Incense smoke contains many pollutants that can be harmful to human health. When inhaled, these pollutants cause respiratory system dysfunction.
Always place your incense stick in a burner or holder that will catch the falling ash and is designed for burning incense. Keep the holder or burner out of reach of children and pets and away from any combustible material.
Keep It Away From Children
Burning incense sticks and cones represent a fire/burn hazard and should be kept away from anything flammable (including draperies) and children. The burning incense also releases chemicals that can be harmful if touched or inhaled by young children.
Inhaling incense smoke can cause respiratory problems in some children and adults. This is especially true for those with respiratory conditions, allergies and other underlying health issues.
In addition, the ashes produced by incense sticks can be hot enough to discolor painted or varnished surfaces. To prevent any accidents, never touch a burning incense stick and be sure to keep it securely contained in a burner or holder. The holder should be located on a solid surface, such as concrete or brick, as opposed to wood flooring, draperies and other soft materials that could ignite.
Keep It Away From Pets
Dogs can be sensitive to the smoke and scents that are produced by burning incense. This can cause them to have upper respiratory symptoms such as runny noses, watery eyes, and congestion. It can also be particularly bad for dogs who have pre-existing respiratory issues or those with brachycephalic breeds (pugs, bulldogs, and shih tzus).
Burning incense can also create fire hazards if it is left unattended. Always keep incense sticks out of reach of children and pets, away from other flammable materials, and in a well-ventilated area.
Candles are a safer alternative to incense and can give your home a fresh scent. However, you must make sure that candles are pet friendly and don’t contain any aromas or chemicals that could be harmful to your pup.
Keep It Away From Birds
Even unscented incense can be harmful to birds. It releases toxic fumes, particulate matter, and carcinogens into the air that can damage the respiratory system of a bird. This can be fatal.
In addition, the smell can irritate a cat’s sensitive lungs and cause breathing problems. If this is not enough, the ash that falls from the sticks can be ingested. Ingesting the ash can lead to dehydration, a severe allergic reaction, or even death.
If you do decide to burn incense, be sure it is not near your bird and keep the room as large and well ventilated as possible. Try using a natural aroma like frankincense or palo santo which will not harm your pet. You can also use an air purifier to capture the particulates that linger in the air.
Keep It Away From Dogs
Dogs are extremely curious animals and they’re also quite sensitive to strong odors. As such, they might be overwhelmed by the scent of incense. They can also inhale the smoke from the incense which could cause them to have upper respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, coughing and watery eyes. If they have a respiratory condition like asthma the incense might make it worse or even cause it to develop in them.
When using incense with dogs it’s best to use an incense holder that is tall enough so that your dog cannot reach it. This will help to stop the incense sticks from falling on the floor and burning your dog’s tail or causing other burns. It will also stop your dog from being able to chew on the incense sticks and potentially poison themselves with the additives, binders and stabilizers found in many commercial brands of incense.
Keep It Away From Smoke
Incense generates smoke and regularly inhaling that smoke is harmful, especially to young children whose lungs are more sensitive. Children’s natural curiosity may cause them to touch burning incense or even play with it and that could result in burns or a fire. Using an incense stick that doesn’t produce much or any smoke will eliminate this risk.
Smoke from incense burning contains particulate matter and gas products that are linked to air pollution, lung diseases and health problems such as elevated cord blood IgE levels. This is why it’s always best to keep incense burning in a ventilated room. It also helps to use a burner that will catch the ash and not blow it around. This will help with the safety of your kids and pets.