During the holidays, there is a risk of poisoning from egg dyes and garden chemicals.

During Easter, the Poison Helpline often receives calls in cases where a child has put or swallowed egg dye.

“For example, a concerned mother contacted us, whose child the day before ate, along with candy, a green coloring tablet dissolved in water to color eggs. After this, the child slept restlessly at night, and in the morning he vomited,” the head of the Poison Information Center described one case. Mare Oder.

“Don’t be too afraid of egg dyes because they’re mostly food dyes and tasting them doesn’t cause acute poisoning,” Oder said.

Gastrointestinal and skin irritation is the main health complaint when food coloring is ingested. In this case, the child needs to rinse his mouth and offer him to drink water to dilute the dye. The child may develop an allergic reaction to the dye.

“It’s definitely a good idea to avoid decorating eggs with other substances that are not intended for this purpose, such as green paint, whose bright green color is attractive for coloring eggs, but can cause severe irritation if it comes into contact with the mouth, skin or eyes,” Oder said. one of the sources of danger when choosing the wrong dye.

“For example, there was a case when a one-year-old child grabbed a bottle of brilliant green and poured its contents into his mouth and onto his skin. The child’s mother, who called the helpline, was worried regarding whether there was a risk of poisoning and whether she should immediately run to the EMO,” Oder described one case .

Brilliant green (zelenka) is an alcohol-based solution that irritates mucous membranes. Therefore, if this substance is accidentally ingested, instead of urgent hospitalization, you should rinse the mouth and skin, give cool drinks and food, and assess the child’s well-being.

Before and during the spring holidays, people often do spring cleaning and begin gardening work, during which various chemicals are used. In this case, it is important to wear rubber gloves, a mask, safety glasses and, if necessary, protective clothing. When using chemicals indoors, open the windows and ensure good ventilation. When using chemicals, you should carefully study the instructions for use on their packaging, and you should also look for a hazard label (pictogram) on the label indicating the danger of the substance.

In case of poisoning or suspected poisoning, you should call the poisoning information number 16662.

“By calling the helpline, everyone can get clarification regarding the danger of the current situation and thus avoid false fears, so people are less likely to make unnecessary visits to the hospital,” Oder explained.

Consultations are conducted anonymously, the information line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls are answered by nurses and doctors with many years of experience and special qualifications in the field of poisoning, who help callers assess the danger of the situation and give the correct instructions for first aid and further actions. Consultations are available in Estonian, Russian and English.

Memo from the Information Center on Poisoning Issues

• Before using a chemical, be sure to read the product’s instructions for use and pay attention to the danger pictogram on the packaging!
• Store chemicals only in their original packaging! This way there is no risk of confusing them with other products.
• When using chemicals, take care of your protection and wear rubber gloves, a mask, special safety glasses and, if necessary, protective clothing!
• When caring for plants in the garden or working with chemicals, take care of those around you! Keep children and pets away from the spraying area of ​​trees and bushes in the garden. Also inform your neighbors regarding large plant protection work and choose calm weather for such work.