How do you know if you have chlorine poisoning and treatment?

Chlorine is a chemical used in cleaning products, such as bleach, and for disinfecting swimming pools. Along with other cleaning ingredients, the main role of chlorine in cleaning products is to disinfect by killing germs.

But exposure to concentrated chlorine by swallowing, touching or inhaling it can be harmful, possibly causing chemical burns or blisters on the skin, damage to the eyes or breathing difficulties. If you or someone else experiences signs of chlorine poisoning, it is critical that you seek medical attention immediately.

How chlorine poisoning happens

Chlorine is often mixed with water and other chemicals to kill germs in swimming pools. Chlorine in household or industrial cleaners is used to destroy germs, and it also helps purify organic waste or light residue.

Moderate exposure to chlorine

Swimming in a pool dilutes the chlorine in the water so it doesn’t damage your skin or eyes. You may develop a mild rash that should go away with lotion. You can also breathe in very dilute chlorine in the air around a swimming pool. Even swallowing a few drops of pool water should not be dangerous.

You can touch or inhale chlorine when you clean with chlorine-containing products or enter a room cleaned with these products.

Excessive exposure to chlorine

If you are exposed to large amounts of highly concentrated chlorine, its destructive and corrosive chemical effects (on their own or mixed with other chemical ingredients) can be dangerous. You can get chlorine poisoning if you swallow cleaning products, if you get it on your skin or in your eyes, or if you inhale it in an enclosed environment.

Chronic exposure to chlorine

Chronic exposure to low doses of chlorine can occur in people who work with cleaning products, around swimming pools, in water or sewage treatment plants, or in some industries. Health consequences include dental corrosion and reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS). RADS is a form of asthma caused by a chemical irritant.

Symptoms to monitor

If you have any reason to think that you or your child has been exposed to harmful levels of chlorine, pay attention to the symptoms. Symptoms may occur immediately or may delay for a few hours and worsen quickly.

Skin

If you get chlorine on your skin, for example through contact with undiluted bleach, it can cause irritation and a burning sensation. Look for redness, itching, pain, or blisters.

Eyes

If you get concentrated chlorine in your eyes, it can cause redness and irritation and a burning sensation on the surface of your eyes and eyelids.

Breathing

Breathing chlorine from a swimming pool, being near a chlorine leak or puddle, or being in an industrial environment can cause coughing or sneezing. Severe cases can lead to breathing difficulties, wheezingand signs of hypoxia (low oxygen content in the tissues). Signs of hypoxia include a bluish discoloration of the skin (especially on the lips and nail beds), which may appear gray or white in darker-skinned individuals.

Swallow

If you swallow chlorine it can burn your throat, esophagus (food pipe) and the rest of your digestive system. The resulting tissue damage can disrupt blood mineral levelswhich affects kidney and heart function. Severe cases of chlorine ingestion require immediate medical attention and can be life-threatening.

Steps to be taken immediately

If you or someone else has been exposed to a high concentration of chlorine or has symptoms of chlorine poisoning, take action while you wait for emergency services to arrive.

The first thing you need to do is get away from the exposure. If you are outside in an environment with a high chlorine concentration, leave the area or go inside. If you are indoors in an area with a high chlorine concentration, leave the building and go outside or to another location.

Your next steps depend on your type of chlorine exposure:

• Swallowing chlorine-based pool cleaner or household cleaner: If you swallow chlorine-based cleaners, be careful not to vomit. Contact Poison control for advice, by visiting www.poison.org or by calling 800-222-1222. Concentrated sources (such as laundry pods or industrial bleach) can burn your throat, esophagus, and digestive system on the way down, and vomiting will cause additional burning on the way up.
• Chlorine splashed into your eyes: Wash your eyes with water for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Chlorine on your skin: Wash the area exposed to chlorine, or shower with mild soap and water.
• Inhaling chlorine in or around a swimming pool, from spilling household cleaners or in an industrial environment: Leave the area with a high concentration of chlorine in the air.

Be sure to remove clothing that has been splashed with chlorine until the chlorine has washed off.

Treatment for poisoning

The medical treatment of chlorine poisoning includes supportive interventions for the adverse effects.

You may need oxygen supplementation through a nasal cannula. This is a small plastic tube that is placed in your nose while you are awake and breathing. If you have severe lung damage, you may need this mechanical respiratory support. Your lung function will be monitored while your lungs heal.

If you have had a skin burn from chlorine, you will need medication to prevent a skin infection. Your healthcare providers will also protect your skin with medications and bandages placed on your skin until it heals. If you have had a severe burn, you may also have one skin grafta surgical procedure to replace severely damaged skin.

If you have had burns to the surface of the eye from chlorine damage, you may need to wear eye protection while your eyes heal.

During your healing process after ingesting chlorine, You may also be given intravenous fluids containing electrolytes (minerals)..

Assess the overall risk

Anyone can suffer from chlorine poisoning due to overexposure. Children are at greater risk because of their smaller bodies and airways. Pay attention to any complaints your child experiences during and after swimming.

It is a good idea to shower after swimming in a pool. Some people like to wear swimming goggles to avoid a burning sensation in the eyes.

Wearing a face mask while cleaning with chlorine products can help prevent you from inhaling the chemicals. If cleaning is uncomfortable for your eyes, you may also consider wearing glasses.

Alternatives to chlorine-based household cleaners

There are various cleaning and disinfectant products on the market. You may consider using organic products or making your own products. Often vinegar, mild soap, baking soda, or even hot water can be sufficient for cleaning, although these do not disinfect.

However, mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia or another chemical can create dangerous fumes. Make sure you understand the chemical interactions before mixing different types of products.

Summary

Chlorine is a commonly used ingredient in cleaning and disinfectant products. Chlorine compounds are effective in destroying germs, preventing infections and stopping the growth of many harmful microorganisms.

If you or your child are exposed to highly concentrated amounts of chlorine in a swimming pool, in your home or in an industrial setting, it can cause serious harm. Breathing in chlorine can damage your nose, throat and lungs. Swallowing chlorine can damage your throat, esophagus and digestive system. If you get chlorine on your skin or eyes, it can cause burns.

If you or your child have any of these exposures, call poison control immediately for help and avoid further exposure while you wait for help. Treatment for chlorine poisoning can help your body heal.