Poisoning

What is poisoning?

Poisoning is when exposure to a toxic substance makes you sick or harms you. Many substances are toxic to humans. Examples include heavy metals, certain gases and even some plants in your garden. Poisoning often happens suddenly and accidentally. For example, a child might drink cough syrup, or you might splash cleaner into your eye.

Poisoning is sometimes a method of self-harm for people thinking about suicide. If you have thoughts of self-harm, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Hotline at 988 (in the U.S.). This free, confidential service is available 24/7.

Poisoning symptoms

The signs and symptoms of poisoning vary according to how the poison gets into your body. For example:

• Symptoms of poison chemicals in your eye include eye pain, redness or swelling.
• Signs and symptoms if you swallow poison include digestive issues like diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting.
• Getting poison on your skin can cause a rash, pain and stinging.

Signs and symptoms also vary by:

• The amount and type of poison
• Your age and overall health
• How long you’re exposed to the poison. Acute exposures last seconds or minutes, while chronic exposures happen over a long period of time.

Symptoms of acute poison exposure

There are many possible symptoms of acute poisoning. These can affect your whole body and/or individual parts. Symptoms may show up immediately or hours or days after exposure to a toxin.

If you think you have poisoning symptoms, call poison control or your local emergency services number. Symptoms include:

• Changes in body temperature
• Changes in heart rate
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Cough, possibly with blood
• Diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting
• Dizziness, weakness or fainting
• Eye pain, redness, swelling or tearing
• Headache
• Severe burning in your eyes, nose, throat and airways
• Skin rash, redness, pain, burning or stinging
• Stomach pain and cramping
• Trouble breathing
• Trouble seeing or loss of vision

Symptoms of chronic poison exposure

Chronic (long-term) exposure may not show symptoms until many years have passed. For example:

• Long-term exposure to toxic gases can cause lung damage. Symptoms that may develop include shortness of breath and chronic wheezing.
• Long-term radon exposure can lead to lung cancer.

What are the effects of poisoning?

The effects of poisoning range from mild to severe. Some cases are fatal. Serious cases may lead to:

• Hospitalization
• Long-term treatment
• Permanent disabilities or injuries

How poisoning affects you depends on many things, including:

• The type of poison. Certain types of poison cause mild symptoms that go away with at-home care. Others are more likely to cause severe illness.
• How it enters your body. Poisons can enter your body through your skin, mouth, nose or eyes. Swallowing a toxic substance (like a household cleaner) often causes more harm than touching it with your skin.
• The amount that enters your body. Poisons are generally more dangerous in larger quantities.
• How long you had exposure to it. A poisoning can be either acute (seconds or minutes) or chronic (long-term). Chronic exposures often happen on the job, especially in mining, factories or agriculture.
• How soon you get treatment. Quick treatment may limit or stop the effects of poisoning.
• Factors like your age and health. Poisons affect children differently than adults. Children are smaller, so a dose that wouldn’t harm you could be deadly to them. People with underlying medical conditions might also get sicker from poisons or have a harder time recovering.

Causes of poisoning

Poisoning happens when you’re exposed to enough of something to make you sick or harm you. Poisons, by definition, are any substances that can cause sickness or harm. They can be liquids, solids or gases. Poisoning can occur if:

• You inhale a poison in the air
• You eat or drink a substance that contains a poison
• A poison gets into your eye
• A poison absorbs into your skin
• An animal or insect bites or stings you and injects venom

Some substances are dangerous even in tiny amounts. Others will only hurt you in large amounts.

Types of poison

There are many types of poisons. You know some by name, like carbon monoxide or lead. Others are less obvious and contained in foods or products you use every day. Here are some examples:

