Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Poisonings
Poisoning occurs when you ingest, inhale, or touch a toxic substance. Poisonings can be unintentional or they can be intentional, especially in cases of attempted suicide. Poisonings can also affect both adults and children, with children particularly vulnerable, especially since they are usually very curious in nature. No matter how well you hide toxic substances in the house, chances are that your kids may be able to get to them and end up suffering from poisonings. You can also suffer from poisoning by over indulging in substances that may not be toxic when taken in moderation. This is the case for alcohol poisoning which can be life-threatening if not treated as soon as possible in an ER. Given that poisonings can occur in different ways and can be caused by different substances, they are actually quite common in ERs around the country, including the highly rated frontlineer.com. Cases of poisonings are usually treatable although they need to be treated as soon as possible to avoid any unwanted consequences. This is why it is important to know when to head to an ER as far as poisonings are concerned, something this article will look to help with.
Even before we look at the signs and symptoms of poisonings that indicate one should go to an ER for the same, it is always important to go to seek emergency urgent care services at an ER like the excellent frontlineer.com as soon as possible if you or someone near you has ingested, touched or inhaled a poisonous substance. If you are sure that the material they have touched or ingested is poisonous, don’t wait for symptoms to come, but call 911 or head over to an ER as soon as possible. We are now going to look at some of the common cases of poisonings as well as when you should go to an ER for each one of them. We are going to start with food poisoning which is the most common type of poisoning experienced out there. It occurs when one eats food that is contaminated and as such symptoms will appear within hours of eating the contaminated food. While it usually doesn’t require a visit to an ER, there are certain symptoms of food poisoning that indicate that you should go to an ER as soon as possible. These include severe vomiting and an inability to keep fluids down, blood in the vomit or stool, severe and persistent diarrhea especially if it lasts for more than 3 days, severe and persistent abdominal pain or cramping as well as neurological symptoms such as blurred or double vision, tingling sensation in the arms, muscle weakness among others.
Another common type of poisoning is chemical poisoning, also known as cleaner poisoning as it is usually as a result of ingesting cleaning chemicals. This type of poisoning is particularly common in young children who due to their curiosity are likely to ingest toxic chemicals such as household cleaning products, pesticides and the likes. If your child ingests any of these chemicals, and you can tell this is the case by either finding an empty container next to them, if they have burns or redness around their mouth and lips or if their breath smells like chemicals, and is still awake and stable, call poison control on 800-222-1222 and if the expert you talk to, after asking you questions on your child’s condition, tells you to go to the ER, then do so while also taking the container of the substance your child may have ingested. However, if your child is having seizures or convulsions, is having difficulties breathing, is unconscious, is vomiting severely, is drooling or appears extremely confused, then you should call 911 as soon as possible to have them taken to an ER such as the highly regarded frontlineer.com.
Another very common type of poisoning is carbon monoxide poisoning which occurs when one breaths in this very dangerous gas. Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels are burned and some of the ways people inhale it include instances when you leave your car running in an enclosed areas such as your garage, when you use faulty stoves or furnaces, when you use charcoal to warm yourself when indoors without proper ventilation among others. While small amounts of carbon monoxide can make you sick, large amounts can be fatal and it is therefore important to know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning so that you can head over to an ER as soon as possible. Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include severe headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, confusion, memory loss, weakness and even loss of consciousness as is discussed in detail over at frontlineer.com. If someone is experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, you should call 911 or take them to an ER as soon as possible. Another common type of poisoning is alcohol poisoning which occurs when one consumes copious amounts of alcohol. Alcohol poisoning is not the same as being drunk as when you are suffering from alcohol poisoning, you may lose control of some of your regular body functions which makes this condition potentially life-threatening if not treated as soon as possible. Signs of alcohol poisoning include shallow or slowed breathing, seizures or convulsions, vomiting, extreme confusion, lowered body temperature, slurred speech, blue-tinged skin and even a loss of consciousness or an inability to wake up after passing out. If notice any of these signs in someone after they had been drinking, call 911 as soon as possible or take them to an ER.
The above are just some of the cases of poisonings as well as when to go to an ER for the same, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at the excellent frontlineer.com; the best place to go for the best emergency urgent care services.
