Many times, while working with spray paint, we accidentally inhale it. The toxic gases in spray paint are extremely harmful to the overall functionality of the lungs. The irritation, coughing, and shortness of breath associated with inhaling spray paint make the situation worse.
Fortunately, it is possible to get rid of accidentally inhaled spray paint. To do that, you need basic knowledge of how to clear your lungs from spray paint.
The immediate response to treat the inhaled spray paint includes drinking plenty of water, breathing in the fresh air, clearing your throat by gaggling, and doing steam inhalation. In many cases, people recover completely just by trying these simple ways. However, depending on your situation, you may need to try some other ways and seek medical help.
This article will provide some effective answers regarding how to get spray paint fumes out of your lungs. Along with these ways, you will also learn about the effects of spray paint on your lungs and the safety precautions that need to be taken while working with spray paints.
What Happens If You Get Spray Paint In Your Lungs?
What happens to your lungs when you inhale spray paint is an interrogated question by almost everyone working with spray paint. The gases present in spray paints are extremely dangerous for human health. If left untreated, spray paint in the lungs can cause many health complications and be life-threatening.
Getting spray paint in the lungs has both immediate and delayed effects on health. Ignoring the short-term effects contributes to inviting irreversible damage. For timely treatment, knowing the symptoms people experience shortly after breathing in spray paint is important. Some common immediate effects of spray paint include coughing, dizziness, wheezing, nausea, shortness of breath, irritation, runny nose, itch eyes, skin irritation, and headache.
If the lungs are not cleared of spray paint for a long time, it can result in many chronic illnesses, including damage to the lungs, kidneys, heart, brain, and nervous system. Also, spray paint in the lungs is directly linked with causing cancer in human bodies. Luckily, by timely treating the immediate effects, you can prevent the delayed effects to a great extent.
Is it important to remember that the effects depend upon the amount and duration of exposure to spray paint? Inhaling a small amount of spray paint does not affect human health. Still, one must be careful while working with it. The intensity of toxins used in spray paint also helps to determine the effects of spray paint on health.
10 Ways To Clear Your Lungs of Spray Paint Fumes
The 10 easiest and simplest ways to clear your lungs if you inhaled too much spray paint fumes.
1. Increase the Fluid Intake
Increasing fluid consumption while using spray paints is generally advised, even when you have not inhaled them. So, the first thing you need to do after getting spray paint in your lungs is consuming as many liquids as possible.
Fluids weaken the concentration of spray paint and reduce the side effects to a great extent. The coughing, irritation, and wheezing faced by inhaling spray paints can be easily countered by consuming fluids.
Drinking green tea helps in the detoxification of the blood and cleaning of the lungs. Thus, drinking is extremely beneficial for getting rid of spray paint accumulated in the lungs.
2. Inhale Fresh Air
Inhaling fresh air works like a miracle for clearing spray paint from the lungs. After suspecting that spray paint has made its way to your lungs, rush to your garden or other ventilated place. Take a deep breath of fresh air through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale it through your mouth. Doing this exercise several times will help you to get rid of spray paint fumes accumulated in your bronchi.
Inhaling fresh air also provides fresh oxygen to your body, which will help you deal with shortness of breath. Continue to breathe in the fresh air for at least a week after inhaling the spray paint to minimize the adverse effects of spray paint on your lungs.
3. Use Airways Clearing Techniques
In many cases, Airways clearing techniques are life savers, but not many people are aware of them. Airways clearing techniques, including coughing and huffing, are extremely helpful in clearing the lungs.
To apply airway-clearing techniques, you need to sit comfortably. Next, put pressure on your stomach using your arms. Now all you need to do is inhale through your nose and cough as much as possible while exhaling through your mouth. Repeating this procedure at least five times can clear your lungs of all the toxins and fumes of spray paint.
4. Perform Steam Inhalation
People have been using the steam inhalation technique to clear the lungs of mucus and treat respiratory issues for decades. As steam inhalation is effective for clearing toxins through the entire respiratory system, using it to get spray paint fumes out of the lungs is a great idea.
The shortness of breath experienced after exposure to spray paint can be healed using the stream technique. All you need to do is to take boiling hot water and then inhale it while covering your head and face. You can get rid of throat irritation by doing this for a minimum of five minutes.
5. Avoid Inflammation
Inhaling spray paints for a long time can result in inflammation of the lungs. Once the lungs get inflamed, it becomes difficult to clear spray paint from them. Also, the inflammation of the lungs is directly linked with heart failure and many other chronic diseases. So, it is essential to avoid lung inflammation after inhaling spray paint.
To prevent inflammation, anti-inflammatory medicines prescribed by the doctor are helpful. Foods like beans, walnut, fish, berries, turmeric, and other anti-inflammatory food also help reduce the risk of inflammation while playing a vital part in clearing the lungs.
6. Put Pressure on Your Chest
The next effective solution for getting spray paint fumes out of your lungs is to perform chest physiotherapy. This is mostly used in prolonged exposure to spray paints and when someone complains of difficulty breathing. Putting pressure on the chest clears the lungs by removing the mucus.
To perform chest physiotherapy, you must lie down and ask someone to tap their palms on your chest with force. Doing this might be painful, but clearing the lungs is an effective solution. Perform the procedure for 3 to 5 minutes and seek medical consultation if needed.
7. Use Inhaler
Inhalers are used to relax the airways to make breathing easier for the person. By allowing the air to move in and out of the lungs and airways easily, inhalers play a vital role in clearing the lungs. The short-term effects of inhaling spray paints, like difficulty in breathing, coughing, and wheezing, can also be cured by using an inhaler.