• Poisonous plants. Certain plants contain toxins that can harm you when absorbed into your skin or ingested. Examples include poison ivy and poison hemlock.
• Venom. Venom is a poison that animals make. It can enter your body through a wound or injury. Examples include bee stings, jellyfish stings, scorpion stings, fire ant bites and snake bites. Venom exposure can cause mild symptoms or life-threatening reactions.
• Heavy metals. When heavy metals build up in your body, they can become poisonous. Examples include mercury poisoning, arsenic poisoning and lead poisoning.
• Carbon monoxide. Breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) fumes can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is dangerous because you can’t see or smell it. A working CO detector is the only way to know it’s there. CO can cause death after just a few minutes.
• Contaminated food. Toxins from bacteria, fungi and mold can contaminate your food and cause food poisoning. This happens when you eat food that’s not fresh, washed properly, cooked thoroughly or stored at the correct temperature. Common culprits are E. coli, salmonella and listeria. Ciguatoxin is a toxin in some fish that can lead to serious illness.
• Mushrooms. Toxins from poisonous mushrooms cause digestive symptoms that usually pass on their own. But some toxins can lead to liver and kidney failure. Always use extreme caution. Deadly mushrooms are easy to mistake for edible ones.
• Medications. Any medicine (prescription or over-the-counter) can become a poison if taken incorrectly. Common examples include narcotic pain medications, acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and blood thinners. Tell your provider about all medicines you’re taking. They’ll make sure the medicines are safe for you and won’t interact.
• Nicotine. Nicotine poisoning can happen to anyone, but it’s most common in children who eat cigarettes or consume liquid nicotine (from e-cigarettes).
• Alcohol. Alcohol poisoning happens when you consume ethyl alcohol (commonly called “alcohol”) faster than your body can process and eliminate it. It can also happen with types of alcohol your body can’t process safely, like isopropyl (rubbing) or methyl alcohols (also known as “methanol” or “wood alcohol”).
• Cleaning products. Many household cleaners contain chemicals that are poisonous when ingested, mishandled, combined or used incorrectly.
• Pesticides. Chemicals in most pesticides are poisonous if consumed.

How doctors diagnose poisoning

Experts at a poison control center or other healthcare providers diagnose poisoning. This can happen over the phone and/or in-person.

First aid for poisoning

Doing first aid within seconds or minutes of a poison exposure can prevent serious harm. Only attempt first aid if the person is:

• Awake
• Alert
• Breathing normally
• Able to swallow

If any of the above aren’t true, call 911 immediately.

First aid depends on the type of exposure.

When to call for help

Skip first aid and call 911 right away if a person:

• Collapses or loses consciousness
• Has a seizure
• Has difficulty breathing

Call 911 after starting first aid if a person:

• Has severe eye irritation, pain, redness, swelling or vision issues after rinsing for 15 to 20 minutes
• Has severe skin symptoms like blistering burns, pain, swelling or redness after rinsing for 15 minutes

Otherwise, after doing first aid, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222. Do this even if there are no signs or symptoms yet. This is a national number, but it routes your call to your local center.

A poisoning expert will talk to you over the phone. They’ll ask for key information so they can offer the best possible advice. Be prepared to share:

• The person’s age and weight
• Known health conditions and allergies
• The type of poison or product
• Amount of exposure
• How it entered the body (swallowed, inhaled, etc.)
• How much time has passed since exposure
• First aid provided
• Noticeable symptoms like vomiting
• The person’s exact location and the nearest hospital

The expert will give you detailed instructions on what to do and whether you should go to a hospital.

Treatments for poisoning

Poison control or your healthcare provider will decide the best treatment. Often, first aid is enough to help you recover. But you may need care at a hospital.

Treatments vary according to the type of poison and how it affects you. Besides first aid, other possible treatments include:

• Antidotes. These are medications or substances that counteract or reverse a poison’s effects. There are many different types. What works against one poison may not work against others. Some poisons have no antidote.
• Activated charcoal and stomach pumping. These methods may prevent the poison from getting into your bloodstream. Only a healthcare provider should use activated charcoal and stomach pumping. Don’t try them on your own.
• Supportive care. Various forms of supportive care, like mechanical ventilation and IV fluids, help your body function while the poison clears from your system.
• Induced vomiting (rare). NEVER induce vomiting unless poison control or a trained, qualified healthcare provider tells you to.
• Chelation therapy. This form of treatment uses medicine to remove metals in your body so they don’t make you sick. Only a qualified health professional should give you this therapy.

Can poisoning be prevented?

You can prevent or lower your risk of most types of poisoning. Here are some tips:

• Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Change the batteries yearly.
• Keep all medications out of reach of children. Always secure prescription medications in a locked storage place. Talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate doses for medications — prescription and over the counter (OTC).
• Store cleaners, soaps and household or cleaning chemicals in their original packages and where children can’t reach them. NEVER mix cleaning products or household chemicals.
• Don’t touch or eat unfamiliar plants you encounter outdoors. If you’re traveling in an unfamiliar area, research plants and animals to avoid.
• Take food safety measures like cooking meat to the proper temperature and rinsing fruits and veggies under running water.

What can I expect if I have poisoning?

Poisoning affects each person differently. It depends on the type of poison and other factors like your age and health. Some common forms of poisoning, like food poisoning or poison ivy exposure, are mild and go away with at-home care. More serious situations may require hospitalization. Sometimes, poisoning can be fatal.

When in doubt, err on the side of caution and get medical attention immediately.