Stick to herbal colours this Holi

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High Chemical Content Causes Allergies And Neurological & Blood Toxicity: Experts TOI reports:

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

 

New Delhi: With just a few days left for Holi, synthetic colours, dyes and glitters have made a splash across the markets in Delhi. And Holi revellers are crowding the markets to buy these products unmindful of the serious health problems they pose.

With high content of lead, silica, chromium, bromide, acidic and alkaline material, they can cause serious skin problems and hence should be avoided, say doctors. ''It is best to use herbal colours. Synthetic colours lead to contact allergies of the skin, which can aggravate if further exposed to sunlight or other chemicals. Most people paint themselves with dark colours so that nobody else can colour them. This can damage skin. If synthetic colours are left on the skin for a longer duration, they can cause irritation,'' said Dr Anil Aggarwal, senior dermatologist, Paras Hospital.

Doctors also warn that most colours like gulal, soluble colours have high content of lead which can get absorbed in the blood. Though it doesn't result in immediate blood toxicity, if a wound is exposed to such colours then it might get absorbed in the blood faster. ''Neurological and blood toxicity are common due to excess use of lead. As lead gets absorbed in the blood, it can result in serious damages. That's only if it is used in long term. But one should avoid swallowing colours,'' said Dr Neena Khanna, professor dermatology, AIIMS.

Another thing widely used during Holi, glitter, should also be avoided. ''It contains silica or fine glass particles which can result in abrasions on the skin accompanied by irritation or serious allergy,'' said Dr Khanna.

Apart from skin, eyes too need protection. Eye injuries are very common, especially those arising out of balloon impact which can often result in permanent damage of the eye. ''We get a lot of cases of balloon injury and in most cases the damage is serious and often permanent. It can cause bleeding in the eye. Chemicals can also damage the outer layer of the cornea surface and if you rub it hard then the chemical can seep in deeper. Though chemical injuries are mostly superficial, they can sometimes lead to permanent scaring of the eye,'' said Dr AK Grover, chairperson, department of ophthalmology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Experts say those suffering from asthma, bronchitis and other serious lung problems should take extra precautions, especially from dry colours, as they can aggravate breathing difficulty and in some case an attack. ''If you inhale the dust, rich in chemicals, then chances of allergic reactions are high,'' said Dr G C Vaishnava, department internal medicine, Fortis Healthcare. He added: ''As most spend a lot of time playing with water and are exposed to sunlight, chances of dehydration are high. It is important to drink a lot of water or fluids, but not alcohol as it would further dehydrate you.'' It is just about taking some precautions so that you don't suffer any health problems after the festival.

Saying it with COLOURS

UNHOLY CHEMISTRY OF HOLI Synthetic colours contain lead, silica, chromium and bromide compounds Textile dyes are also used as colours High content of silica or fine glass particles is found in glitters

TAKE CARE Skin | Synthetic colours can lead to skin irritation, itching, dryness and serious allergic reactions. Glitters can cause abrasions

Eye | Chemicals can damage outer corneal surface. Most injuries are superficial but can lead to permanent scarring if abrasion is deep. Balloons can result in bleeding in the eye or perforation of cornea

Respiratory | Dry colours can aggravate asthma, bronchitis or other lower respiratory disorders Gastro | In extreme cases, if somebody has consumed large quantity of synthetic colour, it can lead to vomiting, nausea and irritation in stomach

Hair | It can turn brittle and extremely dry your eyes case

colour gets inside it Avoid dark colours like purple, green, orange as the chemical content is high in them Wash off colour on your body immediately as most synthetic colours have lead which gets absorbed in the blood Don't expose yourself to sunlight for long