Why so much people in USA have breathing problems ?!
Question: I can speak for my situation but it made me realize something a lot of people do not even think about. I was exposed twice to high concentrations of roofing adhesive fumes. After that I became sensitized to low concentration levels of perfumes, diesel and car exhaust, and other things. I looked at the ingredients in these products and found some common chemicals in them. Guess what? They are the same ingredients on the EPA list of toxic chemicals. Many of the everyday products we use have these chemicals in them.
In the home
* Bleach, fabric softeners, wool-wash, and laundry detergents
* Perfumes, lotion, after-shave lotion, nail polish, or skin care products
* Air-fresheners, deodorizers and scented candles
* Shampoos, hairsprays and hair care products
* Household cleaning chemicals
* Dishwashing liquid and dishwasher detergent (may cause migraine headaches for those without MCS)
* Marking pens, such as highlighters (significant exposure will cause headaches for anyone)
In food
* Tartrazine (a.k.a Yellow #5 or FD&C E102), and other Azo dyes (True allergy must first be excluded)
* Caffeine (may cause migraine headaches apart from MCS)
Outside the home
* Petrol or gasoline, diesel and exhaust fumes
* Petroleum-based products, including petroleum jelly, tar, asphalt
* Tobacco or any form of smoke
* Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals
* Industrial cleaning chemicals, such as dry cleaning fluid
* Formaldehyde and aldehyde
* Glues (including carpet glue), varnishes, polishes, paints, solvents and paint-thinners
* Solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOC's)
(list from http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.o... and my own personal account)
My doctor (a pulmonologist) said I had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. What I assume is happening is that people may get an exposure to a fairly high level of some of this stuff and have various symptoms which some people call allergies. We are constantly being exposed to this stuff. I have to move if I go to a concert and a person near me is wearing perfume. One of my friends is an allergist who I asked about this and he said there is a difference between allergies and sensitivities. He told me of a woman who had problems after being exposed to formaldehyde from construction materials and new carpeting after their home was remodeled.
I talked to a woman who after being exposed to a high concentration of pesticides can no longer be near air fresheners.
I imagine that some of this Gulf War Syndrome might have been caused by breathing in high levels of smoke from the oil fires. I must admit this is just conjecture on my part.
Women and children are usually affected more because they have higher breathing rates since their lung capacity is smaller than men's. I'm not sure if the EPA levels are based on male subjects only. That might be something to check.
I have learned to try to avoid these chemicals as much as possible but it is extremely hard to do. I live in a small city but when I visit my brother in a large city, that evening experience burning in the lungs, headache, and cold-like symptoms. I have mild asthma now too. I know it is due to driving in the city and being exposed to car and diesel fumes.
There are times I feel like the canary in the coal mine. It doesn't take high concentrations to affect me that other people aren't even aware something is there. I'm sure it is not good even for people who don't experience symptoms.
What can we do? I try to buy unscented products and use simple ingredients like white vinegar to eliminate ants in the house rather than spraying pesticides. I don't use weed killer or yard chemicals. We just need to be more aware of what we are using in our homes and what we are exposing ourselves to. I cringe at the air freshener ads on tv. They make it seem like you are making your house cleaner and fresher when you are adding bad ingredients to your closed up home (which have become very air tight than they used to be). Also please be aware that there are people like me out there. Please don't wear perfume or after shave when you are going to be in a crowd. Some of the ingredients in perfume are the same ingredients in gasoline! The perfume industry much like the tobacco industry used to be is unregulated. People feel good when they wear this perfumes because the chemicals in it give the affect similar to the high somebody gets from sniffing glue of huffing paint. Think about it.. Investigate. Become aware.
Hopefully more people will start to put pressure on companies to make safer products for the consumer. I look forward to the day when we use electric or hydrogen cars. Even if you don't have the problems I have, if you try to eliminate some of these products from your home and life, I'm sure you'll be healthier for it. Check of Material Safety Data Sheets and the National Institute of Health has at:
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ind... and enter in some of the products you use at home. Many construction products have to list toxic chemicals on a Materials Safety Data Sheet.
Also be aware that companies stand to lose billions of dollars if they have to change or eliminate their products. I'm sure they exert tremendous pressure on the government not to do anything. It will take much effort on the public to change things similar to what was done to the tobacco industry There has started to be some recognition of this problem. I know the University of Minnesota now has some chemical free buildings. Also look at the toys and products from China and what was in those products. We have to be aware that to buy safe products might mean we pay a higher cost for the product or it may take some of your time to research alternative products you can buy or make yourself but your health & your family's health is worth it. Hopefully this will open the publics eyes. Check out what Greenpeace has to say and then the US government. Who do you think is watching out for us? The US government? You need to educate yourself and try to make changes as much as you can both in your life and others.
