At least six tourists—including two Australian and a British woman—travelling to Laos have died due to Methanol poisoning. According to BBC, the chemical was found in their alcohol. It is an industrial chemical found in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. It's not meant for human consumption and is highly toxic. What Does Methanol Do To Human Body?Since it looks and tastes exactly like alcohol, people don't realize any difference at start. They only realize as their body attempts to clear it from the body by breaking it down in the liver. This creates toxic by-products called formaldehyde, formate and formic acid, which eventually attack nerves and organs. A person who consumes methanol, can go bind or in coma or even die. Speaking to a leading British publication, Dr Christopher Morris, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University, underscored that formate, which is the main toxin produced, acts in a similar way to cyanide. It stops energy production in cells and deprives them of oxygen, leading to their death. The brain particularly is very vulnerable to this. "Formate leads to certain parts of the brain being damaged. The eyes are also directly affected and this can cause blindness which is found in many people exposed to high levels of methanol."Can You Treat Methanol Poisoning?Yes, methanol poisoning can be treated. But it must be treated in a hospital. There are drug treatments that can be given, as well as dialysis to clean the blood.In some cases, if the responder is quick, it could also be treated using alcohol. Ethanol, present in alcohol, can outcompete methanol metabolism. "Ethanol acts as a competitive inhibitor largely preventing methanol breakdown, but markedly slowing it down, allowing the body to vent methanol from the lungs and some through the kidneys, and a little through sweat,"Prof Alastair Hay, an expert in environmental toxicology from the University of Leeds, told BBC.How To Identify Methanol PoisoningHeadache is common symptom. Methanol poisoning causes mild to moderate headache, due to the effects on the central nervous system.Dizziness is also caused by the disruption of the brain's normal functioning due to the substance's toxicity.A person may also experience nausea and vomiting as the body attempts to expel the toxic substance through the gastrointestinal system.Abdominal pain often occurs due to irritation of the stomach lining or damage to internal organs.Methanol affects brain function, leading to cognitive disturbances and confusion.Methanol toxicity can cause blurry vision, and in severe cases, permanent blindness.Rapid breathing is a response to metabolic acidosis, which occurs as methanol is metabolized to toxic compounds like formic acid.Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) also occurs as a common symptom due to the effects of methanol on the auditory system.In severe poisoning cases, a person might get seizures as methanol affects the brain’s electrical activity.Low blood pressure can develop as methanol poisoning progresses, affecting circulation.In extreme cases, untreated methanol poisoning can lead to unconsciousness or coma.Also, in most severe cases, methanol poisoning can depress the respiratory system, leading to failure.