Food poisoning - Mostly bacteria are to blame

Food poisoning - Mostly bacteria are to blame

The bright sun, the ice cream first tastes like more - hours later there are unfortunate stomach aches and diarrhea. Do you know that? Often bacterial contaminants cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but food can also contain other toxins. Food poisoning is the term used to describe all the symptoms associated with damaged foods that are toxic to humans in any way - they contain toxins from bacteria, fungi, fish or plants, or chemical toxins.

Food poisoning or gastrointestinal infections?

The difference between the foodborne infection and the gastrointestinal infection is that there are always involved pathogens - usually viruses, more rarely bacteria or parasites. However, the symptoms are the same and in most, most common cases, the treatment is no different.

In a food poisoning caused by bacteria so toxins, in a food infection, the bacterium itself the disease. The distinction seems academic, but is important to some pathogens in terms of therapy.

How does food poisoning come about?

The causes of food poisoning can be very different. Different foods can contain different germs, toxins or impurities. Below we present you with possible triggers of food poisoning.

Bacterial contaminants

Especially in the hot season, germs such as salmonella, staphylococci or enterococci multiply quickly - especially if foods have not been stored properly (uncooled) or carelessly prepared (forget about washing your hands). Creams, dairy and raw eggs (very typical mayonnaise), sausage, meat (especially meat), poultry, fish and seafood are particularly at risk.

In addition to the food they eat, they also eat the whole "host" of bacteria and the toxic metabolic products known as toxins - nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

A very dangerous special case are the highly toxic botulinum toxins, which are neurotoxins that are formed by Clactridia bacteria in canned rot. They paralyze the body and respiratory muscles and can lead to respiratory distress. Early on, double images occur, as the eye muscles are attacked.

Poisonous in plants and mushrooms

Among the 10,000 spiritual species known are about 1, 000 edible and 500 poisons - making mushroom picking difficult and even for the sometimes life-threatening introduction. Fungal toxins not only attack the gastrointestinal system, but can also lead to hallucinations, liver damage, circulatory failure and death.

Plant toxins such as solanine (from potatoes or green tomatoes) or atropine (from the belladonna) show similar symptoms: Paralysis often occurs here.

Shells and fish

Saxitoxin is produced by certain algae, which are used as food and rich in soft. Consume these mussels, depending on the number of poisons in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, in the greatest amount of paralysis for respiratory distress. Tetrodotoxin is the well-known nerve poison in puffer fish, from which even very small amounts trigger respiratory paralysis.

Chemical contaminants

For example, antimony, arsenic, lead, cadmium and zinc are found in some ice in drugs or in glass that can be attacked by food acids. Also in pest control or wood preservatives are the following ingredients. These toxins irritate skin and mucous membranes, they are stored in body tissues and damage the human body in many ways.