How to Make a Pesticide Poisoning First Aid Kit for Your Home
If you don’t have your over-the-counter pesticides locked up securely in a cabinet, it’s likely that a young child or a pet could get into these harmful chemicals. If so, it’s important to act quickly to contact Poison Control and provide a child with first aid on the spot to treat pesticide poisoning.
What to Have in Your First Aid Kit
For the best results, having a fully stocked first aid kit on hand will help to treat initial pesticide exposure with the following items:
- Clean water
- Eyewash bottle
- Ipecac syrup
- Activated charcoal powder
- Soap
- Disposable towels
- Clean clothes
It’s also important to have a list of emergency numbers included with the kit so that they can be used, if needed. These emergency numbers may include 911, a local medical facility, and Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
How to Recognize Pesticide Poisoning
Pesticide exposure will fall into three different categories:
- Allergic
- Acute
- Delayed
After exposure to pesticide, a young child could develop an allergic reaction, like skin irritation, asthma, or eye and nose irritation. Of course, not all people will develop an allergic reaction, and some may be more sensitive than others to chemical products.
Acute signs of pesticide poisoning can appear within 24 hours. These symptoms are often more obvious and easy to diagnose, requiring immediate medical treatment. Delayed effects of pesticide poisoning may appear over time in chronic illness or injury, like tumors and malignant cancer.
If a young child has an acute reaction like skin irritation to a pesticide, it’s important to remove any contaminated clothing and wash the area with soap and water. If a child is showing signs of respiratory irritation, they should be moved to an area with fresh air right away and given CPR until medical help arrives.
If pesticides have splashed into the eyes, a gentle eyewash should be used as quickly as possible. If pesticides have been swallowed, it’s important to wash the mouth with water and try to induce vomiting with ipecac syrup.
In all instances of pesticide poisoning, it’s recommended to contact medical professionals for help. To keep kids and pets safe and sound at home, homeowners are urged to leave pest control to the experts to avoid having over-the-counter pest sprays in the house at all.
A professional Alabama pest control company will know how to properly use pesticides in your house to get rid of insects to keep both children and pets safe from chemical reactions.