BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuNail polish poisoningOrganic solvent syndrome; Psycho-organic syndrome; Chronic solvent encephalopathyThis poisoning is from swallowing or breathing in (inhaling) nail polish.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Poisonous ingredients include:Toluene Butyl acetate Ethyl acetate Dibutyl phthalate Where Found These ingredients can be found in various fingernail polishes. Note: This list may not be all-inclusive. Symptoms Below are symptoms of nail polish poisoning in different parts of the body. BLADDER AND KIDNEYS Increased need to urinateIncreased need to urinateExcessive amount of urination means that your body makes larger than normal amounts of urine each day.Read Article Now Book Mark Article EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT Eye irritation and possible eye damage Eye irritationEye burning with discharge is burning, itching, or drainage from the eye of any substance other than tears.Read Article Now Book Mark Article GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM Nausea and vomiting Nausea and vomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal painAbdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOOD CIRCULATIONChest pain Irregular heartbeat LUNGSDifficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Slowed breathing rate Slowed breathing rateMost people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis. This arti...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breathShortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMDrowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Balance problems Coma ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Euphoria (high feeling) Hallucinations Headache Seizures Stupor (confusion, decreased level of consciousness) StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Walking problems Home Care DO NOT make the person throw up. Seek immediate emergency medical care. Before Calling Emergency Determine the following information:The person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known) The time it was swallowed The amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Blood and urine tests will be done. Symptoms will be treated as needed. The person may receive:Airway and breathing support, including oxygen. In extreme cases, a tube may be passed through the mouth into the lungs to prevent aspiration. A breathing machine (ventilator) would then be needed. Chest x-ray. Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing). ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracin...An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- a camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and stomach. EndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fluids through a vein (by IV). Irrigation (washing of the skin and eyes), which may occur every few hours for several days. Medicines to treat symptoms. Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin). Tube through the mouth into the stomach (rarely) to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage).Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery. Nail polish tends to come in small bottles, so serious poisoning is unlikely if only one bottle was swallowed. However, always seek immediate emergency medical care.Some people sniff nail polish on purpose to get intoxicated (drunk) by the fumes. Over time these people, as well as those working in poorly ventilated nail salons, can develop a condition known as "painter syndrome." This is a permanent condition that causes walking problems, speech problems, and memory loss. Painter syndrome may also be called organic solvent syndrome, psycho-organic syndrome, and chronic solvent encephalopathy (CSE). CSE can also cause symptoms such as headache, fatigue, mood disturbances, sleep disorders, and possible behavioral changes.Sudden death is possible in some nail polish poisoning cases.Open ReferencesReferencesMeehan TJ. Care of the poisoned patient. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 135.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.AllVideoImagesTogSelf Care Home safety - childrenRelated Information Review Date: 10/6/2022 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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Nail polish poisoningOrganic solvent syndrome; Psycho-organic syndrome; Chronic solvent encephalopathyThis poisoning is from swallowing or breathing in (inhaling) nail polish.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Poisonous ingredients include:Toluene Butyl acetate Ethyl acetate Dibutyl phthalate Where Found These ingredients can be found in various fingernail polishes. Note: This list may not be all-inclusive. Symptoms Below are symptoms of nail polish poisoning in different parts of the body. BLADDER AND KIDNEYS Increased need to urinateIncreased need to urinateExcessive amount of urination means that your body makes larger than normal amounts of urine each day.Read Article Now Book Mark Article EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT Eye irritation and possible eye damage Eye irritationEye burning with discharge is burning, itching, or drainage from the eye of any substance other than tears.Read Article Now Book Mark Article GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM Nausea and vomiting Nausea and vomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal painAbdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOOD CIRCULATIONChest pain Irregular heartbeat LUNGSDifficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Slowed breathing rate Slowed breathing rateMost people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis. This arti...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breathShortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMDrowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Balance problems Coma ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Euphoria (high feeling) Hallucinations Headache Seizures Stupor (confusion, decreased level of consciousness) StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Walking problems Home Care DO NOT make the person throw up. Seek immediate emergency medical care. Before Calling Emergency Determine the following information:The person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known) The time it was swallowed The amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Blood and urine tests will be done. Symptoms will be treated as needed. The person may receive:Airway and breathing support, including oxygen. In extreme cases, a tube may be passed through the mouth into the lungs to prevent aspiration. A breathing machine (ventilator) would then be needed. Chest x-ray. Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing). ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracin...An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- a camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and stomach. EndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fluids through a vein (by IV). Irrigation (washing of the skin and eyes), which may occur every few hours for several days. Medicines to treat symptoms. Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin). Tube through the mouth into the stomach (rarely) to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage).Gastric lavageGastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery. Nail polish tends to come in small bottles, so serious poisoning is unlikely if only one bottle was swallowed. However, always seek immediate emergency medical care.Some people sniff nail polish on purpose to get intoxicated (drunk) by the fumes. Over time these people, as well as those working in poorly ventilated nail salons, can develop a condition known as "painter syndrome." This is a permanent condition that causes walking problems, speech problems, and memory loss. Painter syndrome may also be called organic solvent syndrome, psycho-organic syndrome, and chronic solvent encephalopathy (CSE). CSE can also cause symptoms such as headache, fatigue, mood disturbances, sleep disorders, and possible behavioral changes.Sudden death is possible in some nail polish poisoning cases.Open ReferencesReferencesMeehan TJ. Care of the poisoned patient. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 135.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.