What Does Ammonia Poisoning Look Like? Recognizing the Signs of Toxicity

September 23, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to high levels of ammonia can cause severe health effects to the eyes, skin, throat, and lungs. For this reason, it is crucial to recognize exactly what does ammonia poisoning look like, as immediate action can prevent permanent damage.

Quick Summary

Ammonia poisoning manifests with symptoms depending on the exposure route, including respiratory distress like coughing and wheezing from inhalation, or severe burns and pain from skin contact or ingestion. Central nervous system effects can also occur in severe cases.

Key Points

Inhalation Symptoms: Signs include severe coughing, wheezing, throat swelling, and breathing difficulty, potentially leading to pulmonary edema.
Skin Contact Effects: Direct contact can cause severe corrosive burns, blisters, and deep tissue damage, with contact with liquefied ammonia also causing frostbite.
Eye Damage: Ocular exposure results in intense pain and redness, with a high risk of severe damage to the cornea and permanent or temporary blindness.
Ingestion Symptoms: Swallowing ammonia causes immediate, severe burning in the mouth, throat, and stomach, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and can lead to internal burns.
Neurological Issues: Internal buildup of ammonia, often due to liver problems, can cause confusion, tremors, and in severe cases, coma.
Emergency Action: First aid involves moving to fresh air for inhalation or flushing with water for skin/eye contact, and immediately contacting emergency services.

Understanding the Different Types of Ammonia Exposure

Ammonia poisoning is not a singular event but rather a range of symptoms resulting from different types of exposure. The effects of ammonia, a colorless gas with a pungent odor, can vary dramatically depending on whether it is inhaled, ingested, or comes into contact with the skin or eyes. Recognizing the specific symptoms associated with each route is critical for proper first aid and medical treatment. Exposure can be occupational, as in industrial settings, or domestic, typically from cleaning products containing ammonium hydroxide. While the low odor threshold of ammonia can often alert people to its presence, prolonged exposure can lead to olfactory fatigue, masking the danger.

Inhalation Symptoms: When You Breathe in Ammonia Fumes

Inhalation is the most common route of severe ammonia exposure. The severity of symptoms depends on the concentration of the ammonia and the duration of exposure. Mild exposure can cause rapid irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, often accompanied by a burning sensation, coughing, and chest tightness. This irritation is the body's natural warning system, prompting most people to seek fresh air. For those unable to escape, such as infants, the elderly, or those in enclosed spaces, the effects can escalate rapidly.

Moderate to Severe Inhalation Signs

Respiratory distress: More significant exposure can lead to severe coughing, wheezing, and chest pain. This is a sign of deeper respiratory tract injury, where ammonia vapor has caused damage beyond the upper airways.
Fluid accumulation in the lungs: Severe poisoning can lead to pulmonary edema, or fluid buildup in the lungs. This is a medical emergency and can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), leading to oxygen deprivation.
Altered mental status: Because oxygen levels are affected, individuals may experience confusion, dizziness, and altered consciousness.
Throat swelling: Severe cases may involve swelling of the larynx and throat, leading to stridor (a high-pitched breathing sound) and potential airway obstruction.

Skin and Eye Contact: The Corrosive Nature of Ammonia

Ammonia is a strong alkali, and direct contact with concentrated solutions can cause serious corrosive burns. The extent of the injury is directly related to the concentration of the solution and the duration of contact.

What to Look For with Dermal and Ocular Exposure

Skin burns: Contact with concentrated ammonia can cause pain, inflammation, and blistering. Unlike acid burns, alkali burns like those from ammonia can penetrate more deeply into tissue, potentially causing black, leathery skin in severe cases.
Eye damage: Ammonia can cause rapid and serious eye injury, with symptoms including intense irritation, redness, and pain. It can lead to severe corneal damage and even temporary or permanent blindness within minutes of exposure due to its ability to penetrate the eye's delicate tissues.
Frostbite: Contact with liquefied ammonia, which is stored at very low temperatures, can cause frostbite injuries in addition to chemical burns.

Ingestion: Swallowing Ammonia

Though less common, ingesting ammonia-containing products can cause severe internal damage. Household ammonia, typically a diluted solution, can still cause significant corrosive injury.

