Table of contents:
- There are various effects if you inhale the smell of gasoline too often
- 1. Nerve damage
- 2. A permanent hazard
- 3. suffocation
- What are the signs and symptoms if you inhale the smell of gasoline too often?
There are some people who like to smell gasoline when they are refueling at a gas station. According to them, the smell of gasoline is pleasant and relaxing. You are one of them? But be careful not to continue. The problem is, the habit of smelling gasoline in the long run can be harmful to health.
There are various effects if you inhale the smell of gasoline too often
Reporting from the Healthline page, gasoline contains methane and benzene which are dangerous chemical compounds. Exposure to the aroma from the vapor can negatively impact your health. In sensitive people, inhaling the smell of gasoline can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
1. Nerve damage
Taking deep breaths to inhale gasoline vapors can cause damage to the nervous system, especially if done sustainably in the long term.
Gradually, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, residual gasoline vapors that accumulate in the body can damage myelin, the thin sheath that protects the nerve fibers of the brain. As a result, you will have difficulty remembering and having conversations as usual.
Long-term damage to the nervous system can also cause muscle spasms and tremors which then affect a person's ability to walk, bend over and speak.
2. A permanent hazard
Reporting from Livestrong, inhaling the smell of gasoline or other chemicals can cause dangerous damage that is difficult to restore. For example, the emergence of degenerative diseases, brain damage, muscle weakness, and damage to the spinal cord. Even some sufferers can experience damage to the sense of smell and hearing.
3. suffocation
If the habit of inhaling gasoline vapors has lasted for years, the residual steam that weakens the work of nerves will affect the function of the heart, lungs and brain. The reason is, the work of the vital organs in the human body is very dependent on the nervous system.
If your lungs are no longer able to breathe in the amount of oxygen they should, this can increase the risk of sudden suffocation as you slowly stop breathing. The work of the heart also slows down at the same time until it finally stops.
What are the signs and symptoms if you inhale the smell of gasoline too often?
The more often you inhale gasoline vapors, the greater the health risk. So, it is not surprising that gas station officers are one of the groups of people who are most at high risk of the above health impacts.
Some of the symptoms that are caused if someone has experienced gasoline odor poisoning, namely:
- Difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Stomach ache
- Blurred vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizzy
- Severe headache
- Extreme fatigue
- Convulsions
- Loss of consciousness
However, these symptoms may not always appear when you are exposed to the smell of gasoline. Symptoms that appear usually depend on how much exposure to gasoline is inhaled into the body.
Even so, for those of you motorized vehicle users who only occasionally stop by the gas station, you should still be aware of the dangers of smelling gasoline. The reason is, the smell of gasoline can still be detrimental to your health.