MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Grass

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Grass

Contents of this page:
Definition Poisonous Ingredient Where Found Symptoms Home Treatment	Before Calling Emergency Poison Control, or a local emergency number What to expect at the emergency room Expectations (prognosis)

Definition

Poisoning caused by an allergy to plant material from grass.

Poisonous Ingredient

The plant is not poisonous; however, some people have allergic reactions to some grass pollens.
Although the grass itself may not be toxic, the fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides that may have been applied to the grass can be.

Where Found

various varieties of grass

Symptoms

respiratory
- sneezing
- difficulty breathing
eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- itchy, watery eyes
- runny nose
- nasal congestion
nervous system
- headache

Home Treatment

For typical hay fever type problems, self-treatment may be appropriate. In mild cases, the use of antihistamines to treat the allergy problems and decongestants to treat any congestion is often appropriate. However, consult with the health care provider to make sure there are no medical reasons to avoid these medications.

If the person experiences difficulty breathing, contact the health care provider for further guidance. If unable to contact the health care provider and the breathing difficulty is progressively getting worse, go to an emergency room for proper medical care.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the plant and the parts eaten
the time it was swallowed
the amount swallowed

If the grass was recently treated with a chemical of any sort such as fertilizer, insecticide, or herbicide, find out the product name and ingredients.

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

This call is usually unnecessary unless the person is having a severe allergic reaction to the grass or is experiencing breathing difficulties. If the grass has recently been fertilized, sprayed with an insecticide or herbicide, or treated with a chemical in any way, contact Poison Control.

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring a sample of the insecticide with you to the emergency room for identification.

What to expect at the emergency room

Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)

Normally there are no major problems unless the patient is asthmatic (see asthma) or has a severe allergic reaction to the grass. Recovery usually occurs.

Update Date: 2/23/2004

Updated by: Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.