Be prepared.
Save your poison center's number: 1-800-222-1222 (US only).
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Store medicines and products in their original containers.
Cold and flu season starts in the autumn, so stay alert when using new medications, making sure to always stay informed on potential interactions.
Be sure not to use 2 or more products that contain the same drug. Watch especially for too much acetaminophen.
Talk to your doctor before taking herbals and supplements. Make sure they don’t interfere with your medications.
Never take medicine in the dark. Never take other people's prescriptions. Read the warnings and follow the directions on the label!
Avoid wild mushrooms. Get your mushrooms from the market. Unless you are an expert, you can’t tell the poisonous ones from the safe ones. And the most toxic mushrooms, called "death caps" (the Amanita species) may be growing in your own yard. Just a few bites can cause fatal liver damage.
Children are attracted to colorful berries but some are poisonous. Know the names of the plants that grow where your children play and know which are dangerous.
Fall back! Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarms when you set your clocks back. Keep appliances, furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves in good repair.
The spotted lanternfly is an insect species native to parts of China and Vietnam. The insect itself does not bite or sting. It is not known to be toxic to humans but could cause upset stomach if ingested. Potential side effects of ingesting small amounts of spotted lanternflies are nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are self-limited and do not typically require treatment.
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Just because something is "natural", it isn't necessarily safe to casually eat or use. Originally, all remedies came from nature. Yew is an example of a plant with medicinal value that can be poisonous if eaten.
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There are old mushroom hunters, and there are bold mushroom hunters. There are no old, bold mushroom hunters.
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Although they are pretty, Virginia creeper and wisteria can be harmful if they are chewed or swallowed. Both plants can cause mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and should not be eaten.
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Tulips are beautiful and hardy plants grown from bulbs. Although a variety of symptoms have followed eating tulip bulbs, the exact toxicity of the plant when eaten has not been fully established. However, a well-documented toxicity from handling tulips is known as "tulip fingers."
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Ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September), but tick bites can happen during any time of the year. Ticks live in grassy, wooded, brush-filled areas or even on animals. Tick exposure can happen in your own backyard. See a healthcare provider if you experience fever, rash, or aches within a few weeks of a tick bite.
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Ticks are experts at feeding on your blood and, in return for your generosity, transmitting disease to you. There are several different kinds of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases transmitted by ticks, and tick-borne diseases are on the rise. Prevention is key: do what you can to prevent them from having access to you.
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Mothballs are pesticides used to protect stored clothing from fiber-eating moths. They can be poisonous to people and pets if swallowed or if large amounts of fumes are inhaled.
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Head lice can affect just about any one. They are not dangerous but they cause miserable itching. Treating head lice involves combing the lice and their eggs (nits) from each strand of hair. Often a chemical also must be used to prevent additional lice from hatching. Follow instructions carefully. Keep products out of eyes, because they can be irritating.
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Ant stings are common but rarely serious unless they are from imported fire ants. Problems can occur with multiple stings or with allergic reactions.
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