Paying for our health problem
Bringing pesticide home
It has become a way of life to go into nearby stores to pick up poisonous chemicals like pesticide products to spray pests in our homes.
Engaging pest control services
Others may hire professional pest control companies. Many home owners sign an annual contract with advance fees to engage pest control services. We willingly allow pest controllers to enter our home six times a year to spray toxic chemical onto the internal floor and external ground around of the house to kill pests like cockroaches and ants.
Turning point experience
I was one of these home owners until I discovered that toxic pesticide spray not only kills pests, but it has caused non-targets such as pest controllers and my family to experience teary eyes, runny nose, and dried throat irritation after inhaling chemical sprays.
Human health problem
Pesticides can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through skin. Approximately 16 million people living in the U.S. are sensitive to pesticides. This is because their immune systems are already damaged by pesticides in their living environment. Studies link this to illnesses such as asthma, thyroid disorder, and possible fatal illnesses such as cancer.
One of the biggest questions parents need to answer before allowing pesticides into the family living space: Is it worth endangering our kids? Young children are at greater risk of exposure to pesticide. This can be traced from their natural habits of playing on the floor and ground; often picking up toxic pesticides. This has been linked to learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, and often fatal conditions such as leukemia.
Worse for the unborn
Pregnant mothers are not spared from pesticide exposure. Studies have linked this to miscarriages, genetic disorder, and birth defects.
Fertility Difficulty
Other findings have linked inhaling pesticides to decreased fertility, decreased sperm count and liver damage.
Pet exposure
According to American Society of Cruelty to Animals, about 20% of calls to animal poison control centers are related to inhaling or ingesting pesticides.
Cats are more sensitive to pesticide because they have slower metabolisms and cannot digest toxins the way dogs do. Cats also have extensive grooming habits that involve licking their long fur coats, which results in them ingesting large doses of Cypermethrin.
When cats are exposed to this chemical, they get itchy hives, congestion, and respiratory distress and may suffer from shock.
