Oil poisoning: signs and first aid

Butter mushrooms are considered edible mushrooms that do not have false poisonous counterparts. That is, from the point of view of mycology, poisoning with both real and false oils does not threaten the mushroom picker. However, exceptions are possible. In some situations, you can get poisoned with oils. At the same time, the reasons can be very diverse – mushrooms are a very specific product that can surprise at every stage of collection and preparation.

Is it possible to get poisoned by edible oils

Butter mushrooms are one of the most popular mushrooms. These are edible gifts of the forest of the second or third category, which can be eaten in various forms. All butterflies are not poisonous, that is, they can be poisoned only in case of excessive overeating.

Cases of oil poisoning are recorded quite often. And this does not mean that mushrooms have suddenly become poisonous.

In fact, the reason may lie in several factors:

1. Mushrooms can be collected in those places where the ecological situation does not correspond to normal conditions. The gifts of the forest are somewhat similar to sponges and literally absorb everything that is in it from the soil. Having eaten such a mushroom, a person will introduce all harmful substances into his body.
2. The preparation of canned mushrooms can be potentially dangerous due to non-compliance with the technology for creating the blank.
3. Allergy to mushroom carbohydrates. Until recently, a relatively rare phenomenon, but recently it has been recorded more and more often.
4. Error in identifying mushrooms during collection.

The most unpleasant thing is that all these factors may not have any decisive significance on their own, however, their combination (already at least two) poses a threat not only to the health of the mushroom picker, but also to his life.

Is it possible to get poisoned by false oils

Officially, mycology classifies mushrooms that are almost completely similar to them as false oils. They not only have the same color and size, but they also have the same structure of the fruiting body. Mushroom pickers have a slightly different classification of false twins – quite similar in appearance.

All oil twins belonging to the Boletov family have a porous hymenophore and are not poisonous.

However, there are many other mushrooms that look very similar to butter, but are poisonous. A distinctive feature of false mushrooms in this case is the hymenophore in the form of plates.

Signs of poisoning with false oils are generally difficult to distinguish from poisoning with ordinary oils, but they appear a little earlier, and over time, the symptoms will be much more noticeable. This situation is explained by the fact that in false oils the concentration of substances harmful to humans is significantly higher.

Is it possible to get poisoned with canned butter

Since oilseeds are rich in protein, it is not uncommon for their fruiting bodies to be invaded by various bacteria that can survive the pasteurization process and end up in a tin can, from where they and their toxins enter the human body.

In case of improper storage or processing of oil in the form of pickling and pickling, various microorganisms, mainly bacteria, may appear in them. Many of the anaerobic bacteria secrete a specific poison, leading to muscle paralysis. This disease is called botulism. The development of bacteria occurs without access to air, inside canned mushroom products.

The symptoms of botulism are as follows:

• dizziness, with occasional headache;
• bloating;
• vision dysfunction;
• slurred speech.

The most unpleasant thing about this disease is that the patient himself does not notice his strange behavior. Therefore, when several of these symptoms are combined in one of the relatives, one should take him to the laboratory for tests to identify traces of the vital activity of anaerobic bacteria.

The first oil poisoning: symptoms and signs

Signs of mushroom poisoning with oils:

1. There is a severe headache, as well as soreness, akin to a cold viral infection. Joint pain is often observed.
2. At first, there is mild nausea, which only intensifies over time. Later, vomiting develops.
3. Bowel problems: colic, bloating, diarrhea.
4. An increase in body temperature. This is a relatively rare phenomenon in case of poisoning, characteristic mainly of intoxication with fungi.
5. Decreased blood pressure, general weakness, loss of consciousness.

In addition to the listed signs and symptoms, mushroom poisoning with oil can be accompanied by an exacerbation of chronic diseases (especially those associated with diseases of the digestive, excretory and nervous systems).

First aid for oil poisoning

As soon as symptoms of mushroom poisoning with oil are noticed, you should immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance. In addition, it is necessary to take a number of measures aimed at providing first aid, even before the arrival of specialists.

The most important procedure that needs to be done is to wash the stomach of the victim, or at least make him vomit. To do this, you need to give him to drink from 1,3 to 1,6 liters of cool water, then press the root of the tongue and induce vomiting.

If the victim has diarrhea, then he should be given a sufficiently large dose of sorbents – activated charcoal, “white charcoal”, etc. For an adult, the dose of activated charcoal should be at least 10 tablets of 500 mg.

If there is no diarrhea, then on the contrary they give a laxative (Sorbitol, Polysorb, etc.) and make an enema.

All of the above procedures are necessary to remove the intoxication of the body caused by poisoning.

When should I see a doctor?

It seems to many that after the first signs of oil poisoning appear, it is enough to provide the victim with the assistance described earlier, and complete any medical measures there. Such an approach is too careless and irresponsible. Mushroom poisoning can have the most unpleasant consequences for the body, so you need to seek medical help not only in case of obvious signs of mushroom poisoning, but even if they are suspected.

It must be understood that the action of fungal toxins on the body is destructive and occurs very quickly. Therefore, the appeal to the doctor should not only be timely, it should be urgent.

How to avoid oil poisoning

Preventive measures to prevent oil poisoning, like any other mushrooms, are quite simple:

1. The right choice of mushrooms is still at the picking stage. Before putting a cut mushroom in a basket or bucket, you should definitely make sure that it is really an edible mushroom. Their hymenophore is always porous.
2. Oil plants have the ability to “pull out” all salts of heavy metals and various toxins from the earth. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to collect them in environmentally friendly places. Not closer than 1 km to industrial enterprises, 100 m from railways and 50 m from highways.
3. It is better to collect butterflies that have medium-sized fruiting bodies, since they are still quite young and have not had time to absorb a large amount of harmful substances.
   Important! Frankly old mushrooms with cracked caps and legs cannot be collected.

4. When collecting, you need to carefully inspect the fruiting bodies so that they do not have dirt and traces of worms.
5. Do not store mushrooms for more than 1 day.
6. During the preparation of canned food, mushrooms should be washed very thoroughly, soaked in salt water and boiled, following all the rules (in particular, boil for at least 20 minutes). If the butternuts turn blue during cooking, they must be eaten on the same day, they cannot be preserved.
7. It is advisable to eat canned butternuts before the New Year, since after this time the likelihood of developing anaerobic bacteria that cause botulism increases significantly.
8. Oils are prohibited for pregnant and lactating women, as well as for children under 8 years of age. Sometimes this category is expanded even more: it is forbidden to use mushrooms for people who have had cholecystitis and pancreatitis.
9. In any case, it should be understood that all mushrooms, even edible boletus, are very heavy food for the human body. They should be used in moderation and with caution.

In addition, at each stage of working with oils, it is necessary to monitor their condition and its uncharacteristic changes. For example, if after removing the skin from the caps, the mushrooms turn black, naturally, they cannot be eaten. It is necessary to analyze not only external manifestations, but also the smell of mushrooms, their hardness, elasticity, etc.

Conclusion

Many do not understand how it is possible to get poisoned with butter, because it is believed that these mushrooms and even their false counterparts are at least conditionally edible, and there are no poisonous ones among them at all. However, do not forget that the fungus, which is part of the forest ecosystem, takes part in many metabolic processes, its fruiting body can become a receptacle for some chemical compound that will be unsafe for humans. The cause of oil poisoning may also be in no way connected with either the environment or the mushroom picker’s mistake during collection. Elementary violation of the rules of conservation, related, for example, to unsanitary conditions, can lead to a serious disease – botulism.