On February 22, Svetlana Mashkova, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases and medical director of Invitro-Sud, told Izvestia whether there are any differences between food poisoning and alcohol poisoning.
“There are significant differences between food poisoning and alcohol poisoning. The main difference between alcohol poisoning and food poisoning is the presence of an alcohol odor in the person. In case of alcohol poisoning , signs of damage to the central nervous system appear, that is, in a state of alcohol intoxication there is no clear consciousness. And only later can one notice the manifestation of vomiting,” she said.
Food poisoning occurs in a lucid person, the expert pointed out. In this case, the manifestations of the gastrointestinal tract come first.
“To understand that a person has been poisoned by food, a feeling will help: heaviness in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness and muscle pain. Often a sign of food poisoning is vomiting from eaten food,” Mashkova explained.
The infectious disease specialist has warned that severe alcohol poisoning could lead to complications. For example, in cases of hypertension or atherosclerosis, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to stroke, stroke or heart attack.
The expert clarified that a person can also be poisoned by surrogate alcohol. In addition to ethyl alcohol, methyl, butyl, isopropyl and other alcohols can enter his body. According to her, their toxic effect, as a rule, is even more pronounced.
Treatment recommendations for alcohol poisoning and food poisoning differ. In case of food poisoning, it is necessary to wash the stomach, remove toxins with the help of absorbents or infusion therapy (droppers) in severe cases. To remove the toxin formed as a result of alcohol poisoning, it is necessary to use intravenous administration of the solution.
It is worth noting that alcohol poisoning is the most dangerous, as it develops unpredictably. Alcohol is gradually absorbed by the body, damaging the central nervous system, which can lead to cerebral edema and death.
Food poisoning passes faster – as soon as the toxin that causes food poisoning is eliminated from the body, it recovers quite quickly.
According to Mashkova, it is possible to determine the symptoms of poisoning yourself, but in any case it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first signs of poisoning.
Earlier, in December 2022, the hepatologist of the WHO group of companies Maria Arapova explained, in an interview with Izvestia, that the most dangerous thing for the human body is a volley of alcohol when more than five doses of alcohol are drunk in two hours. . Poisoning can occur because the liver does not have time to purify the blood. The doctor attributed the symptoms of mild alcohol poisoning to incoordination, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth, dryness and pale skin .
