What to do if you have cough due to formaldehyde poisoning

When it comes to formaldehyde, most people may be unfamiliar with it, but when it comes to formalin, I believe everyone knows that formaldehyde can cause great harm to the human body. People who are exposed to formaldehyde for a long time will have many problems in their respiratory system and may even cause cancer, including colon cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, menstrual disorders, and genetic mutations in the cell nucleus. These hazards are very serious and need to be understood clearly.

What is formaldehyde poisoning?

Many people may feel unfamiliar with the word formaldehyde, but they will feel more familiar with it when they hear the word formalin.

A 35% to 40% formaldehyde solution in water is what we call formalin. Formaldehyde is quite harmful to humans. Long-term exposure to low doses of formaldehyde can cause chronic respiratory diseases and various cancers, including nasopharyngeal cancer, colon cancer, etc. It can also cause brain tumors, menstrual disorders, gene mutations in the cell nucleus, and lead to decreased memory and intelligence in adolescents. If residual formaldehyde accumulates in the human body exceeding 15 ppm, metabolic acidosis will occur, causing headaches, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal and lung damage, etc.

Formaldehyde can also cause bronchial asthma, which is an allergic disease. There are two main forms of formaldehyde poisoning: one is inhalation poisoning and the other is oral poisoning. If formaldehyde vapor is inhaled for a long time, mild symptoms may include conjunctivitis, keratitis, upper respiratory tract inflammation and bronchitis, with symptoms such as burning sensation in the eyes, tearing, runny nose, sore throat, thirst, cough, shortness of breath, dry rales in the lungs, and symptoms of general discomfort such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, etc. In severe cases, laryngeal spasm, laryngeal edema, pneumonia and pulmonary edema may occur! Respiratory failure, etc.

If the patient is poisoned by oral administration, it is usually after accidentally ingesting formaldehyde solution. The patient will soon experience a burning sensation in the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach, nausea and vomiting, oral mucosal erosion, upper abdominal pain, and sometimes diarrhea, bloody stools, vomiting, and then headache, dizziness, irritability, convulsions, clenched jaws, some will experience drowsiness and fatigue, and some patients with severe poisoning will experience shock, coma, liver and kidney damage, etc. The lethal oral dose of formaldehyde solution for adults is about thirty to sixty milliliters, and the main cause of death is respiratory and circulatory failure.