What to do if alcohol gets into your eyes

Many people accidentally get alcohol in their eyes when using it. If it is industrial alcohol, it is very harmful to the eyes and may cause problems with the eye's nerve function. If it is physiological alcohol, just rinse it with water, because physiological alcohol can be used to wash some sensitive areas at ordinary times, mainly for disinfection and sterilization.

Industrial alcohol contains a relatively high concentration of methanol, about 4%.

The toxicity of methanol to the human body mainly acts on the nervous system and hematopoietic system. Due to its special selectivity and affinity for the optic nerve and retina, it can easily cause optic nerve atrophy and lead to blindness. Methanol can produce toxic reactions if ingested through the digestive tract, respiratory tract or skin. If methanol intake exceeds 4 grams, poisoning reaction will occur. If more than 10 grams is accidentally ingested, it can cause blindness. Large amounts can cause death.

Symptoms of acute poisoning include: headache, nausea, stomach pain, fatigue, blurred vision and even blindness, followed by difficulty breathing, and ultimately paralysis of the respiratory center and death. Chronic poisoning reactions include: dizziness, drowsiness, headache, tinnitus, loss of strength, and digestive disorders.

If your skin comes into direct contact with industrial alcohol, or if there is a small amount of methanol volatiles in your working environment due to the volatility of methanol in the industrial alcohol, then as long as ventilation and necessary protection are done, the possibility of poisoning is generally small and mild, and the harm is generally not too great.

If the exposure time is long, it is recommended to go to the hospital to check blood count and vision to determine whether there is a possibility of chronic poisoning.