Tag Archives: multiple chemical sensitivity

Province of Ontario Interim Report on ME/CFS, FM, and MCS/ES

Posted on October 2, 2017 | 14 comments

The Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s long awaited Environmental Health Task Force Interim Report has finally been released!

“We found that, throughout the health care system and in society at large, there is:

•a lack of recognition of the seriousness and severity of these conditions
•a profound shortage of knowledgeable care providers
•a dearth of clinical tools to support and guide care
•a discouraging shortage of services and supports for people living with these conditions
•an absence of support for family caregivers.

The lack of knowledge and appropriate accessible care has devastating effects on Ontarians struggling with ME/CFS, FM and ES/MCS.

…

For those living with ME/CFS, FM and ES/MCS, the lack of recognition of these serious and debilitating conditions is as harmful as the lack of treatments. …

We urge the Minister to act now to raise awareness of these conditions and address the barriers that keep people with ME/CFS, FM and ES/MCS from getting the care and services they need.”

…

From the press release:

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Posted in Accessibility, Action, Environmental Health, Health Care, Human Rights, Policy

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MCS/ES Awareness Month 2017

Posted on May 1, 2017 | 6 comments

Here we go again!

MCS Awareness days, weeks, and months, along with government proclamations have been going on since at least 1998!

It has taken a lot of effort from a lot of people over a lot of years, and for some of us, it doesn’t seem to have made a great deal of difference in our daily lives.

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Posted in Education, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Human Rights, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Brenda

Posted on May 20, 2016 | 2 comments

 

2016 Brenda

I wear my mask when out on my ebike to protect myself from exhaust fumes and chemical sprays on residential lawns. In the warmer months I need to wear it when travelling outside of town in a car to protect myself from agricultural pesticides drift as I live in an area that grows mostly corn and beans, probably mostly GMO and sprayed liberally with pesticides. I also wear it in grocery stores, thrift stores and the mall. Even with the mask I rarely venture into a mall.

~ Brenda

For more about masks, see

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Health, Pesticides, Products

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: E.P.

Posted on May 18, 2016 | 1 comment

 

2016 E.P.

“I wear this whenever I leave the house, like when taking my child to the park, or walking by people and homes. I had to wear it indoors as well when I lived in an apartment building, because I get sick from exposure to wafting perfume, and dryer vent laundry scents in the air. Even outside it is impossible to avoid these scents blowing in the air and from people walking by.”

~ E.P.

For more info on masks see:

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

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People All Around the World Are Seriously “Sensitive” to Pollution

Posted on May 16, 2016 | 8 comments

Here’s a screenshot of where you all are from!2016 readers are global

Most readers are from the US of A, followed by Canada, the UK, and Australia (which makes sense from a language perspective) and thousands more visitors are from 119 other countries!

The blog’s facebook page followers are said to be from 45 countries all around the world, and apparently communicate in 24 different languages!

Being “sensitive” to pollution is truly a global issue!

There is no away!

I wish there was no need for what I do here, that pollution wasn’t profitable, and that we could all access everything we need for health and well-being.

Living beings were not designed to withstand 24/7 exposures to toxic pollutants, toxic foods, and wireless radiation (like from wi-fi and smart meters).

Hopefully what I share with you all encourages you to eliminate toxic and harmful products and materials from your lives, and to speak up and out, so that we aren’t invisible to the world, because we are all over the world, we are all “sensitive” to pollution, and we are all in this together!

♥

cropped-blog-banner-heart-and-flags.jpg

 

8 Comments

Posted in Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution

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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.*

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6 Comments

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

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MCS/ES Symptoms

Posted on May 11, 2016 | 9 comments

MCS/ES and EHS symptom lists resemble several other symptom lists.

There are many symptoms. Not all are immediate. Some can be delayed.

MCS Definition Criteria 1999

1999 Consensus Definition Criteria:

1. MCS is a chronic condition.
2. Symptoms recur reproducibly.
3. Symptoms recur in response to low levels of chemical exposure.
4. Symptoms occur when exposed to multiple unrelated chemicals.
5. Symptoms improve or resolve when trigger chemicals (incitants) are removed.
6. Multiple organ systems are affected.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: a 1999 Consensus.
Archives of Environmental Health. 54: No 3, May/June 1999; 147-149.

…

EHS symptoms WEEPEHS symptom chart from WEEP

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MCS ES symptoms include:

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9 Comments

Posted in Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, MCS/ES, Public Health

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: D.R.B. and M.C.

Posted on May 9, 2016 | 6 comments

2016 D.R.B.

“I never leave home without a scarf to wrap around my face. To give me a hands free quick exit.”

~ D.R.B.

2016 M.C.

“This is me cleaning a mouldy wall in my apartment after a flood in February.  I was wearing all 3 – nasal filters, a disposable R95 (mostly to keep gas mask plastic off skin), plus the P100!  Thankfully, I didn’t have to stay and was able to move into a mold-free unit, as one became available.”

~ M.C.

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To learn more about masks see

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6 Comments

Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Pollution, Precaution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Rolf

Posted on May 7, 2016 | 2 comments


2016 Rolf Aerssens

“This is me wearing a half face ABEK-P3 respirator with multi-gas filters.

I wear my “ALLERGY PATIENT” vest to identify my mask as a “medical necessity”. It helps a lot with preventing unkind comments and odd looks from people,  and hopefully will help people ask before shooting in times of terrorist threats.

I’m holding my clean air helmet in my right hand. The blower unit is normally worn on the back and is only in front for the photo.

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

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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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