Originally posted by Kaith Rustaz
Ya know, its funny....but a friend of mines so sensative to things that he has to use that no-perfumes/no bleach/etc stuff, else he has vision problems (among other things)... I never even thought of it til now though...and it makes perfect sence given that my eyes are ultra sensative to stuff that never really bugged me before.
:asian:
Since I was disabled by a Chemical Injury, I have become well-versed in the area of Chemical Sensitivity. In my experience, once you become sensitised to one chemical substance you are at risk of becoming sensitive to a host of man-made products that most people never think twice about using. For those of you who have never given any thought to the toxic effects of the chemicals that are contained in virtually every product sold in supermarkets these days, perhaps it's time to wake up and smell the formaldehyde!
Sensitivity to chemicals is a signal from your body that your system is being overloaded by toxins, like artificial stuff that is considered a 'foreign object' by the body. The way the condition was explained to me was to think of your body as having a barrel through which every chemical substance you are ever exposed to must pass. If you take in more chemical molecules than your body's organs can filter out, your barrel can start to overflow, allowing toxins to build up throughout the body. Then, you get sick, with a host of different symptoms that could easily be construed by your everyday prescription-pad wielding Doctor as psychologically based, in that one person could not possibly have system-wide symptoms from 'no apparent cause.' You might be told that you are merely 'depressed' or being a 'hypochondriac, or suffering from a little anxiety that a little Paxil Pill will cure.
If the world's doctors ever dared to breathe a word about chemicals being the cause of the increasing level of illness in our supposedly technologically-developed countries, they would be subjected to the most severe censures by the Petro-Chemical/Pharmaceutical Industry who must protect their multi-billion dollar profits, and by the politicians who assist them in doing so.
There is no drug to cure Chemical Sensitivity, in fact the use of drugs merely makes the chemically sensitive individual even more sensitive, as the body tries to process still more toxins introduced into an already overtaxed system. The prognosis for people like this is truly pathetic. In a world in which thousands of new chemicals are introduced to consumers each year, it has become difficult for the chemically ill to avoid exposure to symptom-inducing toxins because they are absolutely everywhere. Fumes are emitted by the personal-care and laundry products people use, thinking they must be safe, since they are advertised relentlessly and, after all, they wouldn't be allowed to sell them if they weren't perfectly safe, would they??? The contents of all our supermarket products are all tested for safety, aren't they??? Are they??
Think again.
Most household and personal care products, especially perfumes and fragranced 'fresh-smelling' laundry and body products are protected under the Trade Secrets Act. They do not have to reveal ALL of the contents of their products, nor would they want to do so. Testing for long-term safety? Why? It's so much more cost effective to market products and wait until problems arise, then simply recall any 'defective' products, if anyone succeeds in proving that a specific product actually injured them. To avoid 'negative publicity' the Corporations involved traditionally settle these cases out of court, with no media fanfare. The public might panic if they were aware of the existence of neuro-toxins and immuno-toxins in the many seemingly 'harmless' products they use, day in and day out. They might choose non-toxic household and personal care products instead, causing Chemical Corporation stocks to suffer. Tragic, ain't it??
The number of people suffering similarly to Kaith's friend and myself are growing fast, now estimated at 15% of the population. What can people do to avoid or reduce symptoms of Chemical Sensitivity???? Simple! Avoid or reduce your use of products containing chemicals, fragrances, artificial ingredients, pesticides, herbicides, anti-biotics and growth hormones. Think you could do it?? If you became Chemically-Sensitive, do you think your friends and relatives would willingly give up their scented and chemically laden brands so that they could come near you?? How would you avoid the polluted air and the chlorine and other chemicals in your water? How would you manage to go to work or do your shopping if you became ill from the fragrance and chemical fumes in stores and offices? Ever even thought about it?
I hadn't given the issue any consideration till it happened to me.
Maybe you won't either until you find someone's perfume making you annoyingly symptomatic, or find a favorite product that you've used for ages starting to 'bother' you. Then other things, such as cigarette smoke and car exhaust start to 'bother' you. Using commonly available cleaning products or gassing up your car make you feel sick. Eventually the slightest amount of chemical content can cause debilitating symptoms.
With me, it was respiratory failure that caught my attention. What will it be for you?
:soapbox:
It is a little blurry in the morning but that is often due to not having coffee yet 
