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The greenish fly agaric, commonly known as stinkhorn, is the most toxic fungus in the world. Usually, death occurs when the flesh of toadstool is eaten. One small fruiting body can poison an entire family, and the human body is unable to break down this toxin. Therefore, it should be avoided like fire. Symptoms of stonecrop poisoning are not specific, so it is often referred to as the “insidious killer”.
- The muskrat is considered the most poisonous fungus in Poland, it contains a dozen or so various toxins
- It appears in deciduous and mixed forests. It has no ring and no sheath
- The poison in the toadstool will not be destroyed by high temperature
- If mushroom ingestion is suspected, vomiting should be induced as soon as possible
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
The stinkhorn fly agaric is considered the most poisonous fungus in Poland. The fruiting body of the toadstool contains several different poisonous substances. This mushroom is so toxic that it is not worth getting close to it. Know the symptoms of poisoning.
Mushroom toadstool – appearance
The stinkhorn fly agaric has a pleasant aroma that attracts various insects. Surprisingly, they are resistant to stinkhorn venom. It resembles a greenish dove, a kite topper and a green goose. Due to the greenish fruiting body, deadly mistakes are made.
It appears in deciduous and mixed forests. It has no ring and no sheath. The fruiting body of the toadstool is approx. 10 cm wide. Young specimens are semicircular in shape, while older specimens are bell-shaped, and with time outstretched.
It has a white-green color. The toadstool skin comes off very easily. The hat is wide and slightly sunken in the middle. It is greenish in color with various admixtures of brown, white, yellow or gray. The toadstool leaflets are white and quite densely arranged.
The shaft is approx. 10 cm high and 2 cm thick. The flesh is white in color which does not change color as a result of injuries.
Mushroom mite – toxins
Few people realize that the toadstool contains a dozen different toxins. There are 3 groups of toxic substances in the flesh, namely phallotoxins, amotoxins and virotoxins. In total, as many as 12 toxins, of which two groups (phallotoxins and amotoxins) are deadly.
Theoretically, everyone in our country knows that one should not pick mushrooms that raise our doubts, especially those resembling toadstools. Despite this, there are still many cases of poisoning every year. According to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, in 2017 there were 24 poisonings. As many as 10 of them were caused by eating the toadstool. Keep in mind that even a small amount of flesh is toxic and 50 percent cases lead to death.
Toadstool – symptoms of poisoning
According to scientists from the Medical University of Lodz, the toadstool is responsible for 90-95 percent. all fatal mushroom poisonings in Poland. Importantly, symptoms do not appear immediately after eating a dish with mushrooms. The first complaints are observed even after a day – nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and severe diarrhea. After 48 hours, symptoms may disappear. However, this is apparent – the patient feels improvement for 1-2 days, and then the symptoms worsen.
In latent state, intoxication develops very dynamically. Dizziness, headaches, rapid heart rate and breathing problems appear. Over time, there is a disturbance of consciousness and loss of consciousness. The toxins damage the kidneys and liver. Death results from gradual damage to other organs.
Usually, death occurs within 3 days, but if the poisoning was less severe, death could take as long as 2 weeks.
If poisoning is suspected, do not delay. We will arrange a quick medical e-consultation online, but in an emergency you should immediately call for medical help or go to the emergency department.
- Read also: Why is it better not to pick overgrown mushrooms?
Toadstool – first aid
The poison in the toadstool will not be destroyed by high temperature. Most toxins are found in the mushroom cap.
How to improve immunity? A strengthening tonic with propolis – the Propolia BeeYes dietary supplement, available in ampoules, can be a support.
If mushroom ingestion is suspected, vomiting should be induced as soon as possible. This way we will get rid of the leftovers of the meal. Then go to the hospital as soon as possible. Literally every minute counts in the event of poisoning.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to self-compassion – a trend that has developed very strongly in the United States, but is still in its infancy in Poland. What is it and how does it affect our daily functioning? You will hear about this and many other issues related to self-compassion in the latest episode of our podcast.