If the person has no symptoms but has taken a potentially dangerous poison, you should also call a poison control center or go to the nearest emergency department for an evaluation.Poison is anything that kills or injures through its chemical actions.Most poisons are swallowed (ingested). The word poison comes from the Latin word – potare – meaning to drink. But poisons can also enter the body in other ways:
- By breathing
- Through the skin
- By IV injection
- From exposure to radiation
- Venom from a snake bite or insect bite
What Are Types of Poisoning?
Poisons include highly toxic chemicals not meant for human ingestion or contact, such as cyanide, paint thinners, or household cleaning products.
Many poisons, however, are substances meant for humans to eat, including foods and medicines.
Foods
- Some mushrooms are poisonous
- Drinking water contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals
- Food that has not been properly prepared or handled