Symptoms of Ammonia Ingestion

Gastrointestinal damage: Immediate, severe burning pain in the mouth, throat, and stomach is a key indicator.
Nausea and vomiting: Abdominal pain and vomiting, which may include blood, often follow ingestion.
Esophageal and stomach burns: Ingestion can lead to severe burns and potential perforation of the esophagus and stomach lining. Signs include difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and drooling.
Systemic shock: In severe cases, extensive vomiting and fluid loss can lead to hypovolemic shock.

Comparison of Ammonia Poisoning Routes

Understanding the distinct symptoms for each exposure route is vital for effective response. The following table summarizes the key differences.


Exposure Route	Primary Affected Areas	Initial Symptoms	Key Severe Symptoms
Inhalation	Respiratory system, eyes	Coughing, burning eyes/nose, chest tightness	Pulmonary edema, altered mental status, airway obstruction
Skin Contact	Dermal layer	Pain, irritation, redness	Severe burns, deep tissue necrosis, blistering
Eye Contact	Ocular structures	Intense burning, redness, pain	Corneal damage, temporary or permanent blindness
Ingestion	Mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract	Burning pain, nausea, vomiting	Esophageal burns, stomach perforation, shock

Neurological and Systemic Effects of Internal Ammonia Buildup

In some cases, ammonia can build up internally, causing systemic toxicity, particularly if the liver is compromised. This is a different type of ammonia poisoning than a chemical exposure and is typically related to metabolic disorders or severe liver disease.

Signs of Systemic Ammonia Toxicity

Hepatic encephalopathy: The buildup of ammonia in the blood can affect brain function, leading to confusion, fatigue, and lethargy.
Tremors and convulsions: In more advanced cases, neurological symptoms can progress to tremors, loss of coordination, and seizures.
Coma: Severe, untreated cases can lead to coma and permanent brain damage.

What to Do in Case of Suspected Ammonia Poisoning

First aid procedures depend on the route of exposure. For inhalation, immediately move the person to fresh air. If there is skin or eye contact, flush the affected area with copious amounts of water for at least 15 minutes. If ammonia was ingested, do not induce vomiting. Instead, give milk or water to drink if the person is conscious and can swallow, and contact emergency medical services immediately. The CDC provides valuable guidance on chemical emergencies and first aid, which can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/.

Conclusion: Vigilance and Preparedness are Key

Knowing what does ammonia poisoning look like is the first step in responding effectively. Because the symptoms can range from mild irritation to life-threatening respiratory failure and severe burns, quick identification and appropriate action are paramount. Whether in a workplace environment or at home, being aware of the signs of ammonia poisoning and understanding the correct first aid procedures can save lives and prevent serious, long-term health consequences. Always seek immediate professional medical attention for any significant exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common and immediate sign is a burning sensation in the eyes, nose, and throat, which is a key indicator of irritation from the fumes. This is often accompanied by a strong, pungent odor.

Severe ammonia poisoning is indicated by symptoms such as extreme difficulty breathing, blue-tinged lips or fingernails (cyanosis), severe chest pain, coughing up pink or white fluid, altered consciousness, and collapse.

If someone ingests household ammonia, do not induce vomiting. Give them milk or water to drink if they are conscious and can swallow, and call emergency services immediately. Vomiting can cause additional damage to the esophagus.

Yes, survivors who have inhaled large amounts of ammonia may suffer from long-term lung damage, including chronic cough, asthma, or lung fibrosis. Eye injuries can also lead to long-term issues like cataracts or glaucoma.

Yes, poisoning can result from chemical exposure via inhalation, skin contact, or ingestion, causing direct corrosive damage. It can also occur from the internal buildup of ammonia in the blood due to underlying medical conditions like liver disease, leading to neurological symptoms.

Symptoms of chemical exposure to high concentrations of ammonia typically appear rapidly, often within minutes. Inhalation can cause immediate irritation, while more severe effects like pulmonary edema may be delayed for several hours.

Infants, the elderly, and individuals with chronic lung diseases like asthma are particularly vulnerable. Those with limited mobility are also at greater risk because of their inability to quickly remove themselves from the source of the exposure.