Can you eat candle wax?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question” Can you eat candle wax” with an in-depth analysis of its poisonous ingredients and disadvantages of eating candle wax.

Can you eat candle wax?

No, you can’t eat candle wax.  If a small amount of crayon is eaten by a child, it will pass through the child’s system without causing any problems. But if anyone eats large amounts of wax or crayons, then it will be harmful to human health and cause intestinal blockage.

Candle wax:

Candle wax is not edible. Candles are made from substances like paraffin. Paraffin comes from crude oil. Paraffin is a petroleum product. Petroleum products are very dangerous to ingest. They are extremely flammable and if they are swallowed, they can cause severe burns.

Wax is made up of viscous and oily substances that melt when you put it in heat.

 

Poisonous Ingredient:

The substances present  in candles that can be harmful are given below:

  • Beeswax
  • Paraffin wax
  • Man-made (synthetic) wax
  • Vegetable oil-based wax

Can candle wax be digested?

This wax is primarily composed of organic chemicals and is not toxic; however, it is flavorless and devoid of nutritional value. WAX is an organic chemically composed substance and it is indigestible.

Is Birthday Candle Wax Poisonous?

The most common example of ingesting candle wax is when eating a cake. Your family and friends get you your favorite cake and just as you’ve taken a massive bite of it, you realize something is wrong. To your dismay, you’ve ingested some birthday candle wax.

Edible birthday candles are sold in supermarkets, you can never be sure if the one you ingested was edible. Nevertheless, in most cases, you feel the need to specifically ask for edible candles. 

Birthday candles are not too much different than the usual candles. So, the intervention will be the same in both of them and it will depend on the size of the candle which you have ingested.

If you have a small piece, then you should not worry about it. On the contrary, if there was a larger piece, then, there can be an alarming situation and you have to seek medical intervention.

Can Candle Wax Kill You?

If the person has ingested a small quantity of candle wax, then it will not kill him. The small amount of wax will pass through anyone’s system, even a child’s system without causing any harm. On the other hand, if large quantities of candle wax are ingested, this may cause a problem.

If someone has ingested a large piece of candle wax, it may result in obstructing his airways, making it difficult for him to breathe. This large piece of candle that you have ingested may also cause intestinal obstruction.

If immediate action is not taken, then candle wax can kill you in both cases. 

What steps should you take if you have eaten candle wax?

If you have eaten candle wax, then the first thing you should do is immediately call for emergency assistance. It could be the poison control department or the hospital, where you can call. If you don’t know how to call or reach the poison control department specifically, they simply call an ambulance and take the individual to the hospital emergency right away.

Here are some tips.

  • When you call for emergency help, then you should inform them about the compound taken. Whether it was a birthday candle or a daily use candle (the long, white, stick-shaped candle), or any type of candle. 
  • Also inform them about the age, weight, and general health status of that person. You should also give details regarding any allergies the person may have.
  • Another crucial thing to inform the emergency assistant is the amount of candle wax taken.
  • Make sure that the person is breathing and their airways have not been compromised.
  • If there are any pieces of the candle on or in the person’s mouth, make sure to remove them. Gargle with some water and then use a cloth to wipe your face clean.
  • Take a piece of the candle, which was ingested. This will help your medical professionals to find any harmful or poisonous substances that the candle may contain and then the treatment can be planned accordingly.

 

Why are soy candles bad?

Toxic fumes present in candles fill your rooms. They are not good for your health in any way. When soy and paraffin candles are burnt they release toxic compounds such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone, carcinogens that can lead to cancer and other health problems.

Here, you can find what happens if you eat candle wax.

Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question” Can you eat candle wax” with an in-depth analysis of the disadvantages of eating candle wax. Moreover, we discussed some tips if you have eaten candle wax.

Citations:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002766.htm#:~:text=Candle%20wax%20is%20considered%20 nonpoisonous,a%20 large%20 amount%20is%20swallowed.

https://www.smellthescent.com/candle/can-you-eat-candle-wax/

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