Holiday Survival Guide Part One
Welcome to the Illinois Poison Center Holiday Survival Guide! Whether it’s a spoiled treat or too many party poisons, joyous holiday celebrations have the potential to become hazardous situations.
You’re A “Toxic” One Mr. Grinch
Since 1966 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” has been a holiday favorite for young and old alike. In this 26 minute cartoon, the despicable and ruthless Mr. Grinch goes through extreme measures to dampen the Christmas spirit. To adequately describe the low down character traits of the green grouch, the song “You’re A Mean … more
Happy Holidays from the Illinois Poison Center!
The Illinois Poison Center would like to share this festive poem from Dr. John A. Trestail III, R.Ph, ABAT, from the Center of the Study of Criminal Poisoning. Look below to find links for our resources on the potential holiday hazards mentioned in the poem! ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE POISONED ‘Twas the morning post-party, when all … more
Fatal Attraction: Hazards of Swallowing High-Powered Magnets
Update Dec. 2019: Number of children swallowing dangerous magnets surges as industry largely polices itself Is a set of high-powered magnet toys on your shopping list this holiday season? If so, be careful about leaving them under the Christmas tree or anywhere a child can reach them. The attraction to magnets is understandable since the … more
How Much Holly is too Jolly?
Click here to listen to Burl Ives’ “Holly Jolly Christmas” As the autumn leaves dwindle to the coming winter frost, our cities and homes become alive with holiday décor such as wreaths, Christmas trees, mistletoe, poinsettia, and American holly. Last year, we addressed the toxicity hazards of the poinsettia plant. This year our focus … more
IPC Partners with IEMA and Walgreens to Help Illinoisans Prepare for Emergencies
September may have been National Preparedness Month, but here at the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) we work year round to encourage Illinoisans to be prepared for all types of emergencies that may occur in their area. For folks that live within a 10-mile radius of one of the state’s six nuclear power plants, the Illinois … more
Old Man Winter and Carbon Monoxide
There is a definite chill coming to Illinois. On my nightly walk with the dogs, hats and gloves are now a necessity. Soon boots and thick coats will come out of hiding to add needed warmth when venturing outside. Furnaces are beginning to kick on more frequently now. Every year, like clockwork, this is the … more
Don’t Drop Dead While Dropping Dollars
Are you counting on a bolt of lightning in a can or another popular, highly advertised energy booster to get to get you through your Black Friday shopping frenzy this year? Be careful or the old adage “shop until you drop” may prove fateful. There seems to be no limit to the number of warnings … more
Agent Orange, Dioxin, and the Vietnam War: Still in the news 40 years later
Recently it was reported that the American and Vietnamese governments have taken on a massive $43 million environmental clean-up project in Vietnam. If you did not serve in the armed forces during the Vietnam War, you may not be familiar with Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a tactical herbicide developed by the US Department of … more
Introducing The ‘My Child Ate’ Web Resource Library
In 2011, 49% of calls to the IPC involved kids age 5 and under. While that is a big chunk of our calls, that percentage has actually decreased over the past few years. Lots of poisoning exposures DO involve kids: children learn about their environment by picking things up and putting them in their mouth. … more
How Do You Like Wild Mushrooms, Stir-Fry or Tomato Sauce?
Fall is a great time of year; color changes on the leaves, brisk cool breezes, and the smell of newly lit fireplaces on evening walks. Here in Illinois, many people spend autumn Sunday’s watching football or carving pumpkins as part of their fall rituals. Fall is also the time of year when many cases of … more
Don’t Be Foggy-Headed About Dry Ice Safety!
Fall brings us the fun- filled day of Halloween! It is the perfect time for candy, pumpkins, spooky costumes and even a little magic or fog! Do you know what creates this spooky fog? It is none other than dry ice!
More on Mercury and Fish Consumption During Pregnancy
On June 5, the IPC published a blog regarding the mercury content in fish. In the blog, the FDA recommended that people may want to limit their consumption of fish with high mercury content, especially women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. This is because the high levels of … more
Help Keep the IPC Phones Ringing
Help Keep the IPC Phones Ringing! Use iGive for your everyday and holiday online shopping Want in on a secret on how to give away money and not have it cost you anything? The answer is to use iGive for your online shopping trips. With just a wave of the mouse or a tap or … more
Kernels of Truth about “Popcorn Lung”
Perhaps you heard the recent news story about a man who was awarded millions of dollars in damages after developing a pulmonary condition called “popcorn lung”. The man developed this condition after eating two bags of microwave popcorn every day for ten years. So what is popcorn lung and is microwave popcorn safe to cook … more
Topical Pain Relievers- Apply with Caution!
A large number of over-the-counter products are available to remedy the minor aches and pains that all of us experience at one time or another. These creams, ointments, lotions, gels, patches, and roll-ons, like Bengay® and IcyHot®, offer temporary relief of the discomfort caused by arthritis or muscle aches and strains. Many of these products … more
Interesting IPC Facts That You May Not Know!
We like to use the IPC blog to educate our readers about potentially harmful substances, trends the IPC has identified, or seasonal safety tips. But this week, we thought we would toot our own horn a bit and tell you about some of the cool things you probably didn’t know about the IPC.
Ultra-Toxic Poisons May Be Lurking Right Under Your Nose
There are a lot of poisons that can cause significant harm to adults, kids, and pets. But did you ever wonder what kind of things make an expert answering phones in the IPC have a dry mouth, rapid heart rate, and raise the hair on the back of their neck?
Get Rid of Unwanted or Expired Drugs on National Take Back Day- Saturday September 29
Traces of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in drinking water in the US for years Drugs in our waterways have been linked to sex changes and other mutations in fish and other wildlife Prescription drug abuse, misuse and other accidental ingestions are the number one injury related cause of death in the US And in … more
Labor Safely: Don’t Let Poison Prevention at the Workplace Take a Holiday
Click here to catch Alabama’s, “40 Hour Week” With the Labor Day Holiday weekend approaching soon, we thought this would be the perfect time to highlight the services the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) can provide to employees and workers of all types in our state.
Skippin’ Town May Be Hazardous to Your Health
One of my favorite hobbies is ‘getting out of Dodge’. I love to leave town, get off the island, flee the continent. I don’t care where you send me, I will go. Traveling can be stressful though, and if that weren’t enough, have you ever considered the potential poisonings related to travel?
It’s a Summer to Remember for Pesky Critters!
From what we gather from professionals in the know, the weather conditions these last couple of months have been conducive to the rapid multiplication and spread of some of those creepy, crawly and flying things that we normally like to avoid this time of year.
I Didn’t Know That Poop Could Be So Harmful!
Regardless of what you call it (feces, stool, BMs, poop, doodoo, scat, #2, caca, etc), people, especially kids, can and do unintentionally encounter this undesirable material in a variety of ways (i.e. tasting or smelling it). In September 2011, the Illinois Poison Center posted a blog about kids accidentally tasting various forms of fecal material … more
Moth repellents: Repulsive or not?
We all know how pesky moths can be, but before deciding on a moth repellent there are few things you should know to keep your family and pets safe. In 2010, there were 3,863 calls to U.S. poison centers regarding human exposure to moth repellent products, so the risk is real.
“Foaming at the Mouth…”
Last year, around this time, news reports highlighted an 8 year old Californian girl with an incredible and truly fortunate story. She had contracted rabies following a scratch from a stray cat and survived (albeit with intensive medical care), despite not receiving the rabies vaccine. She was very lucky because rabies, although rare, is almost … more