When lower concentration household bleach is swallowed, irritation of the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract can occur. This can result in nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Consumption of concentrated bleach products can lead to permanent gastrointestinal damage and may result in death.
immediate evaluation by an ER physician is needed. Large amounts of swallowed bleach can produce more significant, potentially life-threatening problems. If you have other poisoning concerns or questions call the tollfree national hotline at 1-800-222-1222 to reach your local poison center.
Swallowing, smelling, or touching small amounts of household bleach will likely not cause any significant problems. However, more severe problems can occur with industrial-strength bleach, or from mixing bleach with ammonia.
Some symptoms of bleach poisoning you can look for are: Difficulty breathing. Being sick. Feeling dizzy.
You're in for a world of hurt. Symptoms range from gagging, pain and irritation in the mouth and throat; pain and possible burns in the esophagus and stomach; vomiting; and shock can appear right away to within a few hours.
Respiratory issues may include shortness of breath, cough, chest pains, and irritation of the throat and nasal passages. In more severe cases, exposure to bleach might cause lung damage and onset diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Direct contact can result in burns, skin allergies, or infection.
The stomach acid neutralizes some of the bleach, but the same process releases chlorine gas, which can damage the lungs when inhaled. In case of swallowing, it's recommended to drink large amounts of water or milk to dilute the bleach.
Be sure to know what to do if you get bleach in your eye. If a child swallowed bleach, symptoms might include vomiting, stomach pain and loss of consciousness.
The chemical would inflame the lining of the veins, causing the blood clots along with an intensely painful burning sensation at the injection site and sometimes near the chest. The chlorine in bleach can also alter the pH of one's blood, possibly triggering cardiac arrhythmias and kidney damage.
There are several reasons sodium hypochlorite is considered a poisonous and hazardous substance. Here are a few of the harmful effects bleach has on humans: It is corrosive to skin and eyes and can cause severe burns. Per the CDC, disinfectants including chlorine, increase the rate of miscarriage and preterm birth.
In most cases, diluting the bleach with water will be enough to ease the skin irritation it causes. However, if someone gets bleach in their eyes or lungs, they should seek immediate medical attention. If a person ingests bleach, they should call Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222 immediately.
Right after being exposed to these fumes, the best at-home action is getting fresh air. Try to ventilate your indoor living space as much as possible. You may want to consider spending a significant amount of time outside in the hours following breathing in the fumes.
Bleach also has a flavor that people would classify as rubbery or “plastic-y”. It tastes and smells similar to tire tubes as well. Although, the intensity is greater with bleach because it is a chemical.
What is household/chlorine bleach? Bleach is a chemical that is diluted and sold for household use. It is a mixture of water and the chemical sodium hypochlorite. For uses in the home and many workplaces, it is usually sold with concentrations of sodium hypochlorite present at a range from about 3 to 9 percent.
Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach is possible. The outcome depends on how much of this damage there is. Damage to the esophagus and stomach can continue to occur for several weeks after the product is swallowed. A hole can develop in these organs, and that can lead to bleeding and severe infection.
Using Bleach
If using bleach, rinse the soaked sheets thoroughly with cold water. Then, pre-treat with a fabric-safe bleach, and machine wash. Most blood stains should come out using these methods, though it may take multiple attempts.
Less than 100 ml of household bleach is unlikely to cause serious problems. Fluids should be encouraged, particularly milk. Oesophageal damage occurs rarely and is associated with concentrated solutions (industrial bleach may contain up to 50% sodium hypochlorite) or the ingestion of large volumes.
When mixed with any acid, it releases highly toxic chlorine gas. Most toilet bowl cleaners contain sodium hydrogen sulfate, an acid which will quickly liberate chlorine from bleach. The acrid fumes of chlorine can destroy lung tissue, cause the lungs to fill with water and in a sense cause death by drowning.
Poisoning may occur if you breathe in ammonia. Poisoning may also occur if you swallow or touch products that contain very large amounts of ammonia. WARNING: Never mix ammonia with bleach. This causes the release of toxic chlorine gas, which can be deadly.
Important to note: When bleach is mixed with acid (ex/ vinegar, toilet bowl cleaners) it creates chlorine gas. When bleach is mixed with an ammonia product, it creates chloramine gas. Both of these gases are very irritating to inhale and can cause coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and headache.
The strong smell of bleach can also be comforting in a way, because it means that surfaces are free of germs and bacteria.
After acute exposure, pulmonary function usually returns toward baseline within 7 to 14 days. Although complete recovery generally occurs, symptoms and prolonged pulmonary impairment may persist. Exposure to chlorine can lead to reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a chemical irritant-induced type of asthma.
A majority of the patients with mild to moderate irritant exposure have a self-limited course with full recovery seen within 48 to 72 hours.
Some ammonia-containing products include floor, glass and jewelry cleaners. Another toxic fume can develop when bleach is added to a product containing acid. This combination produces chlorine gas which, like chloramine gas, causes irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.