Inhalers expand the airways allowing the smooth flow of oxygen, which is essential for clearing the lungs. If you are lucky enough to have access to an inhaler, then you need to use it, and you will have your lungs cleared in no time.
8. Avoid Fragrances
Artificial fragrances have noxious gases in them. Many people have complained of coughing and irritation experienced by them following the use of perfumes after inhaling spray paints. So, it is advised to avoid all artificial scents, perfumes, air fresheners, and even detergents for at least a month after inhaling spray paints. Doing this will allow your lungs to recover easily from the damage caused by inhaling the spray paint.
9. Participate in Physical Activities
Exercise and other physical activities help in improving the well-being of the lungs. Exercise allows the tightened muscles to relax, improves blood circulation, and increases the breathing rate. The increased breathing rate provides more oxygen to the lungs, thus helping get spray paint out of the lungs.
So, we can say that exercising gently after inhaling spray paints or any other toxin help in clearing the lungs easily and quickly. Just make sure not to overburden yourself and consult your doctor before starting any exercise. Stop the exercise upon noticing an increase in pulse rate or facing any other difficulty.
10. Seek Medical Consultation
The last on the list of ways to clear lungs from spray paints is to seek medical consultation. Once you think you have inhaled spray pain, immediately call your doctor and do what he suggests. Many helplines are available that provide free consultation to people exposed to spray paints; contact them to seek immediate help.
Even if you are feeling well, visit the nearest hospital for a proper examination. Keep a close eye on your health and seek medical consultation if something goes wrong.
How Long Do Spray Paint Side Effects Last?
There is no definitive answer regarding how long paint fumes stay in your system. The length of time for which the side effects of spray paint last depend upon many factors. The factors include:
- type of spray paint used
- measures taken after inhaling the paint
- sensitivity of person
- amount inhaled
- environment where spray paint is used, and many other such factors
If the spray paint used has severe toxins, the side effects will last longer than those with weak toxins. Similarly, if the spray paint is inhaled while using it in a ventilated environment, its side effects will be minimal and will not last much longer.
The length of spray paint’s side effects also depends upon the individual’s sensitivity. If the person is already allergic to different materials and has a weak immune system, then he or she will experience side effects for a longer time. Timely treatment for clearing lungs from spray paint also helps reduce the side effects caused by spray paint.
In most cases, side effects last for 2 to 3 days. If you experience any side effect that persists for more than 3 days, then consult a medical professional.
Safety Precautions You Need To Be Aware Of When Spray Painting
Working with spray paint can be dangerous. The gases present in spray paint are hazardous and can pose serious threats to human health. However, by keeping some precautionary measures in mind, you can safely use the spray paints. Some of the measures you need to be aware of when spray painting to avoid accidents include:
Wear Protective Gears
Protective gears help in avoiding the dangers associated with spray painting. Wearing a face mask reduces the risk of inhaling spray paint. Thus, keeping the airways safe from the effects of the spray paint. Gloves and proper clothing limits the exposure of skin to the paint. Similarly, wearing safety goggles can prevent eye irritation.
Ensure Ventilation
Proper ventilation and access to fresh air must be kept in mind while spray painting. You can prevent huffing spray paint by using it in an outdoor setting. If you are using it indoors, make sure to open the windows and wear a breathing mask.
Stay Away from Heat Sources
The can and fumes of spray paints are inflammable. So, you must avoid stoves and other heat sources while spray painting. Also, direct exposure of spray paint to sunlight for a long period can result in the can bursting. Remember to turn off the stoves, heathers, radiators, and other heat sources at least an hour before spray painting.
Avoid Damaged Cans
Damaged spray paint cans expose users to a lot of harmful chemicals. While spray painting, it takes time to inspect the can properly. If the can is damaged or leaking, you must discard it immediately.
Be Careful Near Electronic Equipment
Spray painting near electronic equipment without taking proper measures can result in unfortunate incidents. Make sure to unplug all the electronic devices and equipment before spray painting. Never spray paint directly on electric plugs, uncovered wires, and cords.
FAQs
Yes, it is possible to get a chest infection and chest pain after inhaling spray paint. Paint is mostly composed of toxic gases dangerous to the respiratory system. Inhaling fumes for a long time and not taking proper measures timely can cause chest infection. However, taking precautionary measures while painting can protect one from a chest infection.
Yes, you may feel sick a day after working with fume. Fumes have some adverse effects on health that can last for 3 days or more. One can get sick immediately or the next day, depending on the amount inhaled. The symptoms mostly experienced by people on the next day include dizziness, nausea, headache, and irritation in the throat.
Sleeping with paint fumes can cause asthma, throat irritation, headache, allergies, and trouble breathing. Hence it is not a good idea to sleep with paint fumes. Paint fumes also emit harmful gases while drying, so avoid spending time in a freshly painted room.
The duration of dissipation is entirely subject to the number of spray fumes used and the measures taken after painting. It takes less time for spray paint fumes to dissipate from a ventilated place. Similarly, a single coat of spray paint dissipates quickly. Usually, it takes two to three days for spray paint to dissipate completely.
Verdict
To sum up it can be said that the safety of spray paint depends upon its use. Inhaling spray paint is fatal. However, taking proper measures regarding clearing your lungs of spray paint can prevent all the dangers. If you work with spray paint frequently, then you need to know what to do after inhaling paint fumes.
Make sure to take all the precautionary measures while spray painting. Never ignore even the slightest symptoms experienced after inhaling paint fumes.