Having been housebound for far too many years due to having to avoid exposure to common, everyday products and materials that disable me, has given me time to observe the world (and sometimes even make a little sense of it).
Still, there are some things that make no sense. With over 404,207 Ontario citizens diagnosed with MCS, and 740,370 with one or more diagnoses of MCS, FM, and/or CFS (ME) (in 2016), why hasn’t the Ontario government done anything about the Task Force recommendation to raise
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Human Rights, Policy, Public Health
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, cancer, CFS/ME, chemical sensitivity, environmental sensitivities, fibromyalgia, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass, VOCs
Holidays
are not easy for human canaries these days.
But friends CAN make it better:
Posted in Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Friendship, Gifts, Support
Tagged accessibility, allergies, asthma, autism, chemical sensitivity, fragrance-free, Gifts, hazardous air pollutants, holidays, IAQ, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, non-toxic, non-toxic gifts, petrochemicals, presents, resources, sensitive to pollution, toxic chemicals, VOCs
These images are available on facebook. Feel free to download the appropriate one and use for Awareness Month, or at least for May 12th Awareness Day!
Posted in Accessibility, Action, Education, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Friendship, Images, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Support
Tagged allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, EHS, environment, invisible disabilities, masks, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution
Imagine being disabled (as if drugged, dysfunctional, and definitely disbelieved more often than not) from exposures to legally allowed toxic chemicals in everyday products and materials…. or from wireless signals coming from neighbourhood wifi networks and cell towers…
Now imagine that some of us don’t have to imagine this scenario, because we can feel our brains and bodies being harmed by the exposures just like canaries in the mines did.
Imagine being confined to a safe bubble of a home to avoid disabling exposures, Continue reading
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has created a video about MCS and job accommodation featuring Dr John Molot.
Video: Demystifying Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Human Rights, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Tagged accommodation, Chemicals, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS/ES, petrochemicals, PSAC, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass, video
Here’s a screenshot of where you all are from!
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!
Posted in Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, cancer, Chemicals, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, global, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass, wireless
MCS/ES and EHS symptom lists resemble several other symptom lists.
There are many symptoms. Not all are immediate. Some can be delayed.
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 symptom chart from WEEP
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MCS ES symptoms include:
Posted in Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, MCS/ES, Public Health
Tagged allergies, asthma, chronic, EHS, fibromyalgia, health care access for people with MCS/ES, health effects, invisible disabilities, MCS, multimorbidity, multiple chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, Stephen J. Genuis, Symptoms, TILT, wireless
When breathing the air hurts…
When we have to filter and “purify” the air just to breathe…
What options do we have?
The Courageous Canaries of MCS/ES (and mask) Awareness Month 2016
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Having an invisible disability is difficult, especially when many of the adverse effects are delayed and we have to deal with them in isolation. Some people feel self conscious about wearing a mask, especially if we can’t find a “pretty” one that we are able to use, despite how they can reduce adverse effects. If there’s any good that comes from wearing one (in addition to protecting our health a bit) wearing a mask when we have an invisible disability helps make us visible.
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The type of mask we benefit most from will depend on our “sensitivities” and circumstances. Masks will filter the air we breathe in various degrees, but unless we have a full face respirator and wear a hazmat suit, our eyes and skin will still absorb chemicals that can have an adverse effect on our health and well-being. For this reason, they should not be thought of as complete protection from pollution, and are therefore best used only when absolutely necessary.
Information and resources about masks that filter out some of the different types of daily pollutants we are subjected to, and what kinds of filter materials are needed to purify what kinds of pollutants follows.
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Health Care, Pollution, Products
Tagged allergies, asthma, cancer, Chemicals, environment, environmental sensitivities, fragrance chemicals, hazardous air pollutants, indoor air, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, phthalates, sensitive to pollution, toxic chemicals, toxic trespass, VOCs
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.
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
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Pollution
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, awareness month, canaries, cancer, Chemicals, environmental sensitivities, fragrance chemicals, hazardous air pollutants, health, IAQ, indoor air quality, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass
I was informed by someone that they saw this seriously inappropriate ad from KOHL’s, selling perfume for Valentine’s Day, on one of the posts they read on this blog!!!
Screenshot of (modified) toxic fragrance ad
I have no control over what ads get shown here, I don’t even see them!
If anyone ever sees an ad like that here again, please let WordPress know that it is seriously inappropriate for them to place ads for things made of toxic chemicals on this site (if you are new here, look around, and you’ll see why)!
Here’s what to do if you see something advertised here that is harmful for human and environmental health: Continue reading
Posted in Environmental Health, Fragrance
Tagged bad ad, health, MCS, petrochemicals, phthalates, sensitive to pollution, toxic chemicals, toxic trespass
Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution 