Skip to content
Poison Control - National Capital Poison Center
Call a poison centerGet help online
Loading Theme Toggle

Winter: Risks and tips

Prevention Tips

  • Be prepared.

  • Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

    • Install a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home.

    • Keep appliances, furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves in good repair.

    • Use generators safely.

    • Never operate a generator in an enclosed or semi-enclosed space such as a basement, garage, carport, barn or enclosed porch.

    • Place generators away from doors and windows. Direct the exhaust away from the house so that carbon monoxide won’t enter the house.

    • Do not use charcoal or gas grills, stoves, gas ovens, camp stoves or hibachis to heat your home (or your tent or camper).

    • Recognize the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: flu-like symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Often many people and even pets get sick at about the same time. If symptoms develop, leave the area and get medical attention right away.

  • Store medicines and products in their original containers.

  • Antifreeze (for cars) tastes sweet, but even a little can cause kidney damage or death. Keep it away from children and pets.

  • Feverish? Use a digital thermometer. Glass mercury thermometers may break in a child’s mouth. Spilled mercury requires special cleanup to avoid contaminating your home.

  • Treating influenza with baloxavir (Xofluza)

    Baloxavir (Xofluza) is an oral antiviral medication used to prevent or treat influenza. Although it is approved for use in otherwise healthy people, research has shown that baloxavir can reduce influenza complications in older patients and those with chronic medical conditions with very few side effects.

    Find out more

  • Mothballs can be poisonous

    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.

    Find out more
  • girl with itchy head

    Take care with head lice treatments

    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.

    Find out more
  • young boy blowing snowflakes

    Safe use of artificial snow

    There are two main types of artificial snow: powders that are mixed with water and spray-on aerosols. In most small exposures, neither product type is likely to cause severe problems, but swallowing the powder or spraying the aerosol directly onto the skin or into the eyes can cause symptoms.

    Find out more
  • poinsettia

    Are poinsettias poisonous?

    The poinsettia plant is often considered deadly. That's wrong. Poinsettia can be irritating but it is not fatal if eaten. If children and pets eat it, they can develop mouth irritation and stomach upset. The sap can cause a skin rash, too.

    Find out more
  • essential oil and leaves

    Peppermint oil: Is it toxic?

    Peppermint oil is an aromatic and flavoring agent that contains up to 50% menthol. While it is promoted for many ailments, studies showing effectiveness are primarily for some digestive tract illnesses. If small amounts are swallowed, inhaled, or applied to skin or eyes, it can cause irritation and burning. Large doses can cause serious toxicity due to the menthol.

    Find out more
  • mistletoe

    Is mistletoe poisonous?

    Until recent studies were published, the American mistletoe genus, Phoradendron, was widely considered to be extremely poisonous. Swallowing American mistletoe can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal upset but is not likely to cause serious poisoning if small amounts are unintentionally swallowed.

    Find out more