Home remedies for poisoning

All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.

– Paracelsus

In most cases, it is a moment of confusion when there is poisoning. At that moment, everyone around starts suggesting his own first aid/home remedy.

Once a person is poisoned, the first aid to give depends on:

1. The type of poison
2. The mode of poisoning (swallowed, inhaled, eye, or on the skin).

For swallowed poison;

• Check for the instruction on the poison container, and follow it.
• For irritating poisons, give some water/milk to the victim if; he’s awake, can swallow, and not convulsing.
• Rush him/her to the hospital.

Note: Please, do not give palm oil to a victim of swallowed poisons because, it can block the airway, and worsen the condition.

For inhaled poisons;

• Quickly move the victim to a place with fresh air devoid of toxic fumes.
• If he vomits, turn his head to the side to avoid Choking.
• If the person isn’t moving or breathing, start Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression, and rescue breathing
• Move the person to the hospital.

For poison in the eye;

• Remove contact lenses if any
• Pour clean water in the eye for at least 15 minutes (don’t use soap, or soapy water).
• Encourage the victim to blink.
• Move to the hospital.