You’ve probably taken steps to protect your kids from accidental poisoning. But children aren’t the only ones who need protection. Adults, too, can become victims of unintentional poisonings.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers has these suggestions:
Read and follow the directions and caution labels on household products before using them.
Never mix household and chemical products together. A poisonous gas may be created when mixing chemicals. Turn on fans and open windows when using household and chemical products.
Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin and can be extremely poisonous. So stay away from areas that have recently been sprayed.
Never sniff containers to discover what’s inside.
Discard old or outdated household and chemical products.
Chemical poisoning can have any number of causes. It can come from household products like cleansers and roach spray or hazardous conditions in workplaces like foundries and mines. It can be absorbed via improperly treated food, and it can appear suddenly after unexpected exposure or it can build up slowly over years. Since the exact treatment depends on the kind of chemical we’re talking about and the way in which you’ve been exposed to it, try to pinpoint the cause if you can; it will help the doctor treat you properly.
If you can’t determine the exact cause, try to narrow down possible means of exposure. There are usually three ways people are poisoned by chemicals: they can breathe the poison in, they can swallow it or it can be exposed to their skin or eyes.