Rick Warren Blinded By Firestick Plant: 9 Other Potential Toxic Blinders

(July 22) -- On Thursday, Rick Warren, the best-selling author and pastor at Saddleback Church, posted a disturbing message on his Twitter feed.

Warren, who founded the evangelical Southern California mega-church 30 years ago, has more than 118,000 Twitter followers who may have been a tad distressed when, in 21 words, the pastor described being blinded on Monday after some sort of accident involving toxic poison, and he reported being taken to a hospital.



It was later revealed that Warren had inadvertently wiped the sap of a firestick plant in his eyes while gardening. According to The Washington Post, Warren has regained his sight.

According to GardenGuides.com, the sap of Euphorbia tirucalli, aka the firestick plant, can cause skin irritation and temporary blindness. But there are plenty of other plants that can lead to blindness. Here are a few others one should avoid:

• Blinding Tree: Aptly named, this tropical plant has highly poisonous sap that can result in a loss of eyesight.

• Sand-box Tree: Grown in tropical climates, when this tree's sap comes in contact with the eye, it can damage the cornea.

• Giant hogweed: Prevalent in North America, the sap from this massive weed can cause burns, blistering and blindness.

Still, nature has nothing on man in terms of producing toxic chemicals that can lead to blindness. Here are but a few commonly used household products that can, if ingested or brought into contact with a person's eyes, lead to a loss of vision.

• Drain cleaners: Products to clear a clogged drain often contain lye and sulfuric acid. Ingestion of those can make you blind.

• Windshield wiper fluid: Methanol is the culprit that can lead to blindness in wiper fluid.

• Car De-Icing Fluid: The methyl alcohol contained in de-icing fluid can result in blindness or death if swallowed.

• Antifreeze: The ethylene glycol in anti-freeze can cause a host of problems if ingested, including blindness.

• Car Batteries: Sulfuric acid fumes can lead to blindness.

Also, ingesting isopropyl alcohol, which is found in a range of household products, can make you blind.