General poisoning symptoms include the following. Headache, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, restlessness, perspiration, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, thirst, moodiness, soreness in joints, skin irritation, eye irritation.
The effects produced by poisons may be local (hives, blisters, inflammation) or systemic (hemorrhage, convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea, clouding of the senses, paralysis, respiratory or cardiac arrest). Agricultural pesticides are often poisonous to humans.
Some poisons are not very potent and cause problems only with prolonged exposure or repeated ingestion of large amounts. Other poisons are so potent that just a drop on the skin can cause severe symptoms. Some poisons cause symptoms within seconds, whereas others cause symptoms only after hours, days, or even years.
feeling and being sick. diarrhoea. stomach pain. drowsiness, dizziness or weakness.
Symptoms of poisoning
Nausea and/or vomiting. Diarrhea. Rash. Redness or sores around the mouth.
Thallium is tasteless and odorless and has been used by murderers as a difficult to detect poison. It is found in trace amounts in the earth's crust.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that can kill you quickly. It is called the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non- irritating. If the early signs of CO poisoning are ignored, a person may lose consciousness and be unable to escape the danger.
Some signs include chemical-smelling breath, burns around the mouth, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or unusual odors on the person. If possible, identify the poison.
If someone may have been poisoned, call the toll-free Poison Help line (1‑800‑222‑1222), which connects you to your local poison center, to speak with a poison expert right away.
If the person is alert, give him or her a glass of water or milk to drink. The liquid will slow the rate at which the poison is absorbed by the body. But if the person is weak, lethargic, unconscious, or having seizures, do not give him or her anything by mouth.
In adults, opioid overdoses were the most common cause of poisoning, followed by sedatives, sleeping medications and household cleaning supplies. Antidepressants are another common exposure among adults.
Types of poison
In regard to poisoning, chemicals can be divided into three broad groups: agricultural and industrial chemicals, drugs and health care products, and biological poisons—i.e., plant and animal sources. These three groups, along with a fourth category, radiation, are discussed below.
Delayed Onset of Poisoning Symptoms
Because it acts so slowly, 7 to 12 hours may pass before the first symptoms begin (no appetite when normally hungry, nausea, and vomiting). The classic example of a very slow poison is lead.
Pål Stenmark regards botulinum toxin – the world's most dangerous poison – as a set of building blocks he can redesign and give new functions. One aim is to produce new and more effective pharmaceuticals, including pain treatments.
Unless there is a possibility or suspicion of a specific poison, the chances of discovery are almost none.
In most cases, people with food poisoning get better on their own without medical treatment. You can treat food poisoning by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms.
Antidotes are agents that negate the effect of a poison or toxin. Antidotes mediate its effect either by preventing the absorption of the toxin, by binding and neutralizing the poison, antagonizing its end-organ effect, or by inhibition of conversion of the toxin to more toxic metabolites.
Dimethylmercury: This one is a slow killer - a man-made slow killer! But this is exactly what makes it all the more dangerous. Absorption of doses as low as 0.1ml have proven fatal; however, symptoms of poisoning start showing after months of initial exposure, which is definitely too late for any kind of treatment.
Poisons that can be absorbed through the skin come from many sources including plants, such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac; fertilizers; and pesticides.
Poisoning involves four elements: the poison, the poisoned organism, the injury to the cells, and the symptoms and signs or death. These four elements represent the cause, subject, effect, and consequence of poisoning.