Will you get sick if you come into contact with a chemical? Some chemicals cause harm, but many do not. People’s bodies respond to chemicals differently. Some people may get sick from an exposure to a chemical while others may not. The healthier you are, the better your body can protect you. Other factors that play a part in whether you may get sick include • The type of chemical you were exposed to, • The amount of a chemical you were exposed to, • How long the contact lasted, • How often you came into contact with a chemical, • How the chemical entered your body, and • Your health. How do chemicals get into your body? To be exposed to a harmful chemical, you must breathe, eat, drink, or touch it. • Breathing (or inhalation): Chemicals are found as gases, vapors, aerosols, and fibers that you breathe in with air. When chemicals reach the lungs, they can affect the lungs directly or travel to other parts of the body through the blood stream. • Eating and drinking (or ingestion): Food or drinks may have chemicals on or in them that can enter your body. These chemicals are absorbed, or taken in, by the digestive system. • Touching: You can have contact with chemicals through your skin or eyes. » Chemicals can enter your bloodstream through the pores, small cracks, or cuts in your skin. Other chemicals may just irritate or burn your skin, exposing it to infection. » Some chemicals may burn or irritate your eyes. Some chemicals may enter your body through the eye. Remember: For a chemical to make you sick, it must first enter your body.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 22:27:57 +0000
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