Synthetic chemicals are found throughout the environment, but especially in home janitorial supplies. To rid the house of unnecessary air pollutants, start by looking under the sink. One can usually find there an accumulation of chemical products of all kinds: paints, solvents, laundry and dishwashing detergents, waxes and polishes, insect sprays, turpentine, shoe polish, and [...]
So far, we have only looked at attitudes to food intolerance in terms of beliefs and preconceived ideas, which will undoubtedly seem odd to anyone with a scientific turn of mind. In theory, medical beliefs should be secondary to the scientific evidence, for or against, although in reality they rarely are. Dr David Atherton of [...]
If you have to leave wheat out of your diet (and are not sensitive to other grains or gluten), oats, rice, millet, corn, barley and rye are cheap and easy substitutes. In place of wheat breakfast cereals, you can eat porridge oats, cornflakes or rice cereals. In place of wheat bread, you can make bread [...]
The indicators of chemical sensitivity include the following factors, which are not really specific symptoms, but general characteristics often displayed by chemically sensitive people. Rapid onset of symptoms on exposure is a common characteristic of sensitivity. Chemically sensitive people often have an abnormal sense of smell -either almost totally absent or unusually heightened, and it [...]
Among hair products, permanent hair dyes are the commonest cause of allergy. They often contain a highly allergenic chemical, PPDA. You should always follow the advice on the packet of these dyes to patch-test behind the ear or on the forearm 24-48 hours before using. If a hairdresser is to apply the dye for you, [...]
Injection damp-proof courses work by injecting chemicals into the fabric of the building above ground level to form a chemical barrier which deters the passage or rise of damp. Many building societies will not now grant a mortgage on a building without such a course. The main ingredient of the damp-proofing liquid is silicone, which [...]
Some metals are known specifically to cause allergy – nickel and chromates (salts of chromium). These are discussed below. Otherwise, metals are not generally known to cause allergy or sensitivity. Heavy metals (such as lead or cadmium), which can sometimes be absorbed from tapwater, can cause health problems. Aluminium, too, has been linked to some [...]