Why do doctors say not to use hydrogen peroxide?

Author: Dustin Kozey  |  Last update: Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Depending on the concentration, breathing hydrogen peroxide vapor can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and breathing difficulty. Serious eye or skin burns and bleaching of the hair may result from contact with hydrogen peroxide solutions.

When should you not use hydrogen peroxide?

This product should not be used to treat deep wounds, animal bites, or serious burns.

What is harmful about hydrogen peroxide?

How can hydrogen peroxide affect my health? Hydrogen peroxide can be toxic if ingested, inhaled, or by contact with the skin or eyes. Inhalation of household strength hydrogen peroxide (3%) can cause respiratory irritation. Exposure to household strength hydrogen peroxide can cause mild ocular irritation.

Why is hydrogen peroxide bad for healing?

"It prevents healing rather than promoting it." That's because its reactive power isn't specific to germs. Hydrogen peroxide also kills normal cells within the wound — including healthy skin cells and immune cells — and slows blood vessel formation, all of which are important for wound healing.

Is it better to clean a wound with peroxide or alcohol?

Clean With Hydrogen Peroxide or Alcohol? FALSE. Using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean an injury can actually harm the tissue and delay healing. The best way to clean a minor wound is with cool running water and mild soap.

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What does hydrogen peroxide do to human tissue?

Hydrogen peroxide is corrosive to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes at high concentrations (>10%); lower concentrations may cause irritation.

What diseases can hydrogen peroxide cause?

On a cellular level, the build-up of hydrogen peroxide triggers apoptosis resulting in systemic lupus erythematosus, on a tissue level (colonic epithelium) excess hydrogen peroxide leads to inflammation and ulcerative colitis, and on a systemic level the pathologic effects of toxic concentrations of blood hydrogen ...

What should you not mix with hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen Peroxide reacts violently with FINELY DIVIDIED METALS; REDUCING AGENTS; COMBUSTIBLES; STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); ORGANICS; ALCOHOLS; ETHERS; KETONES; ...

Is it bad to soak your feet in hydrogen peroxide?

Soaking your feet in hydrogen peroxide can kill any potentially harmful bacteria and foot fungus. It can also help to reduce odor-causing bacteria and soften calluses and corns. If you want to use hydrogen peroxide on your feet, mix one part hydrogen peroxide with three parts warm water.

What do hospitals use to clean?

Common low- and intermediate-level disinfectants that can be used for environmental surfaces in healthcare settings include:
  • Quaternary ammonium compounds.
  • Alcohol (ethyl or isopropyl).
  • Chlorine releasing agents (e.g., bleach).
  • Improved hydrogen peroxide.

What disinfects better, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide?

In general, vinegar is used to clean surfaces, whereas peroxide can be used to clean and disinfect. Vinegar is also less hazardous to children and pets. Peroxide is a more powerful cleaner than vinegar and can be used to remove more difficult stains.

What's the best natural disinfectant?

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most powerful natural cleaning and disinfecting agents. Health professionals trust it against harmful bacteria, antigens, and viruses. It's used for a variety of disinfecting jobs, including cleaning cuts, removing earwax, and promoting dental hygiene.

Is it OK to rinse with hydrogen peroxide everyday?

Daily use of hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash may lead to enamel erosion over time due to its acidic nature, although infrequent usage may not adversely harm dental enamel.

What is the best thing to soak an open wound in?

Open Cuts or Scrapes.

Soak it in warm water. You can also put a warm wet cloth on the wound. Do this for 10 minutes 3 times per day. Use a warm saltwater solution.

What happens if you put hydrogen peroxide on a fungal infection?

Hydrogen peroxide can easily kill fungus on the surface level but is not intended for internal use. You can pour hydrogen peroxide over the infected area, but be aware it may sting and should bubble, especially if you have any open wounds.

What are the dangers of hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide solutions of 10% or greater are corrosive to the eyes and can cause severe, irreversible damage and possibly blindness. Hydrogen peroxide is moderately toxic by ingestion and slightly toxic by inhalation. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer and may cause a fire or explosion.

Is hydrogen peroxide no longer recommended?

Hydrogen peroxide has antiseptic properties, so you might have used hydrogen peroxide on your skin to clean wounds or as an acne treatment. But using it for those purposes is outdated and no longer recommended.

Can you use hydrogen peroxide to clean a bathroom?

Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning the home, especially the bathroom. It can disinfect and clean sinks, toilets, and showers. It also works well on bathroom surfaces. It's good at removing mould and mildew from wet places like showers or around tubs.

Is hydrogen peroxide the same as rubbing alcohol?

Rubbing alcohol is more of a chemical solvent. Hydrogen peroxide is a nonchlorinated oxidizing bleach. Both will kill bacteria. If using either on a fresh wound, peroxide should only be used once for the initial cleaning.

What does hydrogen peroxide do in the body?

Levels of H(2)O(2) in the human body may be controlled not only by catabolism but also by excretion, and H(2)O(2) could play a role in the regulation of renal function and as an antibacterial agent in the urine.

Should you use hydrogen peroxide on cuts?

While the sometimes-painful bubbling is definitely sanitizing the area, it's also destroying healthy tissue. ER physician and wound specialist Troy Madsen, MD, explains why hydrogen peroxide is such a bad idea for first aid and the best way to clean and treat a wound to keep it from getting infected.

What does hydrogen peroxide do to the blood?

When a solution of hydrogen peroxide is added to human blood the peroxide is decomposed and oxygen is evolved. This reaction has been used to oxygenate stored blood before transfusion (Nikitin, 1948).

Is it safe to use hydrogen peroxide on teeth?

Is hydrogen peroxide safe for teeth? According to the American Dental Association (ADA), hydrogen peroxide is generally considered safe when used in over-the-counter products at concentrations no greater than 3.5%. One of the safest ways to use hydrogen peroxide for teeth whitening is through your dental professionals.

What is the best disinfectant for wounds?

COMMONLY USED ANTISEPTIC COMPOUNDS
  • Alcohol. ...
  • Iodine. ...
  • Biguanides: chlorhexidine gluconate and polyhexanide/polyhexamethylene biguanide. ...
  • Halophenols (chloroxylenol) ...
  • Bisphenols (triclosan) ...
  • Silver compounds. ...
  • Hydrogen peroxide.

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