What makes something poisonous

Have the poison container with you so you can give complete information to the poison control centre, such as what the poison or substance is, how much was taken and when.

Do not try to make the person vomit. Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:. You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home. Changes in behaviour that can be caused by poisoning can include:. Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury. Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock.

Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example:. Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Call or other emergency services now. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call for medical transport to the hospital.

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. Call the local poison control centre or your doctor today for more information. Call your local poison control centre, hospital, or doctor immediately. Have the poison container with you so you can give complete information to the poison control centre.

The poison control centre will be able to help you quickly if you have the following information ready:. If the poison control centre recommends medical evaluation, take the product container or substance and any stomach contents that the person vomited to help doctors determine the seriousness of the poisoning. Do not use syrup of ipecac.

It is no longer used to treat poisonings. If you have syrup of ipecac in your home, call your pharmacist for instructions on how to dispose of it and throw away the container. Do not store anything else in the container. Activated charcoal is also not used at home to treat poisonings.

The poison control centre has guidelines on what treatments are needed for all types of poisons. If a poisoning was intentional, first get help as described above. Then check your local phone book or provincial website for suicide resources on getting help in your area. Follow the instructions you received from your doctor or the poison control centre about seeking medical evaluation. Call your doctor if any of the following occurs during home treatment:. Develop poison prevention habits early, before your child is crawling.

Babies grow so fast that sometimes they are crawling and walking before you have time to protect them. To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

You can help your doctor treat poisoning by being prepared to answer the following questions. Be sure to bring the poisonous substance with you. Adapted with permission from copyrighted materials from Healthwise, Incorporated Healthwise. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty and is not responsible or liable for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.

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It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Overview A poison is a substance that has toxic effects and may injure you or make you sick if you are exposed to it.

There is a tendency to believe that if only small amounts of a chemical are needed to cause poisoning, then the risks associated with exposure to the chemical are very high. This case is not necessarily so. A high toxicity chemical can have a low risk to health if it is used with proper precautions. On the other hand, it is possible that a chemical of low toxicity may present a high risk to health if it is used inappropriately or incorrectly. Toxicity is a measure of the poisoning strength and is an unchanging characteristic of a chemical.

Risk is not the same. It is a variable feature. Risk is defined as the combination of the likelihood of the occurrence of a harm and the severity of that harm. Risk, in this discussion, is the likelihood that a chemical will cause poisoning, given its toxicity strength, and the amounts and manner in which it is used, stored and handled. The toxicity hazard of a chemical cannot be changed, but the risk it presents can be controlled and minimized.

Add a badge to your website or intranet so your workers can quickly find answers to their health and safety questions. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information, CCOHS does not guarantee, warrant, represent or undertake that the information provided is correct, accurate or current. CCOHS is not liable for any loss, claim, or demand arising directly or indirectly from any use or reliance upon the information.

OSH Answers Fact Sheets Easy-to-read, question-and-answer fact sheets covering a wide range of workplace health and safety topics, from hazards to diseases to ergonomics to workplace promotion. Search all fact sheets: Search. Type a word, a phrase, or ask a question. These factors are as follows: Route of entry into the body Amount or dose entering the body Toxicity of the chemical Removal from the body Biological variation.

No chemical can cause poisonous effects without first coming into contact with the body. As a general rule there is less risk of chemically caused harm if the body can do one or both of the following: break down the chemical into less harmful chemicals rapidly remove the chemical from the body. There are two main ways that too much of a chemical can enter the body and cause poisonous effects: By sudden or short term-exposures A one-time exposure to relatively large amounts of the chemical can overwhelm the body.

Some examples of acute toxicity are listed below: Inhalation of high concentrations of acid vapours might cause serious burns of the mouth and the airways leading to the lungs. Skin contact with certain organic solvents that are absorbed through the skin may cause dizziness and nausea. Inhalation of dusts can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, dryness in the throat, and coughing. By repeated exposures over a long period of time A repeated exposure over a long period of time can also cause too much chemical to enter the body and produce poisoning.

The following are some examples of chronic toxicity: Inhalation of certain acid vapours at concentrations may, over long periods of time, cause loss of tooth enamel, eventually leading to extensive tooth decay.

Inhalation and skin absorption of some organic solvents may, over long periods of time, cause damage to nerve tissue. Repeated exposure to dusts containing quartz can cause scar tissue in the lungs. This effect eventually leads to severe and permanent lung damage.

Acute toxicity In most cases, much more is known about the acute toxicity of a chemical than its chronic toxicity. Chronic toxicity Much of the knowledge we have about chronic toxicity comes from animal experiments. Some poisons make an organism sick, others may cause it to die and yet others may lead to subtle changes in health that may not be noticed for years.

Toxicology is the science of poisons. It is the study of harmful effects of chemicals on living organisms. Potentially poisonous chemicals can be synthetic manufactured or natural. For example, dioxins, some pesticides and nerve gases are poisonous manufactured chemicals, whereas, belladonna, botulinum and tetrodotoxin are poisonous naturally produced chemicals. There are also poisonous substances that occur naturally in the ground, such as asbestos and lead.

In science, a toxin is often considered a specific type of poison — a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms. Venoms are toxins that are injected by a bite for example, from a spider or sting for example, from a wasp to cause their effect.

Five of the seven most deadly known compounds have their source in nature see list above. This approach is no longer recommended. If the poisoned person is awake and alert, call the poison control center at You should have this number stored in your house and phone.

Stay on the phone with the operator and follow all instructions. Try to have the following information ready:. Call if the poisoned person is unconscious or not breathing. The medical team will provide additional treatment. They can use methods to get rid of the poison before it causes more harm. Some types of poison have antidotes. Treatment also includes measures to relieve symptoms. The sooner you recognize poisoning symptoms, the better the outcome. However, the lasting effects of poisoning vary.

It depends on the substance, amount, and type of exposure. Your age, weight, and state of health also affect your outcome. Poisoning can cause short-term effects, like a skin rash or brief illness. In serious cases, it can cause brain damage, a coma, or death. American Academy of Family Physicians: Snakebites. American Association of Poison Control Centers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Poisoning. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.

Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Lead poisoning is serious.