Accidents happen, and sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you or a loved one has accidentally imbibed something toxic. You will need to act quickly in order to achieve the best outcome, so what exactly should you be doing in a scenario like this?
First of all, you should follow Mayo Clinic’s steps for handling suspected poisoning cases. The steps you should take vary from poison type to poison type, so it suggests checking the label on the bottle of whatever has been eaten to see what they suggest doing in the case of swallowing the product. If a product has been produced improperly, it may not have a warning label, or the directions may be difficult to understand. In this case, generally speaking, induced vomiting is not recommended, as it does not flush the toxins out and can cause additional damage to the esophagus.
You should call emergency services as soon as possible, as well as the Poison Control Center. Even if you are not showing any outward signs of negative effects, you will need to get the toxin removed or counteracted professionally before it causes any damage. Additionally, some symptoms may not be visible or immediate, so you could be poisoned without realizing it.
Physical symptoms of a poisoning can include trouble breathing, confusion, or vomiting. This is another reason why acting quickly is important, especially if disorientation sits in. Alerting someone to your situation before a potential onset of symptoms is the safest way of ensuring that you will get the help you need even if you lose coherency. The sooner you are able to get help, the less likely your chances of suffering from permanent damage will be.