Poisoning
Overview
Poisoning can happen if you swallow, touch, or breathe in substances that can be harmful, such as chemicals or medicines. Get medical advice immediately if you think you or someone else has been poisoned.
Symptoms
Poisoning can happen after swallowing, touching, or breathing in a harmful substance. Symptoms may take a few hours or days to start, so it's important to get medical advice quickly if there's a chance you or someone else could have poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning can depend on what's caused it, and may include: feeling sick or being sickdiarrhoeafeeling sleepyblurred visionhigh temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shiveryconfusiondifficulty breathingseizures (fits)loss of consciousness
Causes
Some common substances that can cause poisoning include: medicines such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antidepressantshousehold cleaning products such as bleach or laundry detergentsalcoholand drugscertain plants and mushroomspesticideschemicals found in some workplacescarbon monoxide
Treatment
You'll need to be treated in hospital for poisoning because it can cause you to be seriously unwell, and can be life threatening. Treatment depends on what's caused the poisoning, and may include: medicines (antidotes)a charcoal drink that can help stop some types of poisoningtreatments to help with your symptoms, such as fluids given into a vein to treatdehydrationremoving what's caused the poisoning from your body – for example, some substances can be removed from your blood If you do not have symptoms, you may not need any treatment, but may still need to be monitored for several hours in case you become unwell.
Prevention
To prevent poisoning at home: store medicines and chemicals out of reach of children, ideally in a locked cupboardread the instructions that come with your medicines carefully to make sure you take the correct doseput safety catches on low cupboards that contain harmful substances such as cleaning products to stop children getting hold of themkeep liquid cleaning products and chemicals in their original containers to avoid them being mistaken for drinksget a carbon monoxide alarm for each room of your home that contains appliances that burn gas, oil, coal or woodwear equipment such as gloves, goggles or a mask to protect yourself when handling or using harmful chemicals
When to see a doctor
If you think you or someone else may have been poisoned, there are some things you can do while you're waiting for medical help. start CPRif someone is unresponsive and not breathing start CPRif someone is unresponsive and not breathing put the person in therecovery positionif they're unconscious and still breathing put the person in therecovery positionif they're unconscious and still breathing keep checking the person is breathing – if they're awake, keep talking to them to make sure they have not lost consciousness keep checking the person is breathing – if they're awake, keep talking to them to make sure they have not lost consciousness try to find what may have caused the poisoning – look around for packaging, containers, or medicines try to find what may have caused the poisoning – look around for packaging, containers, or medicines take some of the substance or its packaging to show doctors at the hospital, if possible take some of the substance or its packaging to show doctors at the hospital, if possible if the person vomits, try putting some vomit in a container to give to healthcare professionals to help them find out what caused the poisoning if the person vomits, try putting some vomit in a container to give to healthcare professionals to help them find out what caused the poisoning do not try to make someone sick if you think they've swallowed something harmful – they could choke and stop breathing do not try to make someone sick if you think they've swallowed something harmful – they could choke and stop breathing do not give the person anything to eat or drink do not give the person anything to eat or drink