferences. Hypersensitivity to all smells around appears, the woman becomes emotionally labile.

Very rarely, symptoms that threaten a woman’s health may appear: total softening of bone tissue, asthmatic attacks, tetany, various skin lesions.

Attention! Separately, toxicosis is distinguished during frozen pregnancy, which can be distinguished by the absence of signs of fetal movement and its heart sounds.

The following types of toxicosis are distinguished:

• Toxicosis in early pregnancy (symptoms appear from 1 to 14 weeks of pregnancy).
• Late toxicosis is characterized by the appearance of repeated symptoms in late pregnancy.
• Toxicosis in the early stages, occurring immediately after a delay in menstruation.
• Evening type of toxicosis (symptoms intensify towards the end of the day).
• Toxicosis of staphylococcal etiology.

The reasons that cause the development of toxicosis during pregnancy in women:

• Immediately after conception, a woman’s body experiences changes in the hormonal system, which can cause weakness, irritability, and emotional disturbances. Changes in taste preferences may occur.
• It is believed that in the first period of pregnancy the placenta begins its formation and ends by 14-15 weeks of pregnancy. While the placenta does not function as expected, toxic substances freely enter the mother’s body, causing various reactions.
• The psychological state of the woman and genetic predisposition also influence.
• The presence of weakened immunity against the background of chronic infections also causes the development of intoxication.