Can hydrogen peroxide be consumed?

We have all heard of hydrogen peroxide, which is usually found in hospitals and has a disinfecting effect. In fact, there are several types of hydrogen peroxide, including medical and industrial ones, but no matter which one you use, you cannot drink it. Hydrogen peroxide is highly corrosive, so it cannot be consumed. But what should you do if you accidentally drink hydrogen peroxide? So today I will introduce to you in detail the issue of consuming hydrogen peroxide.

1. Do not drink hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is generally used for medical wound disinfection, environmental disinfection and food disinfection. It has strong oxidizing properties and is corrosive to metals. For the sake of your own health, hydrogen peroxide should not be drunk.

2. What happens if you drink medical hydrogen peroxide?

The medical hydrogen peroxide on the market is generally 3% in concentration. It will not cause poisoning after drinking it. If the amount consumed is large, it may cause symptoms such as vomiting and mucous membrane burns.

3. What happens if you drink industrial hydrogen peroxide?

The industrial hydrogen peroxide on the market generally has a concentration of 30%. This type of hydrogen peroxide has a strong oxidizing property. After drinking it, it will seriously damage the respiratory tract, esophageal, and digestive tract mucosa and cause inflammation. In severe cases, it can cause perforation. The patient may lose consciousness or have convulsions, which may lead to blindness, pulmonary edema, tissue necrosis and other consequences.

4. What to do if you drink hydrogen peroxide

If you drink 3% medical hydrogen peroxide, you should immediately drink enough warm water to stimulate the throat and induce vomiting. If you drink too much medical hydrogen peroxide, you need to go to the hospital after inducing vomiting.

If you drink 30% industrial hydrogen peroxide, you should drink milk or raw egg white as soon as possible. The protein content in these two foods is very high, which can react with hydrogen peroxide before the protein in human tissues. At the same time, drink plenty of water to induce vomiting. If necessary, seek medical attention immediately.

5. Tips

Hydrogen peroxide is not drinkable. It should be kept out of the reach of children to prevent them from accidentally ingesting it. If a child drinks a small amount, it is generally fine and just needs to drink more warm water; if a child drinks a large amount, he or she should induce vomiting immediately, and go to the hospital immediately if he or she feels unwell.