Poison Help & Information

1-800-222-1222

How Poisons Can Hurt You

What Can Happen?

Depending on the substance, a poison might hurt you if you eat it, breathe it in, get it in your eyes, or on your skin. If you think someone has been poisoned, follow these first aid instructions and call 1-800-222-1222 right away.

Swallowed Substances

  • Caustic chemical products can cause burns to your face, lips, mouth, throat, or stomach. Common household substances include: drain opener, toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner, and rust remover.
  • Other products can be absorbed from your stomach into your bloodstream, and then travel to other parts of your body. Some products and drugs can affect your heart, brain, nervous system, liver, kidneys, or other organs.

Inhaled Substances

  • Caustic chemicals can cause burns to your face, eyes, nose, throat, or lungs. Mixing cleaning products together is a common cause of this problem.
  • Other products can be absorbed from your lungs into your bloodstream, then travel to other parts of your body. They may affect your brain, heart, nervous system, liver, kidneys, or other organs. A common example found in the home is carbon monoxide from: appliances that are not working correctly: furnaces, hot water heaters, stoves, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, and space heaters. Many pesticides can be poisonous if you inhale them, and deliberately inhaling (or huffing) solvents and aerosol sprays can cause sudden death. Butane, lighter fluid, gasoline, typewriter correction fluid, and nitrous oxide canisters are just a few of the inhalants which can cause sudden death, even the first time they are abused.

Poisons in Your Eyes

  • Almost anything not intended for your eyes can cause irritation; strong chemicals, including cleaning products can cause burns.

Poisons on Your Skin

  • If the product is a caustic chemical, it can burn your skin; common examples of household products include: drain opener, toilet bowl cleaner, and rust remover.
  • Some poisons can be absorbed through your skin, enter your bloodstream, and be carried to the organs, an example of one common at-home problem is spilling or spraying pesticides on the skin.