Dorothy FarrarMushroom poisoning
Mushroom poisoning (mycetism) is poisoning by fungal toxins that occurs primarily after eating poisonous mushrooms. Depending on the amount and type of mushrooms consumed, mushroom poisoning can be fatal in the worst case.
What is mushroom poisoning?
Toadstool or Edible Mushroom? Especially in the mushroom season, there is always a mix-up. Carelessness and ignorance is often the reason for severe mushroom poisoning.
There are over 100,000 different types of mushrooms known to exist on earth. They come in all shapes and sizes and are distributed worldwide. Fungi grow in the soil, on the remains of plants and animals, but also on or in the bodies of living beings. Due to their toxic components, some types of fungi can cause diseases ( poisoning ) in plants, animals and humans.
causes
Mushroom poisoning (mycetism) is often caused by eating poisonous mushrooms that you have collected yourself. The death cap and fly agaric in particular are deadly when ingested.
However, it is also possible that mushroom poisoning is caused by spoiled edible mushrooms or reheated mushroom dishes. The fungal toxins contained therein can develop their toxic effect within a few minutes to several days. Such mushroom poisoning is characterized by severe symptoms.
Hobby mushroom pickers should know that very few types of mushrooms can be used as edible mushrooms and these are difficult to distinguish from the poisonous and inedible mushrooms. There is no central reporting office for mushroom poisoning (mycetism) in Germany, so the number of unreported cases of mushroom poisoning is likely to be very large.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of mushroom poisoning:
The symptoms of mushroom poisoning (mycetism) are usually associated with liver or kidney damage and also often show up in the form of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, stomach pain , outbreaks of sweating with dizzy spells , hallucinations , shortness of breath and tachycardia .
In some cases, after eating toadstools, death can occur as a result of mushroom poisoning.
Diagnose
Certain mushrooms contain so-called mushroom toxins, which can lead to mushroom poisoning after consumption. The severity of the poisoning depends not only on the amount, but also on the type of mushrooms eaten.
Diagnosing mushroom poisoning is not always easy. Because not only the symptoms can be very different, but there can also only be a mushroom intolerance, allergy or an imaginary mushroom poisoning.
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can include sweating, drowsiness, restlessness, mental confusion, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal pain.
The time at which the symptoms began is important for the diagnosis of mushroom poisoning. A short period of time, up to four hours after the meal, usually indicates harmless mushroom poisoning. However, if the symptoms appear between 6 and 72 hours after consumption, this indicates severe mushroom poisoning with an existing danger to life from death caps, spring morex or veil mushrooms.
In order to verify the diagnosis, a blood test is always carried out to determine the type of mushrooms eaten. It is also important to monitor liver and kidney function. This is the only way to determine whether organ damage has already occurred.
treatment and therapy
To diagnose mushroom poisoning, it is important to be able to tell the doctor exactly what food has been eaten. It is ideal if you can also show the doctor leftovers from a meal that caused you to suffer from mushroom poisoning.
Treatment for mushroom poisoning depends on the exact cause and may include “pumping” or flushing the stomach. Activated charcoal can also be used to accelerate the removal of the fungal toxin from the body.
However, you should not resort to home remedies for mushroom poisoning on your own, but call the doctor and, if necessary, an emergency doctor immediately. Pulse , breathing and blood pressure are checked during treatment after mushroom poisoning. There are also antidotes for some fungal toxins that the doctor can provide.
Mushroom poisoning can heal without complications, but damage to the kidneys and liver can also remain. It is particularly important to act quickly in the event of mushroom poisoning.
prevention
To prevent mushroom poisoning, it is important to avoid gathering and eating unfamiliar mushrooms. If you are not quite sure that you have found an edible mushroom, it is better to leave it where it is. Expertise is very important, but even experienced mushroom pickers have made mistakes.
If in doubt, mushroom pickers throughout Germany can seek advice from expert mushroom experts. You can find a list of edible mushroom consultants in your region on the website of the German Society for Mycology (DGfM).
Airtight containers should not be used to collect mushrooms; a basket, box or paper bag is better. Mushrooms with a sponge under their hat are generally non-toxic, but caution should still be exercised.
When preparing the mushrooms, it is important to pay attention to the cooking time. This should not be less than 15-20 minutes. The hobby mushroom collector should definitely stock up on good books about mushrooms in order to be able to better rule out mushroom poisoning due to the risk of confusing edible with inedible mushrooms.
However, there is also the phenomenon of fake mushroom poisoning, which is an allergy , and there is also imaginary mushroom poisoning. Fortunately, this only has a few symptoms in common with actual mushroom poisoning.
Overview of toadstools and edible mushrooms
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.