Everybody realizes that eating plastic has its own set of issues, but you never expect yourself saying “please help!” “I swallowed a bit of plastic.” What will you do to sort out this problem? How do you solve such a difficult problem? Where should you go for aid?
In this post, you will get the answers to plastic-related questions. Keep reading to know what to do in the case of swallowing plastic wrap problems.
What happens if you swallow plastic wrap? Plastic needs a long time to decompose. However, if you swallow smaller pieces of plastic, it will poop out from your body safely. Health issues might develop when you eat larger amounts of plastic. The human body fails to push it out. In rare cases, it may be fatal.
Plastic wrap is a cheap kitchen staple. But it is full of multiple health issues: if it mixes with your food items. It can end up in your gut.
Let’s find the hazards of plastic wrap inside the human body.
How Dangerous is Swallowing Plastic Wrap
You can understand it by the boldness of drug smugglers. As they eat more than 50 tablets of narcotics packaged in Plastic Wrap. They’d be more alarmed if it didn’t stick after being taken for three days or so.
Many types of plastics contain a toxic chemical called phthalates. They make the plastic long live, soft, transparent, or rigid. Phthalates cause harmful effects on our kidneys, lungs, reproductive system, or liver.
Plastic is not a natural product for our systems to swallow. After swallowing, petroleum compounds reduce the system of low-saturated vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fortunately, ingested plastic will pass away from the human body without affecting your body system.
Although FDA declares that eating in microwaveable plastic covering is not harmful. But it becomes harmful if the plastic wrap gets mixed with the food items.
It happens, when the plastic substances melt and leak out with fatty or oily items.
So, using styrofoam to heat up edible items is not good for health.
Can Eating Plastic Kill You
Eating Plastic wrap is harmful. Swallowing too much of it may cause severe side effects such as neurotoxic effects, cancer, heart disease, and metabolic disorders.
Transparent, solid, and Phthalates plastic containers cause cancer. So, pick off the plastic wrap over your meals before eating. Don’t use unsafe microwave containers.
What If You Eat One and a Half Inch Square of Plastic Wrap
Most likely the plastic wrap will come out from the other end of your body without disturbing your health. If you’re getting uncomfortable, or have trouble in bowl passing, visit your doctor.
The plastic wrap will be torn down, so it will be hard to see on the stool. You will be comforted if you get to see it. However, you should be OK in every situation.
What Happens If Your Child Swallows a Plastic Wrap
If your child consumes a plastic wrap, nothing serious will happen. However, if the plastic wrap is trapped in the child’s esophagus, it will block their breathing, and cause choking or spitting.
You should inform your nearest emergency services or poison control unit.
In most children, the swallowed plastic won’t affect them. But swallowing the plastic on daily basis is not safe. So don’t let the melted plastic touch or mix in your kid’s food containers.
What Happen If You Swallow Plastic During Pregnancy
Be calm, if you eat a bit of plastic, it will never affect your baby’s health. Normally, your body will push out this piece. Troines can penetrate the intestine or gut, causing internal bleeding, a life-threatening condition.
But if you have eaten enough plastic, and you are feeling obstruction. To fix the issue, you should eat more fiber and stay hydrated to push it out. If you feel any pain or are unable to release gas or feces habits, you should seek medical help.
How Do You Swallow a Part of Plastic Wrappers
- Microwaving items in plastic will leak with heat, they get mixed with your food.
- Trying to cook in microwaving containers on a regular basis will add melted plastic to your recipes.
- Phthalates are the most widely using most chemical, that melts and distorts plastics. Since it’s not chemically bonded with plastic, it can simply be transported to other materials.
- If you ignore taking off the plastic packaging on your meals before starting your meal, it will go inside your stomach with your food.
- Plastic bottles are not safe for drinking water, plastic gets mixed in your water, and then into your body system.
- Plastic compounds, that are used to cause the containers less hard, are extremely dangerous and toxic.
What Happen If You Swallow a Chunk of Plastic
The human body is unable to decompose plastic. So, if you eat one piece of plastic, it will lodge anywhere in your gastrointestinal tract and sit there for a lot longer. It will block your intestinal system, and lead to huge medical issues.
Humans are not so ignorant to consume high chunks of plastic. Only a few bits of plastic, while mistakenly blended with food, maybe safe because they can be excreted as unprocessed feces by the body.
What signs does your body show after swallowing plastic:
- In rare cases, it can irritate the intestines.
- Sore throat
- Vomiting
- Pain in stomach
- Chest Pain
- Trouble in swallowing
- Asthma
- Miscarriage
The above signs may not arise at the moment, but you will face them in your old age if you don’t avoid eating in plastic containers.
What To Do If You Swallow Plastic Wrap
- To reduce the uncomfortable tension, let the trapped wrapper go down your system.
- Drink 5 – 10 tablespoons of some cooking oil. It will make you feel much better.
- Never try to force vomiting, it will irritate the throat and choking.
- Plastic is not good for health, so go for a medical check-up.
What Happens If Animals Swallow Plastic
Animals eating plastic wrap suffer serious health issues. Plastic in the ecosystem causes the death of thousands of whales, fishes, and turtles. When this plastic material goes inside the bodies of aquatic animals, they swell the body and decrease their hunger. When animals stop eating, they lost their energy, and become the victim of other animals easily. To save the animals, plastic wrap bottles or granules should not be thrown near beaches.
Did you know that eating plastic has a fatal impact on land animals, like sea turtles trapped their noses in plastic straws caught in their noses? Every year thousands of animals died with masses of plastic bags inside their bodies. Helpless creatures looking for food in poor surroundings get affected by our careless behavior. We should modify our attitudes to protect the lives of animals from plastic pollutants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it Okay to Eat Plastic Wrap?
Plastic wrap is a non-edible material. Man has invented a plastic wrap called saran wrap or -cling film using PVC. It’s a common home item that is on a roll. It’s clear, a little flexible, and can be available in almost every kitchen.
How Long Will it Take a Bit of Plastic to Pass?
Such substances normally travel through the gastrointestinal tract in 1 or two days without causing issues.
Can Plastic Dissolve In Your Stomach?
Due to the presence of the basic gastric acid in the stomach, plastic items will not dissolve in the stomach. It will poop out from the body system without affecting it.
The Last Lines
To Save This World, “Say No To Plastic”,
Plastic does not decompose. It takes many years to decay when compared to organic garbage. Without plastic, earth and water pollution would be dramatically decreased.
On the other hand, plastic is inexpensive, simple to make, flexible, and water-resistant. Plastic would be extremely tough to replace. Plastic can technically be replaceable with glass and paper. However, it would be available at a high price.