Scary Things Lurking in Your Home This Halloween

October 28, 2020

Scary Things Lurking in Your Home This Halloween

Don’t let your home haunt you this Halloween. This week’s newsletter explores some scary things to look out for…

A poison is any substance that is harmful to your body. You might swallow it, inhale it, inject it, or absorb it through your skin. Poisons can include:

Prescription or over-the-counter medicines taken in doses that are too high
Overdoses of illegal drugs
Carbon monoxide from gas appliances
Household products, such as laundry powder or furniture polish
Pesticides
Some plants
Metals such as lead and mercury

The effects of poisoning range from short-term illness to brain damage, coma, and death. To prevent poisoning it’s important to use and store products exactly as their labels say. Keep dangerous products where children can’t get to them. Treatment for poisoning depends on the type of poison. If you suspect someone has been poisoned, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 right away.

Find more information about poisoning.

Extreme Mold Terror

Is it ghosts or something more insidious in the dark corners of your home? Growing, spreading, and causing health problems. Molds are fungi that can be found both outdoors and indoors. They grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions and can cause fungal infections. Mold exposure may irritate your eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs.

Radon: an Invisible Threat

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

You can’t see, smell, or taste radon but it may be a problem in your home. Testing is the only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels. It’s inexpensive and easy. You can buy a test kit at most hardware stores or hire someone to do a test. Radon reduction systems can bring the amount of radon down to a safe level. The cost depends on the size and design of your home.

Uninvited Guests

Scratching behind the walls late at night, chewed food boxes or wrappers, signs of droppings. These are telltale signs that you may have an uninvited guest. Learn how to make your home inhospitable to pests and how to protect your health.

Garlic Keeps More Than Vampires Away

Folklore and fiction tell us that garlic wards off vampires. Garlic is also used as a dietary supplement for many health-related purposes, including lowering high cholesterol and high blood pressure. A great deal of research has been done on garlic but there is conflicting evidence about the benefits. Read more about what we’ve learned.

Un-beet-able Berry Smoothie

Beets in a smoothie? You won’t even know that they’re there but you’ll be giving your body valuable nutrients. Give the Un-beet-able Berry Smoothie a try.