Hydrogen peroxide is a common ingredient in many household cleaning products. If accidentally exposed to the skin, the substance is at risk of irritating your skin, eyes and even your digestive tract! Fortunately, most home cleaning liquids contain only hydrogen peroxide in such a low concentration that all you have to do is wash the contaminated skin with cold water to restore it to a state of mind. However, always remember that skin that is exposed to very high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide should be checked by a doctor immediately although generally it will not cause long-term injury.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Treating Burnt Skin
Step 1. Understand the concentration of hydrogen peroxide hitting your skin
By doing so, you will know the extent of the impact of hydrogen peroxide on your skin, eyes or digestive tract. In addition, it will help you to find out the most appropriate treatment method for your condition! You can easily find the concentration of hydrogen peroxide on the product packaging label.
- Most household cleaning fluids contain about 97% water and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide at such low concentrations can cause mild irritation to your skin, eyes, or digestive tract, and risk turning the contaminated skin surface white. However, generally you just need to wash your skin with cold water to deal with the irritation that occurs.
- Products used to reduce or remove hair pigment usually contain 6-10% hydrogen peroxide, and can have a greater impact than regular household cleaning fluids.
- Generally, industrial fluids contain about 35-90% hydrogen peroxide. Skin exposed to such high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can immediately burn or blister and should be treated by a medical professional immediately. Do not hesitate to contact the nearest hospital if accidentally exposed to industrial fluids containing hydrogen peroxide!
Step 2. Remove any clothing that has been exposed to hydrogen peroxide
To avoid further contamination of the skin, immediately remove any clothing, jewelry, or other accessories that have been exposed to hydrogen peroxide! If the hydrogen peroxide concentration is equal to or more than 10%, store contaminated clothing in special plastic bags.
Step 3. Wash the contaminated skin with cold water for at least 15 minutes
This method should be used to reduce the pain as well as remove any remaining hydrogen peroxide. If the surface of the contaminated skin is too large, or if the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is too high, try taking a cold shower in the shower.
Step 4. Wash the area of skin exposed to hydrogen peroxide, and immediately apply a gel or other external remedy
In fact, the method of treating sunburned skin due to exposure to heat and exposure to hydrogen peroxide is no different. First of all, you need to continue to wash the contaminated skin with cold water until the pain subsides, clean it with a mild soap, then apply an external medicine that contains antibacterial properties to speed up the healing process.
- Do not rub or squeeze the blistered skin.
- Apply aloe vera gel to soothe skin conditions and relieve discomfort.
Step 5. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms within 24 hours of being exposed to hydrogen peroxide
Some of the symptoms that you should be aware of and should immediately consult a doctor are skin that is getting redder, more irritated, or even oozing pus.
Arrange an appointment with a regular doctor, contact the doctor who treated your wound, or immediately contact the nearest clinic for a check-up
Method 2 of 3: Treating Eye Irritation
Step 1. Remove your contact lenses
If you wear contact lenses when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, remove them immediately. After that, start washing your eyes. If you have difficulty trying to remove your contact lenses, ask someone close or even a medical professional to help.
Step 2. Flush eyes with cold water for at least 15 minutes
Before doing so, wash your hands thoroughly to make sure there's no hydrogen peroxide left on them. After that, place your palms together under running tap water and keep washing your eyes for 15-20 minutes. If possible, take a cold shower under the shower to wash your eyes more easily.
In addition, you can also wash your eyes with 9% concentrated saline. To find out the concentration of saline you have, try reading the information on the back of the packaging
Step 3. Check the quality of your vision and evaluate the presence or absence of corneal damage
After washing with water or saline, make sure the quality of your vision does not change. Call your doctor immediately if your vision is cloudy or obstructed by an unidentified object. Also ask someone to look at the outer layer of the eye and identify any visible damage.
Step 4. Immediately consult a doctor
If you get hydrogen peroxide in your eyes (no matter how low the concentration is), see a doctor immediately. Meanwhile, if your eyes are exposed to very high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, contact the hospital immediately because the irritant can instantly burn your corneas! Also contact the nearest Emergency Unit if the quality of your vision decreases, or if you experience symptoms of corneal abrasion and eye damage. After that, check with your regular ophthalmologist, if any.
Method 3 of 3: Coping With Ingested Hydrogen Peroxide
Step 1. Make sure the victim is still breathing and the pulse is still beating
Ingestion of high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in large amounts can block the passage of breathing. If the victim appears to be losing consciousness and has difficulty breathing, and if the pulse is not throbbing or the pulse is very weak, perform CPR immediately or ask someone else who is certified CPR to do it. After that, immediately contact the nearest hospital or emergency services!
Although the victim can still breathe normally and does not require CPR, hospital staff will usually put an oxygen mask on the face of a patient who accidentally ingests hydrogen peroxide, especially if the concentration of the substance ingested is very high
Step 2. Call emergency services immediately
Accidentally ingesting hydrogen peroxide or other liquids containing high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide is an emergency that should be reported to a hospital or other emergency services immediately. You can also get first aid information for poisoning victims by contacting the Poison Information Center by telephone 1500533.
If the victim is not you, be prepared to describe the victim's age, weight, and current condition to emergency services. Also convey the name of the product that was swallowed and the level of concentration, along with the time of occurrence and the amount of liquid swallowed
Step 3. Drink a glass of water or milk
Consuming 120 to 240 ml of water or milk can treat health problems caused by accidentally ingesting small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. If the concentration of the substance ingested is too high, keep drinking water or milk, but make sure you contact a medical professional immediately after.
Try gargling constantly with cold water if your mouth is the only part of your body exposed to hydrogen peroxide
Step 4. Don't force yourself to vomit and/or use activated charcoal
While swallowing hydrogen peroxide may make you want to throw up, don't force yourself to do it. Don't use activated charcoal, which doesn't actually have any effect on accidentally ingesting hydrogen peroxide.
