I inhaled a mixture of bleach and acid. Is it serious?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had a scary experience at work, and I am still feeling the effects. I work at a car wash, and the other day, while we were getting ready to clean the tunnel, my coworker accidentally mixed high acid and bleach in a bucket. It started foaming right away. He tried to fix it by adding water, but by then the fumes had already spread.

As soon as I breathed it in, I started coughing really badly, so much that I ended up throwing up. My throat felt like it was tightening, almost like it was going to close up. I rushed out of the tunnel, and about 15 minutes later, even my boss said he could barely breathe when he stepped outside.

It has been a while since it happened, but I still cannot breathe properly. I feel more out of breath than usual, especially when I try to run or do anything active. My throat still feels irritated, and I am worried something might be wrong with my lungs or airways.

I do take anxiety medication, but I really do not think this is related to that.f

Can chemical exposure like this cause lasting damage?
Should I get checked urgently?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query and can understand your concern.

I am really sorry you had to go through something so frightening. From everything you described, it sounds like you experienced a chemical inhalation injury caused by mixing high acid with bleach. This can release toxic gases like chlorine, which are extremely harsh on the lungs, throat, and eyes.

The fact that your symptoms started right after the exposure, struggling to breathe, coughing so badly you vomited, and feeling like your throat was closing up, clearly points to a reaction from the fumes. What is especially concerning is that you are still having trouble breathing, even days later, and getting more winded than usual when you are active. That should not be ignored.

I know you mentioned you take anxiety meds, but those would not explain symptoms this intense or this sudden. The exposure likely irritated your airways or lungs, possibly causing things like bronchospasm, inflammation, or even something more serious like chemical pneumonitis.

At this point, it is really important that you get checked out as soon as possible, ideally at an ER (emergency room) or urgent care center. They might need to do a chest X-ray, check your oxygen levels, or do a lung function test just to make sure nothing serious is going on.

Please do not wait; your breathing should not still be this affected, and getting help now can prevent complications later.

I hope this answers your query.

Please let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.