Today on the market you can find a lot of products of dubious origin. Some of them look so good that people still buy them. As a result, poisoning often occurs. And if just food poisoning can be cured in half a day, then methanol poisoning is much more dangerous.
You need to know the enemy by sight
Methyl alcohol is a colorless liquid with a characteristic alcohol smell. It is used in industry for the production of household chemicals: solvents, paints, and other things. Sometimes methanol compounds are used in the manufacture of drugs. Methanol is poisonous and toxic, so it should be handled with extreme care.
The trivial name of methanol is wood alcohol. It was first discovered by Boulem in 1661, during the dry distillation of wood. In its pure form, methyl alcohol began to be produced after 200 years. And in 1932, a method was discovered by which methanol is produced to this day.
Methanol poisoning
Methanol poisoning is possible when it enters the body. This ishappens in two ways. The first is the use of products containing methyl alcohol. And the second is the inhalation of methanol vapors. Most often, poisoning occurs due to the use of low-quality alcohol. Not all manufacturers adhere to recipes and think about the he alth of their customers, therefore, instead of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol is often present in alcoholic beverages.
Sometimes, alcohol poisoning is widespread due to the large batch of low-quality alcoholic beverages entering the market. In 2011, mass poisoning occurred in Turkey, and a year later - in the Czech Republic.
Once in the human body, methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde. Both substances are harmful to the liver, heart and many other internal organs.
How to protect yourself from methanol poisoning
When choosing alcohol, you need to check the availability of licenses and certificates. It is advisable to purchase alcoholic beverages in well-known stores with trusted suppliers.
Drivers are constantly exposed to various liquids, which may include methanol. To get poisoned, it is enough to inhale deeply the vapors of a winter windshield washer from an unreliable manufacturer. And poisoning can occur if this very washer gets on the skin. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out all procedures with “anti-freeze” with gloves and in a ventilated room.
Those who work in chemical industries, of course,are also at risk of methyl alcohol poisoning. Well, ordinary people are waiting for methanol in varnishes, paints, solvents, some detergents, and so on. Banal security measures will help to avoid unpleasant consequences.
Methanol poisoning: symptoms
Immediately it should be noted that the strength of the effect of methanol on the body directly depends on the dose. Therefore, do not expect with horror all of the following symptoms with mild poisoning.
Signs of methanol poisoning are quite extensive, because it affects all internal organs. When ingested, methyl alcohol accumulates in the liver within a few minutes. However, the first symptoms appear after about eight hours. Among the problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the following signs of poisoning can be distinguished: nausea, cramps, flatulence, cutting pain in the stomach.
Methyl alcohol can even affect the organs of vision and hearing. Vision is mainly affected. With severe poisoning, it is almost impossible to restore it. Vision begins to suffer gradually after methanol poisoning occurs. Symptoms are observed such: partial or complete blindness, ripples and pain in the eyes, blurred vision.
The effect of methanol on the nervous system is determined by such signs: convulsions, tremors in the limbs, headache, fainting, irritability.
The cardiovascular system also reacts to the ingestion of methylalcohol. Blood pressure changes (increases or decreases), the pulse quickens, pain may appear in the region of the heart. If the pressure rises, the nose may bleed.
If methanol gets on the skin, it will most likely cause a burn. With severe poisoning, a person can lose consciousness or even fall into a coma. This happens gradually, so at the slightest symptoms of intoxication, drastic measures should be taken.
First Aid
It's time to tell you what to do in case of methanol poisoning. So, first of all, you need to find out how the poison affects the body: in liquid form it got into the stomach, in the form of vapor it got into the lungs, or it got on the skin.
To cope with methanol poisoning, which has entered the body with food or drinks, you need to start with gastric lavage. This is done with pure water or a solution of soda in small concentrations. After drinking a liter of liquid, you need to induce vomiting. So you need to do several times with an interval of an hour. In addition to the stomach, a large amount of methanol can accumulate in the intestines. Therefore, in parallel with gastric lavage, it is worth doing an enema or drinking a laxative.
Cope with methanol poisoning, which entered the body in the form of vapors, much easier. It is enough just to provide the victim with an influx of clean air. It would be best to go outside, but you can just open the windows. You don't need to make sudden movements. Inhale the air is worth both deep and superficial breaths. To be safe, you can also perform a gastric lavage. Only in extreme cases, whenthe dose of methanol was critical, artificial ventilation of the lungs would have to be done.
If methanol gets on the skin and causes burns, they should be wiped with ethyl alcohol. It is also important to ensure that the skin is well ventilated.
If the victim has convulsions, chills or loss of consciousness, you need to give him a horizontal position. Cover with a blanket and raise your head with a pillow. It is best if the person lies on their side.
Ethyl alcohol is often used as an antidote to deal with methanol poisoning. It breaks down methanol and accelerates its removal from the body. Small doses of 40% ethanol solution (vodka) are taken every three hours.
When the first symptoms of poisoning appear, you should definitely call a doctor!
What not to do
So, having figured out what to do in case of methanol poisoning, it is worth finding out what not to do so as not to harm the he alth of the victim. You do not need to deal with treatment yourself: all the above methods are needed only to normalize a person’s condition until an ambulance arrives. It is not worth taking all kinds of medicines that increase or lower blood pressure, relieve headaches and fight other particular symptoms.
If poisoning occurred through the respiratory system, no need to do an enema. If methanol gets on the skin, do not try to relieve pain with ointments and burn creams. Give the victim an antidote (ethanol) should be dosed,and only if the person is conscious. The dose should be calculated as follows: 1 gram of pure ethanol (2.5 g of vodka) per 1 kilogram of body weight. Doing any drips at home is undesirable.
If you are not sure that it was methanol that caused the poisoning, it is better not to use ethyl alcohol, as it can harm. If the victim is unconscious, he should not be left alone. It should not lie on the stomach or back. In the first case, the access of air will be disturbed, in the second case, if you vomit, you can choke.
When poisoning with methanol, you must be extremely careful not to harm the victim. With very severe poisoning, even a fatal outcome is possible, so action must be quick and decisive. You can cope with methanol poisoning, the main thing is to follow all the above tips.
Poison Recovery
After first aid has been provided, the victim must be taken to the hospital so that specialists can continue treatment. Treatment will consist of two stages: maintaining the body in good shape and restoring functions that have been impaired. In case of complex poisoning, when a critical amount of methanol has entered the body, blood is purified.
The rehabilitation program depends on which organs have suffered the most. As a rule, the organs of vision are the worst. The treatment course includes taking vitamins, special exercises, and sometimes surgery.
If methanol enters the body through the respiratory system and hits the mucous membrane, conduct a courseinhalations. With the help of herbal preparations, it turns out to heal and disinfect the internal organs.
Whatever the poisoning, general rehabilitation is needed after it. It includes rest, taking vitamins, dieting, and more.
Conclusion
No one is safe from methanol poisoning, and even a specialist can accidentally get a dose of methyl alcohol from poor-quality food. Everyone is wrong, remember at least the film "Engineer Cochin's Mistake" (1939). But those who are aware of this issue will be able to save their lives and the lives of others.
