Health
Ondo herbal poisoning: Methanol survivors risk permanent blindness, physicians say
Iyanuoluwa Abiola
Survivors of methanol poisoning risk permanent blindness and severe damage to the kidneys, liver and brain, public health physicians have said.
The physicians explained that methanol becomes toxic after being metabolised in the body, producing substances that can damage cells, particularly the optic nerve, which carries visual signals between the eyes and brain.
They stressed that prompt medical treatment is critical because some of the damage may become irreversible if intervention is delayed, particularly when symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, confusion or vision changes develop after consuming a suspected methanol-containing drink.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol whose serious effects occur largely after it is metabolised in the body into formaldehyde and formic acid. Formic acid is particularly associated with damage to the optic nerve and the severe metabolic acidosis that can occur in methanol poisoning.
According to the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, early symptoms can include drowsiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, while severe poisoning may progress to visual disturbances, seizures, coma, respiratory failure and death. Kidney failure and pancreatitis have also been reported in severe cases.
The CDC further notes that survivors of severe methanol poisoning may experience permanent visual impairment, including complete loss of vision, because of damage to the optic nerve. Other lasting complications can include neurological damage.
The physicians’ warning comes against the backdrop of the recent poisoning incident in Ondo State, where the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control confirmed high concentrations of methanol in locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions linked to the death of 48 people.
PUNCH Healthwise reported on September 19 that NAFDAC had disclosed 182 cases of illness in the state as of September 17, with five people rendered totally blind and two partially blind. The affected communities included New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with the highest impact recorded in Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, a Professor of Community Medicine and Public Health at the University of Port Harcourt, Best Ordinioha, said methanol poisoning could affect several organs, with the eyes particularly vulnerable to permanent damage.
He explained that methanol was a poison which, after entering the body, was converted into toxic substances capable of damaging the organs.
“It’s a poison. When it is taken into the body, the body converts it into a chemical that is similar to formalin. And it is that chemical that destroys the organs of the body,” Ordinioha stated.
According to him, the severity of methanol poisoning was dose-related, with larger quantities capable of producing more toxic substances and causing more extensive damage to the nervous system, eyes and other organs.
He said affected persons could initially experience drowsiness, nausea and abdominal pain before developing dizziness, confusion and visual problems.
Ordinioha identified changes in vision as a particularly serious warning sign, noting that affected persons could experience blurred or “snow-filled” vision and increased sensitivity to light.
“Especially once the vision changes. Once it begins to affect the vision of the person, they have to be taken to the hospital,” he stressed.
He added that surviving the acute poisoning did not necessarily mean that a person would escape permanent complications.
“The effect on the eyes may not be reversible. So, if they don’t go totally blind, their vision may be severely affected, and their organs may lose their capacity,” he said.
Ordinioha further explained that the amount of methanol consumed could influence the severity of the outcome, with a higher dose increasing the likelihood of serious damage to the eyes and other organs.
Also, a Public Health Physician and Director of Medical Services, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, said the toxic substances produced when methanol was metabolised could damage cells throughout the body.
He explained that the optic nerve was particularly vulnerable because it transmits visual information between the eye and the brain.
“The cells that we have in the body start from the head to the toes. There are some cells in the body, in the brain, that we call neurons. Then, we have cells that are also in the eye, the retina that we use to see,” Adesanya explained.
He said the toxic products produced during methanol breakdown could damage the optic nerve, resulting in blurred vision, abnormal sensitivity to light and, in severe cases, blindness.
“The methanol breakdown, which is the formate or formic acid, or the in-between formaldehyde, will damage the optic nerve,” he stated.
Adesanya said symptoms could begin within hours of exposure and might initially resemble alcohol intoxication, with affected persons experiencing headache, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness.
He explained that the condition could subsequently progress to severe abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid or heavy breathing and metabolic acidosis, a dangerous build-up of acid in the blood.
The physician said survivors could also develop complications affecting several organs, including liver and kidney injuries, while severe cases could result in seizures, coma and respiratory failure.
“That’s why people should be careful when they take these alcohols unrestricted, or the ones that they don’t know the source of. Because they may have permanent damage that is irreversible for life,” he cautioned.
Adesanya stressed that prompt treatment was important because some complications could be reversed when medical intervention began before severe damage occurred.
“When it happens, you should seek help immediately. But if it has passed that short time, if somebody is coming after 24 hours, that damage may not be reversed,” he stated.
He said hospital treatment could include intravenous medication and, in some cases, dialysis to remove toxic substances from the blood.
Adesanya also warned against attempting to manage suspected methanol poisoning at home or inducing vomiting.
“Don’t try to do self-help, don’t try to do vomiting, don’t try to start taking palm oil, which will also worsen the problem,” he said.
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