The fragrances worn by everyone in that church, mostly women, of course, but men also, hit me really hard and by Sunday I was sick. If you are at all familiar with MCS, you know there is no medicine that I can take that will stop the reactions I get from triggers such as perfume. I wore my charcoal lined mask most of the time I was in church, but it only takes a small amount of chemical toxin to set off problems for me and others who have these sensitivities.
Now I am taking antibiotics which may be helping a little, but I am not well yet. Over the counter drugs don't help me at all. In fact, the doctor said the nasal spray I used probably worsened my condition.
I think I get it now. God is telling me to stay out of churches when people are there.
In a discussion with my niece who is around fifty, we tried to figure who buys perfume and what kind do they use? People my age use the ones they wore when they were young. Young people wear the new fragrances promoted by celebrities, I'm told. My niece said she nor her friends use perfume on a regular basis. I think my generation was brainwashed to believe they had to layer scents with bath powder, body lotion and then spray themselves with the same smell so they leave a wave of chemicals in their wake.
What is amazing to me is how many people I talk with hate the fact that every product we use these days is scented. Have you ever been in a nice restaurant where you are eating a great meal, then pick up your cloth napkin and the smell of laundry detergent or dryer sheets hits you right in the face? Scented Gain or Tide doesn't add to the taste of your steak, does it?
My niece said someone she works with insists that before parents come into the day care center where she works, the tables and everything must be wiped down with Clorox. Clorox is a terribly strong chemical that is not good for anyone, especially children, to breath. The day care worker is not concerned about the germs, but about how the parents will feel about the center. "If they smell Clorox, they immediately think the place is very clean."
See what the advertisers have done to us? They have brainwashed us into believing that certain smells mean clean. A young man detailed my car and I insisted he only use vinegar and water which will leave no smell in my car. But when he finished he asked, "Do you have anything we can spray in the car to make it smell clean?"
This result of research suggests that over ten million Americans are suffering from MCS. That's a number larger than the population of the state of Michigan in 2010.
We are killing ourselves and especially our children and those with fragile immune systems by dousing our homes and our bodies with petroleum based chemicals. Sadly, the American people think they have to accept it even if they don't like it. But if we quit using those products, we could make a statement. Go to the Environmental Workers Group, a research group that tests the products on the market, EWG.org, and see which products are safe and have the fewest dangerous chemicals in them.
Save money by using a simple mix of vinegar and water along with plain old baking soda for household cleaning. It cleans as well as anything you purchase in a bottle or box. The odor of the vinegar dissipates quickly and no harsh chemicals are left on your surfaces. Make a cheap but effective laundry detergent with unscented soap, Borax and Washing Soda. I use it all the time and my clothes are clean with no synthetic odors. Contact me by email, Nightwriter0302@yahoo.com for recipes.
I have lost the ability to smell many organic things, but chemicals waft into my nose immediately. I wonder if I might have MCS also. I don't use any of those products and sometimes have problems when certain people board the bus. I must move away as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteDJan, I hear that often from others. I first noticed my problems when I had to move in a movie theater because someone with perfume sat down near me. I used to sing in church choirs and members were told not to wear perfume because it interfered with our voices. Now, I'm told people do wear perfume in many choirs because the director doesn't realize the problems. If anyone begins to complain the subject might be brought up, but those who wear fragrance on a daily basis, ignore or forget the effect they have on others.
ReplyDeleteI think the bombardment of scents in all our products has led to this. Almost every product on the market has listed on the label: fragrance or parfum. That is all that is required by law. We have no knowledge of the chemicals used to make that scent.