Hydrocarbons are chemicals in glues, gasoline, paint and paint thinners, and kerosene.
What is hydrocarbon poisoning?
Hydrocarbon poisoning is sickness from swallowing or breathing in fumes from hydrocarbon products.
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Most small children who swallow these products and are poisoned will recover
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Teens and adults who breathe in fumes to get high (known as huffing, bagging, or sniffing) can die of cardiac arrest (when their heart stops beating) or have brain damage
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Swallowing hydrocarbons can lead to irritation and then infection of the lungs
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Severe poisoning affects your brain, heart, bone marrow, and kidneys
If you think you or someone else may have been poisoned, call for emergency medical assistance (911 in most areas of the United States) right away.
What are the symptoms of hydrocarbon poisoning?
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Coughing
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Choking
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Fast breathing
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A burning feeling in the stomach
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Blue skin (due to low oxygen levels in the blood)
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Sleepiness
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Trouble breathing—it can take several hours for this to happen
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Poor coordination (clumsiness)
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Seizures (when your body moves or jerks out of your control)
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Coma (when you’re unconscious and can’t be woken up)
