.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy,
rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol,
is a simple, synthetically produced alcohol, comprised of eight hydrogen, three
carbons, and one oxygen atom.
It has numerous medical, industrial, and
household uses, and is not to be confused with ethanol alcohol found in liquor or wine.
Can You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?
The
short answer is no! It is poisonous, and since it is a clear liquid that children
may mistakenly drink as water, even small amounts can be harmful, or even
lethal.
For
adults who try drinking rubbing alcohol as a substitute for ethanol alcohol,
they could face some serious side effects, including alcohol poisoning.
Why Is It Bad?
· Damages the Nervous
System: Drinking rubbing alcohol will have an
immediate effect on the central nervous system (CNS), including dizziness,
nausea, hypotension, and hypothermia. The critical effect is the irritation of
the respiratory system, eyes, and the heart.
These
effects could include difficulty breathing or an irregular heartbeat, and
because isopropyl alcohol slows down these functions, it could eventually lead
to coma or death by shutting them down altogether.
· Causes Internal
Burns: Isopropyl
alcohol consumption could also lead to (ARDS), or acute respiratory distress
syndrome. This severe and acute lung dysfunction affects most or all of both
lungs that occur as a result of internal burns or injury.
The
symptoms may include breathing difficulties, rapid breathing, hyperventilation,
aspiration of food into the lung, or insufficient levels of oxygen in the
circulating blood.
· Leads to Irregular Heartbeat: Drinking
rubbing alcohol can also have some adverse effects on your heart and blood
pressure. This might include an irregular heartbeat called arrhythmia, low
blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.
The
conditions may last from 30 to 60 minutes or longer and chronic use can lead to
disease of the heart muscle called cardiomyopathy that could lead to heart
failure and death.
What If I Accidentally Drink Rubbing
Alcohol?
The first thing you should do if someone
accidentally ingests rubbing alcohol is to contact a poison control center and
seek immediate medical attention.
Before calling the poison control center or
emergency health care professional, try to determine the following information:
Patient's age, weight, and condition, the name of the product and strength, and
the time and amount of the product consumed.
Do not try to induce vomiting unless told to
do so by an emergency care professional.
If the patient does not develop symptoms such
as convulsions, vomiting, or is alert enough to swallow, milk or water may be
the first treatment.
How well you can help depends on the amount
of isopropyl alcohol accidentally swallowed, and how quickly the patient
receives treatment.
The quicker you seek medical help, the better
the chance at recovery.
For Isopropyl Alcohol Poisoning
Give the doctor as many details as possible.
This will help the physician make the best decisions.
The health care provider will measure and
monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and
blood pressure.
Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You
may receive:
·
Dialysis, in very
rare cases
·
An
electrocardiogram (EKG)
·
Intravenous fluids
(IV)
·
Intubation or
ventilator to help breathing
·
Oxygen therapy
Ethyl Alcohol vs. Isopropyl Alcohol:
What is the Difference?
The principal difference between ethyl
alcohol and isopropyl alcohol is that ethyl alcohol is found in liquor, beer
and wine, whereas isopropyl alcohol is primarily used as a topical application
used for sterilization.
1. Uses
Isopropyl alcohol is alcohol that is used for
external use to kill germs and is a common ingredient found in shampoos, soaps,
and cleaning products, such as a hand sanitizer.
Drinking rubbing alcohol may cause serious
illness or even death.
Ethyl alcohol, on the other hand, is mainly
used in alcoholic beverages for drinking, and is usually sold in a diluted form
for safety.
2. Manufacturing
Isopropyl alcohol from fossil fuels is easily
synthesized from the reaction of propylene with sulfuric acid, and then
followed by hydrolysis.
The hydration of propylene is in some cases
carried out in one step, using water and a catalyst at high pressure. Isopropyl
alcohol is then mixed with water for use as a rubbing alcohol antiseptic for
topical use.
Ethyl alcohol for drinking, on the other
hand, is made through fermentation and distillation. The three major types of
alcoholic beverages are fermented, distilled, and fortified. Fermentation
occurs when the sugars in grains and fruits combined with yeast to yield
ethanol.
3. Available Forms
Isopropyl alcohol for industry is used as an
inexpensive solvent for drugs, gums, shellacs, and cosmetics, as well as
ethanol, to help to prevent separation and freezing of water added to wet gas.
Isopropyl alcohol is easily oxidized to
acetone, used for paint strippers and thinners and in its purest form is
referred to as grain alcohol.
Ethyl alcohol for drinking can be found in
beer, wine and liquor that can be purchased through a merchant or produced as a
homemade product.
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http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Drinking-Rubbing-Alcohol.html
Can You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?
The
short answer is no! It is poisonous, and since it is a clear liquid that children
may mistakenly drink as water, even small amounts can be harmful, or even
lethal.
For
adults who try drinking rubbing alcohol as a substitute for ethanol alcohol,
they could face some serious side effects, including alcohol poisoning.
What If I Accidentally Drink Rubbing
Alcohol?
Ethyl Alcohol vs. Isopropyl Alcohol:
What is the Difference?
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
..
.
PURICARE
INDUSTRIAL
ENTERPRISES
Water
Treatment
Systems
http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Drinking-Rubbing-Alcohol.html
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