Snakes, spiders, bees. Laundry pods, cleaning supplies, medicines. Ivy and mushrooms. It seems like everywhere you go, there’s a potential poison lurking, waiting to get you.
The good news: You can learn how to spot the dangers. The steps might even seem obvious. Keep medicines and laundry pods away from your kids. Watch your feet in the woods.
But sometimes, poison prevention isn’t so obvious. Mushrooms may mystify you. Or maybe you didn’t know that you can overdose on caffeine.
Keep reading for in-depth, UVA Health expert advice on poison prevention.
Food poisoning, spider bite: Sometimes you can’t predict or prevent getting poisoned. If you or someone you know eats a strange berry or inhales a mysterious vapor, we’re here for you.
Call the Blue Ridge Poison Center hotline, 24/7, at 800.222.1222.
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I have never seen a copperhead near my house in Albemarle County, but it seems I’ve just been unlucky. (I like snakes.) In September, many of my friends were reporting sightings of this distinctive-looking venomous snake. [caption id="attachment_9085" align="alignright" width="350"] This copperhead was spotted on the Rivanna Trail in Charlottesville…
The story flooded my Facebook feed: A house in Missouri was infested with 5,000 brown recluse spiders. More than one of my friends said they’d just burn that house down if it was theirs. [caption id="attachment_9067" align="alignright" width="350"] The brown recluse (bottom) isn't established in Virginia but is often confused…
The word “poisoning” might make you think of “CSI” episodes or old cop movies. But actually, most poisonings are accidental, and they’re more common than you might think. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, poison centers receive 10,830 calls every day. [caption id="attachment_6096" align="alignright" width="300"] Household cleaners…
But now there’s a newer product that is serious: the colorful laundry pods or dishwashing detergent pods that look like toys or candy. The pods are about one square inch in size and feel squishy. They can have powder or concentrated liquid inside them, but it’s the concentrated liquid ones that cause severe illness in kids.
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