- What Is It?
- What Does It Do?
- If Poisoned
- Treatment
- Environment
-
Comments
-
**COMMENTSTAGLIST**
-
More
-
**OTHERTAGLIST**
Boric acid is not safe for humans. Boric acid poisoning may be acute or chronic. Acute poisoning occurs when individuals swallow powdered cockroach-killing products that contain boric acid. Chronic poisoning occurs when individuals are repeatedly exposed to boric acid. In the past, a diluted boric acid solution was used to clean and dress the wounds. Individuals repeatedly exposed to the dilute boric acid eventually developed boric acid poisoning. The symptoms of boric acid poisoning include:
- Blue-green vomit
- Diarrhea
- Bright red rash (resembling boiled lobster)
- Blisters
- Collapse
- Coma
- Seizures
- Drowsiness
- Fever
- Low blood pressure
- Sloughing of skin
- Lack of desire to do anything
- Twitching of facial muscles, arms, hands, legs, and feet
Boric acid may also cause death if there is a perforation in the esophagus and stomach, which may result in serious infections in both the chest and abdominal cavities.
What is boric acid?
Boric acid is a pesticide found in nature and many other products. They are mainly used to kill mites, fungi, plants, and insects, including fleas, termites, cockroaches, and wood decay fungi.
Boric acid is mainly found in:
- Antiseptics and astringents
- Enamels and glazes
- Medicated powders
- Skin lotions
- Some paints
- Glass fiber manufacturing
- Rodent and ant pesticides
- Photography chemicals
- Powders to kill roaches
- Some eyewash products
How does boric acid act?
Boric acid can disrupt the stomach and affect the nervous system of the insects. It can also scratch and damage the exterior of insects. The borax acts by:
- Drying out the plants
- Stopping plants from producing the energy they need from the light
- Stopping the growth of fungi by preventing them from reproducing
What to do if you had boric acid poisoning?
If the skin is exposed to boric acid, wash the area immediately with plenty of running water.
If the chemical comes in contact with the eyes, rinse the eyes with cool water for 15 minutes.
If boric acid is swallowed, seek emergency medical treatment.
How does the physician treat boric acid poisoning?
At the emergency room, the person may receive:
- Airway support, including oxygen, intubation, and ventilator
- Blood and urine tests
- Endoscopy to check for burns in the stomach and esophagus
- Chest X-ray
- Fluids through vein
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Medications to subside the symptoms
- Hemodialysis may help to clear the boric acid from the blood and prevent damage to kidneys and gastrointestinal tract
- Gastric lavage (a tube inserted in the stomach to clear out its contents) with charcoal powder may help reduce absorption in the body.
In the case of skin exposure, the treatment includes:
- Debridement (surgical removal) of skin surfaces
- Irrigation (rinsing the skin), possibly every few hours for several days
- The physician may recommend surgery if the acid perforates the esophagus, stomach, or intestine.
What happens to boric acid in the environment?
QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water? See AnswerMedline Plus. Boric Acid Poisoning. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002485.htm#:~:text=Boric%20acid%20is%20a%20dangerous,products%20that%20contain%20the%20chemical.&text=Chronic%20poisoning%20occurs%20in%20those%20who%20are%20repeatedly%20exposed%20to%20boric%20acid.
Bakar BA, Yosuf NA, Abdulamir AS. Risk and Health Effect of Boric Acid. American Journal of Applied Sciences. January 2010;7(5). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46168566_Risk_and_Health_Effect_of_Boric_Acid
Top Is Boric Acid Safe for Humans? Related Articles
Food Poisoning
Concerned about food poisoning outbreaks? From ground beef to lettuce, many foods can cause them. Learn about foodborne diseases like Salmonella, E. coli, norovirus, Campylobacter, Staph, and hepatitis A.
Arsenic Poisoning
Arsenic comes in two forms: inorganic and organic. Organic arsenic poisoning is usually not poisonous to humans; however, inorganic arsenic in large enough amounts can lead to shock and death. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, dark urine, vertigo, delirium, shock, and death. Treatment for arsenic poisoning includes hemodialysis and a variety of drugs.
Can Ricin Poisoning Cause Death?
Effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or injected. Ricin poisoning can eventually lead to multiple organ failure, leading to death within 36-72 hours of exposure, depending on the dosage of ricin and mode of exposure. There is no antidote for ricin; hence, ricin poisoning is mainly treated symptomatically with supportive medical care to reduce the effects of poisoning.
Ciguatera Poisoning
Ciguatera poisoning is a type of food poisoning caused by the ciguatera toxin found in a variety of large reef fish found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, vertigo, numbness, tingling, and muscle pain. Ciguatera poisoning requires medical treatment.
Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
Food Poisoning Quiz
What causes food poisoning? Can it be prevented? Take this quiz to learn about food safety and how to guard yourself against food poisoning.
How Long Does It Take to Get Lead Poisoning?
Lead poisoning usually takes months or years of exposure to a small amount of lead at home, work or daycare. When exposed to large amounts of lead, it can quickly lead to lead poisoning (acute poisoning).
Plants and Rashes
You may know to look for poison ivy's three-leaf stem, but what else do you know about rash-causing plants? WebMD explores myths and facts of poison plants.
What Happens When You Get Mercury Poisoning?
Exposure to high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. Very young children and unborn are the most susceptible to the effects of mercury. Although mercury is known to cause tumors in rats in the laboratory, there is insufficient proof to link mercury with cancers in humans.