When your mom tells you never to swallow that bar of soap again, do you think she’s being overly cautious? Soap is a product that we use to clean ourselves and our homes. Surely it can’t have any ill effects on our bodies, right? It turns out that mom was right after all. Swallowing soap is not only unpleasant, but it can also be very dangerous.
The risk of swallowing soap is minimal; however, if you do find yourself in this unfortunate situation there are some things that you should know. Keep reading to learn more about what happens if you swallow soap and how to handle the situation if it ever arises.
What Happens If You Swallow Soap?
If you swallow soap, it’s not likely to cause any immediate effects. However, the soap will stay in your body and cause damage over time. There are some immediate effects that you should be aware of, though. If you swallow a bar of soap, it can cause any number of unpleasant symptoms. These include:
Dry mouth: The mouth dries out when you swallow soap. This can cause discomfort and make you thirsty.
Throat irritation: The soap might irritate your throat and cause a sore or scratchy feeling.
Burning sensation: This is usually limited to the back of the throat or the roof of the mouth. Indigestion: When the soap travels through the stomach, it can irritate the lining and cause indigestion.
Nausea: This is usually caused by indigestion and will usually resolve on its own.
Vomiting: This is caused by the soap traveling down into the intestines and stimulating them.
If you swallow soap and experience these symptoms, don’t panic. They are not likely to be dangerous. The damages caused by swallowing soap, however, are much more serious and long-lasting.
Why Is Swallowing Soap Dangerous?
Soap is a surfactant. This means that it disrupts the surface tension of water molecules. It does this so that it can lift dirt and grime from the surface of your skin and trap it in the soap scum. This is useful when you’re washing your hands or cleaning dishes, but it’s not very good when it’s inside your body because it disrupts the surface tension of other cells and organs. When the soap is inside your body, it can cause damage to several different organs and tissues.
If you swallow soap, your body will treat it like any other foreign substance. Your gastrointestinal tract will try to get rid of the soap by getting rid of it as quickly as possible. Your body will try to break down the soap with enzymes and acids. As a result, you’ll experience cramps and diarrhea. Your body will also try to wash the soap away with your saliva, mucus, and tears. Since these are not strong enough to get rid of soap, they will increase in volume.
This can result in mucus and tears dripping from your eyes and a runny nose. You may also experience a cough due to increased mucus production. If you swallow too much soap, you may experience the symptoms listed above and also have problems breathing. These issues can become serious if they are not treated.
How to Deal With Soap in the Mouth and Throat
If you’ve accidentally swallowed soap and it’s causing you discomfort, you can try drinking a beverage that has a high amount of acid. Examples include orange juice, lemonade, or grapefruit juice. The acid in these drinks can help to neutralize the soap in your mouth and throat. There’s not much you can do if you’ve swallowed a large amount of soap and it’s making you sick.
You may also want to consider chewing some gum. Chewing will make you salivate, which will help to wash the soap away a bit more. Unless it causes some sort of obstruction, there’s no point in trying to induce vomiting because you’ll just get more soap in your system. When the soap travels through the stomach, it stimulates your gag reflex. This is your body’s way of trying to get it out of your system.
You can help by drinking a lot of water. This will help to flush the soap through your system faster. The next thing that you should do is see your doctor. Your doctor will want to make sure that the soap doesn’t cause any damage to your body. They may recommend taking an antacid as well to stop the pain and cramps caused by the soap.
What Happens When You Swallow Shampoo?
If you swallow shampoo, it’s not likely to cause any immediate damage. Swallowing shampoo can be just as dangerous as swallowing soap. The ingredients in both products are very similar. When you swallow shampoo, it can cause the same adverse effects as swallowing soap. You can usually tell if you’ve swallowed shampoo because it leaves a very strong taste in your mouth.
Like with soap, there’s not much you can do if you’ve accidentally swallowed a large amount of shampoo. The shampoo can cause some immediate discomfort, but it will likely pass. You may also want to see a doctor if you swallow shampoo so that they can check for any damage caused
Conclusion
If you accidentally swallow soap or shampoo, don’t panic. The symptoms are likely to be mild and will pass. The damage caused by soap and shampoo ingestion, on the other hand, can be serious and long-lasting if untreated. If you ever find yourself in this situation, clean out your mouth as quickly as possible. Be sure to see a doctor if the symptoms become too severe.
Soap and shampoo are important products for keeping our bodies clean. While they are very useful, you should never swallow them. If you accidentally swallow a mouthful of soap or a large amount of shampoo, there’s not much you can do. To avoid swallowing soap or shampoo, make sure that you don’t let it enter your mouth.
If you feel like you’ve accidentally swallowed some, drink some water and try to flush it out of your system. You should also be careful while washing your hands or cleaning dishes. Try to avoid swallowing any suds and make sure that the water goes down the sink when you’re done.
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