What happens if you sniff mothballs?
Some of the chemicals in mothballs can cause reversible health effects that include headaches, nausea, eye and nose irritation and coughing. Exposure to naphthalene can cause more serious effects, including hemolytic anemia.
Can you get high from smelling mothballs?
July 27, 2006 — Teens who sniff or chew mothballs to get high may be taking a big health risk. Abusing the chemical in mothballs can cause mental sluggishness, unsteady walking, and skin rashskin rash, warn French doctors who treated a girl hospitalized for the problem in Marseille.
What happens if you inhale too much mothballs?
Inhalation of naphthalene may cause skin and eye irritation; gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea; neurologic symptoms, such as confusion, excitement, and convulsions; renal problems, such as acute renal shutdown; and hematologic features, such as icterus and severe anemia …
Is it OK to breathe in mothballs?
Exposure to these chemicals can be harmful whether you breathe in the vapors or touch them directly with the skin. They are also harmful if ingested, which typically happens accidentally. For example, if you fail to wash your hands after touching a mothball and then handle food.
Can mothballs be addictive?
Naphthalene or mothballs, a commonly used substance in households and freely available in the market is an uncommon form of inhalant abuse which may lead to severe medical complications. We report an adolescent with addiction to naphthalene balls who developed severe anemia.
What happens if you lick moth balls?
The chemicals can harm blood cells. Effects may not appear for up to five days after a mothball is eaten. The symptoms of mothball poisoning include: Nausea, vomiting, belly pain and diarrhea.
What is a mothball high like?
The most common and immediate symptoms of inhaling mothballs include the following: lightheadedness and dizziness. nausea. vomiting.
How long does it take to get sick from mothballs?
Hemolysis of the red blood cells can occur following exposure to naphthalene by all routes of exposure. When hemolysis or methemoglobinemia occur, the onset of related signs and symptoms usually occurs 1-2 days after exposure because of the slow rate of metabolism of naphthalene to its oxidative metabolites.
How much mothballs is toxic?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States has established a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 10 ppm for naphthalene. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established an immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value of 250 ppm for naphthalene.
Can mothballs cause hallucinations?
The effects produced vary widely depending on the exact chemical inhaled and the amount used, but in addition to the high feeling, users may hallucinate, feel a distorted sense of time and space, or experience rapidly changing emotions.
Is mothball addictive?
Are mothballs harmful?
Mothballs can also be dangerous if they are chewed or eaten. Children, pets and wildlife may mistake them for food or candy and eat them. One mothball can cause serious harm if eaten by a small child. If someone has swallowed a mothball, call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222 for emergency medical advice.