How to Identify and Treat Poisoning?
In the United States, poisoning is the leading cause of injury mortality (the total number of planned and unplanned deaths) among individuals aged 1 to 44. Substances that can harm or kill the body by impairing or injuring it are known as poisons. They can be consumed, injected, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled into the lungs.
Poisoning can happen to adults as well as children, though young children are more likely to be poisoned. On account of their small body size, they may encounter more extreme side effects. find out more about the same below!
Signs
The symptoms of poisoning vary depending on the poison, how much poison was involved, and how the person was exposed. These symptoms and warning signs include:
Vertigo is characterized by symptoms such as faintness, tiredness, disorientation, and dizziness. Rash Redness or sores around the mouth Foaming or drooling Having trouble breathing Headache Shaking Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain. Other symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.
Types of Poisonings
Most Common The majority of poisonings are accidental and can be avoided. The five most common poisonings are alcohol, narcotics, carbon monoxide from food, household cleaners, and food.
Pathogens (bacteria and viruses), parasites, or poisons in food or water can cause food poisoning. Consuming unwashed fruits and vegetables, as well as raw meat, poultry, and shellfish, can cause this.
Depending on the type, food poisoning symptoms can range from mild to severe. Common symptoms include an upset stomach, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
The combustion of gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal, and other fuels produces carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas. CO has no flavor, smell, or variety. If you inhale too much carbon monoxide into your lungs, you run the risk of developing a dangerous disease known as carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Chemicals found at home
Many of them can be harmful even when used as directed. Since they can produce harmful fumes when combined, household cleaners should never be mixed.
Blending dye and alkali, for instance, produces chloramine gas, which can disturb the nose, throat, and lungs.8 Breathing in chloramine at high sums can be lethal.
- Alcohol
Binge drinking, or drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, can result in alcohol poisoning. This can bring about various side effects and issues, including seizures, cyanosis (blue shade of the blood inferable from an absence of oxygen), and hypothermia (low internal heat level).
- Drugs
Drug poisoning (also known as an overdose) is the most common form of poisoning that affects humans. It happens when a lot of drugs are taken in or abused.
Overdosing on certain medications, like Tylenol (acetaminophen), may cause the liver to become overloaded and unable to metabolize (break down) substances. The liver’s function can be altered by drug poisoning, leading to irreversible damage or failure.