eli5: On the packaging of toilet cleaner and an article on mouthwash says that if ingested, do not induce vomitting, why is this? Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of as much of the harmful liquid as possible? What harm can happen if vomitting is induced?

Question

eli5: On the packaging of toilet cleaner and an article on mouthwash says that if ingested, do not induce vomitting, why is this? Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of as much of the harmful liquid as possible? What harm can happen if vomitting is induced?

In: 1821

Answer 1

Lots of chemicals can be harmful if ingested, but what is more harmful is that some of them mix with the stomach acid to create gases, or give off toxic fumes (some do this on their own) which you would inhale while vomiting, damaging the lungs and/or poisoning you that way. In these cases it’s better to just let it run through the system.
Also, vomiting up acidic substance causes damage to the esophagus and other tissue, which can lead to long term health risks.