[MUSIC PLAYING] Pesticides are a broad category of chemicals that are used in agriculture and inside and around the home, primarily for pest and weed control. So we encounter pesticides on our fruits and vegetables that we buy from the store. We use pesticides in our homes, like with Raid sprays or bait traps.
And we use them in our lawns and gardens. Exposure to these chemicals can cause a myriad of health problems. Pesticide poisoning is a more immediate reaction, most commonly caused by occupational use or accidental ingestion.
The symptoms are pretty different, but they usually include various neurological symptoms, like nausea, headache, dizziness. Sometimes you might feel numb. You might feel confused.
When you apply them, even if it seems like you're applying a really safe ingredient, always use gloves. And always try to wear a mask. If you can smell the pesticide when you're applying it, then you're being exposed.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of pesticide residue on store-bought fruits and vegetables. So while this type of exposure is unlikely to lead to poisoning, it could lead to more long-term side effects. Some pesticides have been linked to Parkinson's disease and various types of cancer, and especially during pregnancy, exposures have been linked to reduced childhood IQ, behavioral problems, cancer, and birth defects.
If you do have high exposure to pesticides, you might not experience pesticide poisoning, but that doesn't mean that you aren't experiencing some very low level toxicity. Health experts stress, the best way to limit pesticide exposure is by buying organic produce or soaking fruits and vegetables for at least five minutes and limiting pesticide use in the home when possible. I know it's really easy to bust out a spray when you see a cockroach or a bug that you would like to kill, but you know you can just use a shoe.
A shoe works just as well and it's not emitting toxic chemical.