Answers: I can speak for my situation but it made me realize something a lot of people do not even think about. I was exposed twice to high concentrations of roofing adhesive fumes. After that I became sensitized to low concentration levels of perfumes, diesel and car exhaust, and other things. I looked at the ingredients in these products and found some common chemicals in them. Guess what? They are the same ingredients on the EPA list of toxic chemicals. Many of the everyday products we use have these chemicals in them.
In the home
* Bleach, fabric softeners, wool-wash, and laundry detergents
* Perfumes, lotion, after-shave lotion, nail polish, or skin care products
* Air-fresheners, deodorizers and scented candles
* Shampoos, hairsprays and hair care products
* Household cleaning chemicals
* Dishwashing liquid and dishwasher detergent (may cause migraine headaches for those without MCS)
* Marking pens, such as highlighters (significant exposure will cause headaches for anyone)
In food
* Tartrazine (a.k.a Yellow #5 or FD&C E102), and other Azo dyes (True allergy must first be excluded)
* Caffeine (may cause migraine headaches apart from MCS)
Outside the home
* Petrol or gasoline, diesel and exhaust fumes
* Petroleum-based products, including petroleum jelly, tar, asphalt
* Tobacco or any form of smoke
* Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals
* Industrial cleaning chemicals, such as dry cleaning fluid
* Formaldehyde and aldehyde
* Glues (including carpet glue), varnishes, polishes, paints, solvents and paint-thinners
* Solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOC's)
(list from http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.o... and my own personal account)
My doctor (a pulmonologist) said I had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. What I assume is happening is that people may get an exposure to a fairly high level of some of this stuff and have various symptoms which some people call allergies. We are constantly being exposed to this stuff. I have to move if I go to a concert and a person near me is wearing perfume. One of my friends is an allergist who I asked about this and he said there is a difference between allergies and sensitivities. He told me of a woman who had problems after being exposed to formaldehyde from construction materials and new carpeting after their home was remodeled.
I talked to a woman who after being exposed to a high concentration of pesticides can no longer be near air fresheners.
I imagine that some of this Gulf War Syndrome might have been caused by breathing in high levels of smoke from the oil fires. I must admit this is just conjecture on my part.
Women and children are usually affected more because they have higher breathing rates since their lung capacity is smaller than men's. I'm not sure if the EPA levels are based on male subjects only. That might be something to check.
I have learned to try to avoid these chemicals as much as possible but it is extremely hard to do. I live in a small city but when I visit my brother in a large city, that evening experience burning in the lungs, headache, and cold-like symptoms. I have mild asthma now too. I know it is due to driving in the city and being exposed to car and diesel fumes.
There are times I feel like the canary in the coal mine. It doesn't take high concentrations to affect me that other people aren't even aware something is there. I'm sure it is not good even for people who don't experience symptoms.
What can we do? I try to buy unscented products and use simple ingredients like white vinegar to eliminate ants in the house rather than spraying pesticides. I don't use weed killer or yard chemicals. We just need to be more aware of what we are using in our homes and what we are exposing ourselves to. I cringe at the air freshener ads on tv. They make it seem like you are making your house cleaner and fresher when you are adding bad ingredients to your closed up home (which have become very air tight than they used to be). Also please be aware that there are people like me out there. Please don't wear perfume or after shave when you are going to be in a crowd. Some of the ingredients in perfume are the same ingredients in gasoline! The perfume industry much like the tobacco industry used to be is unregulated. People feel good when they wear this perfumes because the chemicals in it give the affect similar to the high somebody gets from sniffing glue of huffing paint. Think about it.. Investigate. Become aware.
Hopefully more people will start to put pressure on companies to make safer products for the consumer. I look forward to the day when we use electric or hydrogen cars. Even if you don't have the problems I have, if you try to eliminate some of these products from your home and life, I'm sure you'll be healthier for it. Check of Material Safety Data Sheets and the National Institute of Health has at:
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ind... and enter in some of the products you use at home. Many construction products have to list toxic chemicals on a Materials Safety Data Sheet.
Also be aware that companies stand to lose billions of dollars if they have to change or eliminate their products. I'm sure they exert tremendous pressure on the government not to do anything. It will take much effort on the public to change things similar to what was done to the tobacco industry There has started to be some recognition of this problem. I know the University of Minnesota now has some chemical free buildings. Also look at the toys and products from China and what was in those products. We have to be aware that to buy safe products might mean we pay a higher cost for the product or it may take some of your time to research alternative products you can buy or make yourself but your health & your family's health is worth it. Hopefully this will open the publics eyes. Check out what Greenpeace has to say and then the US government. Who do you think is watching out for us? The US government? You need to educate yourself and try to make changes as much as you can both in your life and others.