The fight against malaria (from mosquito bites) at times could be very demanding. Certain means and procedures are being carried out to ensure that malaria is being controlled in our homes.
The emergence of mosquito coils could be a little bit of hope and a life saver for various middle class Nigerians who either see insecticide sprays as “very harmful” or who cannot afford it.
This green or black coloured coils are used to drive mosquitoes away due to its smoke and smell. Mosquito coils could be an enemy to mosquitoes and also an enemy to humans as the effects they possess could be harmful to our health.
Its Effect
Mosquito coils contain allethrin, a toxic substance used for the control of flies and mosquitoes. Allethrin is also not good for human health.
The tiny smoke being produced by mosquito coils if not well guarded and attended to, could lead to fire outbreaks in our homes and could cause damage
The use of mosquito coils in an area that is not well ventilated could trigger some respiratory conditions such as asthma as the smoke tends to fill the room thus leading to choking.
Research upon research has shown that burning of a mosquito coil in an enclosed room is as equivalent as roughly smoking over 100 sticks of cigarette. 100 sticks of cigarette? I wonder the amount of harm that could bring to our health.
Mosquito coils are also known to contain carcinogens as they could also lead to various types of cancer, especially cancer of the lungs.
Mosquito coils could be a major cause of cough and catarrh as many of its users tend to breathe in the air from its smoke.
It could also be a major cause of skin irritation and other throat discomfort.
Mosquito coils are to be used in an unenclosed environment. Though most of us want its maximum effect, we tend to close our doors and windows while using this repellent, we forget its dangers. If you can’t leave your windows and doors open, it is advisable to leave the room while the coil burns slowly and then come back and let air in before sleeping in such a room.
The mistake we make is that we think that mosquito coils are made to kill mosquitoes, but actually the coils are made to drive these blood sucking insects away. So if you get to lock the windows and doors, where do the mosquitoes tend to go? And where does your health tend to lie?
