Be prepared.
Save your poison center's number: 1-800-222-1222 (US only).
Save the webPOISONCONTROL online tool as a browser favorite.
Install a carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home.
Store medicines and products in their original containers.
Use child-resistant packaging. Replace caps securely.
Store household products in a different place from food and medicine.
Use medicines safely.
Read the label before taking or giving medicine – every time. Follow instructions exactly.
Ask your child's pediatrician before giving any herbal medicine or supplement.
Monitor children closely when you allow them to take their own medicines.
Discuss inhalant abuse when you discuss drug and alcohol abuse.
Aerosol cans, air fresheners, gasoline, glue, hairspray, nitrous oxide, paint thinners, and spray paint can kill or cause permanent damage if abused.
Baby-sitting? Check out the poison prevention tips for the ages of the children you are watching.
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THC vapes are devices such as cartridges and dab pens that heat THC into a vapor that is inhaled. Side effects include lung irritation, shortness of breath, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, and worsening of underlying depression, as well as burns related to device malfunction. E-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is severe lung damage from vaping that can be fatal.
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Paraquat is an herbicide used for weed control. Paraquat solution is corrosive even at low concentrations, so getting it on the skin, getting it in the eyes, or swallowing it causes burns. When ingested, it is taken up by the lungs resulting in cell death and scarring of the lungs. It causes kidney failure, liver injury, and heart damage. The toxic and lethal doses are low and there is no antidote. There is evidence that paraquat increases Parkinson’s disease risk.
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Creatine is used to improve athletic performance and increase muscle mass. It is safe for healthy people but is not recommended if you have liver or kidney disease or uncontrolled hypertension. It is also not recommended in teens until there are further studies. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and mild weight gain.
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Eating raw flour is not advisable since it can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Homemade play dough is not safe for children since it contains raw flour. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, fever, and headache. Treatment may include oral or intravenous fluids, depending on severity.
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Lacosamide is prescribed for seizures. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, headache, incoordination, tremors, blurred vision, upset stomach, and difficulty with concentration and memory. Serious allergic reactions, heart and liver issues, depression, and suicidal thoughts can occur. Avoid alcohol and other depressants while taking lacosamide.
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Apricot seeds (or “pits”) contain amygdalin, a compound the body converts into cyanide. Cyanide starves oxygen cells and can be fatal. Symptoms may take time to appear because amygdalin must be broken down first. Swallowing one or two whole, unchewed seeds is likely safe, but swallowing the kernels inside the pit is dangerous, as the kernel is where amygdalin is concentrated.
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Pear, prune, and plum seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that the body metabolizes into cyanide. Cyanide deprives cells of oxygen and is a lethal poison. Symptoms following exposure may be delayed. Swallowing the seeds from 1 pear core, or 1 or 2 whole plum or prune seeds, is unlikely to cause harm. Chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk of cyanide poisoning.
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Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that the body converts into cyanide. Cyanide starves oxygen cells. Symptoms may take time to appear because amygdalin must be broken down first. Apple seeds contain very little amygdalin, so swallowing the seeds in an apple core is safe. You would need to chew and swallow a large number of seeds to risk cyanide poisoning.
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Peanut allergy is an immune response to peanut proteins. It usually lasts a lifetime. Symptoms range from skin rashes and wheezing to tingling of the mouth and throat, throat tightness, and lip swelling. Life-threatening effects include anaphylaxis and respiratory distress. Avoid peanuts and carry an epinephrine autoinjector. Giving peanuts at an early age decreases the risk of peanut allergy.
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Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergic reaction to a sugar found in mammals. It is transmitted by the lone star tick bite. Onset is 6 hours after ingesting red meat and other alpha-gal substances. Symptoms include hives, vomiting, wheezing, and anaphylaxis. Treatment is avoiding meat and other alpha-gal substances. Reactions are treated with antihistamines and epinephrine auto-injectors.
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