Poisoning: How to know if you have been poisoned.

 

Did you know that...? 

A poison is any substance dangerous to our body. 

Any substance can be a poison if too much of it is ingested. Some poisons include:

- llegal drug overdose

- Carbon monoxide 

- Household products, such as powdered laundry soap or furniture polish

- pesticides

- Indoor and outdoor plants

- mercury

Sometimes people are poisoned by someone trying to kill or disable them (like to raping or robbing them). An example of this poison is the scopolamine aka burundanga.

Now... the Symptoms.

Symptoms vary depending on the poison, but may include:

- Belly pain

- Purple lips

- Chest pain

- Confusion

- Cough

- Diarrhea

- Difficulty breathing or breathlessness

- dizziness

- Double vision

- Sleepiness

- Fever

- Headache

And the most important: The first aids.

1. Try to verify that the person has certainly been intoxicated. It can be hard to tell, but some signs are chemical-smelling breath, burning around the mouth, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or unusual odors from the mouth.

2. Do NOT make the poisoned person vomit.

3. If the person vomits, clear the respiratory tract. Wrap a piece of cloth around your fingers before cleaning their mouth and throat.

4. If the person begins to have seizures, administer first aid for these cases.

5. If the poison has spilled onto the person's clothing, remove it and wash skin with water.

In itself, that is all you need to know about poisons and how to help a poisoned person.

Remember that, despite applying first aid, you must call the toxicology line in your country. In the case of Colombia, this line is:

​​​​​​​​​​​​Toll-free number: 018000-916012 - Fixed number: +57(1) 2886012 - 24-hour service.

blog entry written by: Natalia Montero