What Happens If You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?

drinking rubbing alcohol

There are often speculations made about rubbing alcohol and other alcohols. Ranging from hacks to medications, rubbing alcohol is used in various fields. However, there is a lot of times when the rubbing alcohol is thought to the regular consumable alcohol. But the rubbing alcohol is prohibited from drinking and there are several other severe issues that erupt from the drinking rubbing alcohol.

What is Rubbing Alcohol?

Something that is water lookalike and something that you can easily mistake to be water at the first glance. There are several queries and questions that flood one’s mind, especially when it comes to rubbing alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol is one of the most common ingredients you can find in each of our kitchens. Basically, it acts as a first aid when you have a cut on the skin either while working in the kitchen or you may suffer while repairing some objects or working on some DIY projects. A few drops of rubbing alcohol and you are on the work again with instant relief.

Now the Primary Question That Pops Up is that What is Rubbing Alcohol?

  • Scientifically and chemically speaking, go a little back to your chemistry classes.
  • Rubbing alcohol has additional ingredients that make the rubbing alcohol dangerous and prohibited for consumption.
  • Methanol is one element added to rubbing alcohol, which makes the rubbing alcohol a poisonous entity and leads to severe blindness.
  • Now, this makes it very clear that rubbing alcohol is double dangerous, which leads to alcohol poisoning, coma, and death.
  • Ultimately, rubbing alcohol is extremely dangerous for consumption.

The Rubbing Alcohol Science

Isopropyl alcohol is the main ingredient of rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is commonly 70% isopropyl alcohol, but the percentage ranges from 60% to 99% isopropyl alcohol in the rubbing alcohol. One can easily buy the rubbing alcohol from any drug store or grocery store. It helps in killing the bacteria, clean minor cuts, and scrapes. The rubbing alcohol is flammable, is colorless, and has a strong smell of alcohol.

What is the Diff Between Rubbing Alcohol and Other Alcohol?

  • Today, we come across several kinds of alcohols. Let us first speak about drinking alcohols.

Ingredients, Process, and Effects of Other Alcohols

Whiskey, beer, vodka, wine, and several other varieties of alcohols that one consumes. There are ethyl alcohols, which is produced by yeast. The process of making this alcohol is when the yeast eats some kind of sugar and then turn it into carbon dioxide and alcohol. One of the most known ways is the making of wine. The yeast eats the sugar present in the grape juice and then creates alcohol.

When it comes to whiskey, the alcohol is distilled so that it gets higher concentration. It would be surprising to believe that the ethanol one purchase as a fuel for the automobiles is the similar one that is found in whiskey. Definitely, the one used in the cars are distilled to the point where it nearly becomes pure alcohol. Whereas, in whiskey, it is majorly a combination of 40% alcohol and 60% water.

[ Read: What Happens When You Drink Water with Baking Soda ]

What Makes Rubbing Alcohol Different?

Now speaking about rubbing alcohol, these can be easily found at hardware stores. However, the major difference is that it is prohibited to consume the rubbing alcohol. On one hand, where the other alcohols are open to consumption, the rubbing alcohol is fatal.

One other alcohol – the wood alcohol is also one which is fatal when consumed. The wood alcohol breaks into formaldehyde into the liver. It is said that 8 ounces of rubbing alcohol are the maximum an adult human can consume.

There are rare cases where the people who consume alcohol and survive, however, if they do, the victim suffers from permanent blindness. Rubbing alcohol – often known as denatured alcohol is the one which is concentrated high in order to make it poisonous. The alcohol that is safe for consumption is the ethanol.

What Happens If You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?

According to the U.S. Department of energy, the rubbing alcohol is a synthetically produced alcohol which comprises three carbon, eight hydrogens, and one atom of oxygen. The rubbing alcohols have several industrial, medical, and household uses. By now it is very much clear that the rubbing alcohol must not be consumed, below are the causes mentioned that occur when one consumes rubbing alcohol:

1. Nervous System Impact

  • The instant and immediate impact of consuming rubbing alcohoarares on the nervous system.
  • The involuntary actions of the heartbeat, gag reflex, and others are controlled by the CNS.
  • When one consumes the rubbing alcohol the isopropyl slows down these functions and eventually shuts down them all together.
  • It is also said, that the consumption can also lead a person into the coma.

2. Internal Burns

  • There are sensitive tissue lines in our body – throat, and airways.
  • The consumption of isopropyl damages them when they come in contact.
  • Thus, causes internal burns and leads to cramping and long and severe pain.
  • In many cases, pulmonary swellings can also be a case.

3. Heart and Blood Changes

  • The reports say that the body severely changes within the first 30 minutes of the ingestion.
  • The consumption affects the blood circulation throughout the body.
  • These toxins instantly modify the body functions and cause a decrease in the blood circulation.
  • Without the proper blood circulation, the organs in the body fail and thus causes great damage to the body.

Rubbing alcohol is dangerous for life and causes death. Even a small amount of rubbing alcohol can be dangerous to kids and two ounces of rubbing alcohol for the adults. The rubbing alcohol is also dangerous when inhaled. There are certain precautions that should be taken when it comes to storing and using rubbing alcohol. Since the rubbing alcohol is flammable it should be stored in a cold place also, out of the reach of children.

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