Tag Archives: IAQ

For Me, MCS Means …

Posted on May 12, 2016 | 6 comments

mcs es invisible disability framed“For me, MCS means having to wear a mask when I go out”

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MCS Awareness Month Guest Post from Laura J Mac

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS (also known as Environmental Sensitivities) is a chronic and disabling condition characterized by symptoms from low-level exposures to common chemicals. To put it simply, really common chemical exposures are disabling to some people, even in very small amounts.

ES has been recognized as a disability in Ontario since 2000, and federally (in Canada) since 2007, yet most people, and in fact many medical professionals, have never heard of it.

May is MCS Awareness Month, though I promise you, we are aware of it all year!

Instead of asking others to imagine something so unimaginable, we asked 1500 people with MCS to share what life is like with MCS. These memes are some of the responses.*

Continue reading →

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Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environment, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Ellie

Posted on May 10, 2016 | 4 comments

 

2016 Ellie

“Instead of cancer, I got MCS, meaning I stop breathing on contact with your everyday chemicals (plus a multitude of other symptoms.) Hey, there’s another perk! You might finally have the excuse you need to buy an expensive gas mask that can also be used with costumes! After all, once you get MCS, you can’t leave the house without one, so you’ll always be dressed for an adventure! #GoNatural”

Ellie uses this mask:

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Health, Pollution, Products

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Lisa M.

Posted on May 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

 

2016 Lisa M

“At one point I had to sleep in the mask when in a rental unit. There was smoke coming from a surrounding unit and toxicity from finish that was used on the floor. I typically use avoidance, but for situations where that is not completely possible the mask is used to help with some symptoms. One of the biggest issues I deal with is the impact of environmental triggers causing instant inflammation of my eyes. Since the mask does not help with that it has been necessary to wear it with glasses when avoidance is not possible.”

~ Lisa M.

For more info on masks see:

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Housing, Pollution

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MCS Awareness Month and Masks

Posted on May 1, 2016 | 8 comments

May is MCS/ES Awareness Month

Due to the wide variety of chemical pollutants in our air these days, many people with MCS/ES have to wear a mask when leaving home (and sometimes even at  home) to prevent or reduce debilitating and disabling symptoms.

may is mcs es awareness month

Having an invisible (and inconvenient, or so we are told) disability is difficult, especially when many of the adverse effects are delayed and we have to deal with them in isolation, out of sight, out of mind, and without witness to our suffering.

If there’s any good that comes from wearing a mask or respirator in public (in addition to protecting our health a bit) wearing one when we have an invisible disability helps make us visible, and alerts other people that they too are at risk.

Breathing is not optional.

Pollution is!

Wearing a protective breathing device can minimize some of the damaging effects exposures to pollutants cause, but people often feel self conscious about wearing a mask, especially if we can’t find a “pretty” one that we are able to use, Continue reading →

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Pollution

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My LOVE: Resist Toxic Chemicals

Posted on February 12, 2016 | 2 comments

My LOVE!

Be fragrance-free!

valentine splatter RESIST 1

♥

What’s love got to do with it?

Everything!

Who among us wants to harm another? Modern fragrances cause harm. Stop them!

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Posted in Action, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Health

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Fume Enclosure Boxes for Reading, Computers, and Appliances

Posted on February 11, 2016 | 2 comments

Since papers, inks, and computers can release fumes that are too toxic for some of us to breathe, adversely affecting our ability to remain functional, and since there’s no getting away from papers and technology in modern society, an assistive device was invented some decades ago that could be useful to bring back as a more popular accessory: the reading box!

I recently ran across an ad on Craigslist for one that was for sale in the US, and then someone found an old catalogue (2002 PDF) with a few other pics, so I thought I’d share the info and images here in case they can help anyone else.

A reading box is basically a box made of wood, glass, or metal, with an opening in the front, and glass on top to read through. A vented box will also have a dryer hose out the back, and a fan of some sort to push the air through the hose and out of a window. A barrier with a vent sized exhaust hole would also be needed to cover the window opening being used.

reading box for computer 1This computer box is from the catalogue.

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Posted in Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Indoor Air Quality, MCS/ES, Products

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What Do You Think About Accommodating Someone With MCS/ES or Allergies?

Posted on February 7, 2016 | 9 comments

Some people think they have the right to do whatever they want, regardless of how it affects anyone else around them. Sometimes what they do is from ignorance (not knowing or understanding causes and effects), sometimes it’s a deliberately hurtful, even criminal action. Either way, what they do causes all kinds of suffering that is fully preventable.

Here are a few images you can think about and share if they “speak” to you:

telling 1

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9 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fragrance, Human Rights, MCS/ES

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Fragrance, Flying, and “Sensitivities”

Posted on January 27, 2016 | 15 comments

Progress is being made!

Even if you can’t actually get a fragrance-free flight, you can now get to the plane along a fragrance-free route if you are in Vancouver, BC!

from Vancouver Airport's twitter account

Maybe it needs some work to make the English language portion clear?

Right now, it could be taken to mean that they have a free route to fragrance!

So, once they get the English fixed for those who don’t understand French (where it’s clear they mean without perfume, but then again, how many people actually read their box or bottle of laundry detergent to see that there’s parfum in there? and in their deodorant? and in their shampoo?)  we can (maybe) get to the plane without being assaulted by fragrance chemicals (but, oh, it’s only “free” from the duty free shops with fragrance).  Still, I guess it IS progress… kind of…   Right?

Assuming we can actually get there without a life threatening (or merely disabling) reaction,  what happens once we are in the actual plane?

Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fragrance, Human Rights, MCS/ES

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We Know (Some of You) Try

Posted on January 8, 2016 | 4 comments

 

Guest post poetry by Sandy Lippert

You probably think you are all fragrance free,

But it doesn’t wash away so easily.

I’m certain of all your efforts and know how hard you try,

But when you come to visit, I’m just getting by.

I probably look just fine to you Continue reading →

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Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance and Cosmetics, Support

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The Fragrance Industry’s Toxic Secrets

Posted on December 16, 2015 | 8 comments

If you want to learn more about why so many people are suffering adverse health effects and making a stink about fragrance use, then the recent report from Women’s Voices for the Earth is a great place to get informed

“Unpacking the Fragrance Industry: Policy Failures, the Trade Secret Myth and Public Health“.

It’s must read material if you are at all unfamiliar with the issues surrounding fragrance.

Like this:

And that’s only the ones that have been tested. Many have not been tested for human health effects. Scientists also recently discovered that chemical cocktails can become carcinogenic even when individual chemicals themselves weren’t carcinogenic, but chemicals are tested individually (if at all), and not in the cocktails we get exposed to.

Please read the research and articles from WVE, and then take action.

Not surprisingly, the fragrance industry took issue with the report and shared some standard industry generated marketing responses. You can read about that here:

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Health, Human Rights, Pollution, Public Health

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