Chlorine, one might say, is already a constant companion of our daily lives. It is rare that in which house there will be no household appliances based on the disinfecting effect of this element. But at the same time, it is very dangerous for humans! Chlorine can penetrate the body through the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, digestive tract, skin. You can poison them both at home and on vacation - in many pools, water parks, it is the main means of water treatment. The influence of chlorine on the human body is sharply negative, it can cause serious dysfunctions and even death. Therefore, everyone needs to be aware of the symptoms of poisoning, first aid methods.
Chlorine - what is this substance
Chlorine is a yellowish gaseous element. It has a sharp specific odor - bleach (bleach). In a gaseous form, as well as in chemical forms, which imply its active state, it is dangerous and toxic to humans.
Chlorine is 2.5 times heavier than air, so if it leaks, it will creep along ravines, spaces on the first floors, on the floor of the room. If you inhale it, the victim may develop one of the forms of poisoning. We will talk about this later.
Symptoms of Poisoning
Both prolonged inhalation of vapors and other exposure to the substance are very dangerous. Since it is active, the effect of chlorine on the human body is manifested quickly. The toxic element affects the eyes, mucous membranes and skin to a greater extent.
Poisoning can be both acute and chronic. However, in any case, with untimely assistance, death is possible!
Symptoms in case of poisoning with chlorine vapors can be different - depending on the specifics of the case, the duration of exposure and other factors. For convenience, we delimited the signs in the table.
| Degree of poisoning | Symptomatology |
| Easy. The safest - it takes place independently, on average, in three days. | Irritation, redness of the mucous membranes, skin. |
| Medium. Requires medical attention and comprehensive treatment! | Heart rhythm disturbance, suffocation, pain in the chest area, lack of air, profuse lacrimation, dry cough, burning sensation on the mucous membranes. The most dangerous symptom is pulmonary edema. |
| Heavy. We need resuscitation measures - a fatal outcome can occur in 5-30 minutes! | Dizziness, thirst, cramps, loss of consciousness. |
| Lightning fast. Unfortunately, in most cases, help is useless - death occurs almost instantly | Cramps, bloating of veins on the face and neck, respiratory failure, cardiac arrest. |
| Chronic The consequence of frequent work with a substance that contains chlorine. | Cough, convulsions, chronic diseases of the respiratory system, frequent headaches, depression, apathy, cases of loss of consciousness are not uncommon. |
This is the effect of chlorine on the human body. Let's talk about where you can get poisoned by its poisonous fumes and how to provide first aid in this case.
Poisoning at work
Chlorine gas is used in many industries. You may well get a chronic form of poisoning if you work in the following industries:
- Chemical industry.
- Textile factory.
- Pharmaceutical industry.
Poisoning on vacation
Although many people are aware of the effect of chlorine on the human body (of course, in large volumes), not all saunas, pools, recreational water complexes strictly monitor the use of such a budget disinfectant. But its dosage is very easy to accidentally exceed. Hence the chlorine poisoning of visitors, which happens in our time quite often.
How to notice that on your visit the dose of the element in the pool water is exceeded? Very simple - you will feel a strong specific smell of the substance.
What happens if you often visit the pool, where they violate the instructions for use of "Des-chlorine"? Visitors should be warned by the constant dry skin, brittle nails and hair. In addition, by bathing in highly chlorinated water, you run the risk of getting a slight poisoning by the element. It manifests itself in the following symptoms:
- cough;
- vomiting
- nausea;
- in rare cases, pneumonia occurs.
Home poisoning
Poisoning can threaten you at home if you have violated the instructions for use of Des-Chlorine. A chronic form of poisoning is also common. It develops if the housewife often uses the following tools to clean her:
- Bleach
- Medications for mold control.
- Tablets, washing fluids, which contain this element.
- Powders, solutions for general disinfection of the room.
The effects of chlorine on the body
The constant impact of even small doses of chlorine (the state of aggregation can be any) on the human body threatens people with the following:
- Pharyngitis.
- Laryngitis.
- Bronchitis (in acute or chronic form).
- Various diseases of the skin.
- Sinusitis
- Pneumosclerosis
- Tracheitis.
- Visual impairment.
If you noticed one of the ailments listed above, provided that you were constantly or once (cases of visiting the pool also related) being affected by chlorine vapor, then this is an occasion for an early visit to a specialist! The doctor will prescribe a comprehensive diagnosis to study the nature of the disease. Having studied its results, then he will prescribe treatment.
First aid for poisoning
Chlorine is a gas that is very dangerous to inhale, especially in large volumes! In case of moderate, severe form of poisoning, the victim should immediately receive first aid:
- Whatever the state of the person, do not panic. You should first pull yourself together and then calm him down.
- Remove the victim to fresh air or to a ventilated area where there is no chlorine vapor.
- Call an ambulance as soon as possible.
- Take care that the person is warm and comfortable - cover him with a blanket, blanket or sheet.
- Make sure that he breathes easily and freely - remove tight clothing, jewelry from the neck.
Medication for poisoning
Prior to the arrival of the ambulance team, you can independently help the victim using a number of household and medical preparations:
- Prepare a 2% baking soda solution. Flush eyes, nose, and mouth with this fluid.
- Place petroleum jelly or olive oil in his eyes.
- If a person complains of pain, pain in the eyes, then in this case, a 0.5% solution of dicaine is best. For each eye, 2-3 drops.
- For prevention, an ophthalmic ointment is also applied - synthomycin (0.5%), sulfanilic (10%).
- As a substitute for ophthalmic ointment, you can use albucid (30%), zinc sulfate solution (0.1%). These drugs are instilled into the victim twice a day.
- Intramuscular, intravenous injection. "Prednisolone" - 60 mg (intravenously or intramuscularly), "Hydrocortisone" - 125 mg (intramuscularly).
Prevention
Knowing how dangerous chlorine is, what substance has an effect on the human body, it is best to take care in advance of reducing or eliminating its negative effect on your body. You can achieve this in the following ways:
- Compliance with sanitary standards in the workplace.
- Regular medical examinations.
- The use of protective equipment when working with chlorine-containing drugs at home or at work is the same respirator, tight protective rubber gloves.
- Compliance with safety regulations when working with the substance in an industrial environment.
Work with chlorine always requires caution both on an industrial scale and in domestic. You know how to diagnose signs of substance poisoning. Assistance to the victim must be provided immediately!