CSN - Forum

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Short Introduction

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity by Alison Johnson

Posted on July 14, 2014
by Tim Boyd


Multiple Chemical Sensitivity—A Life-Altering Condition
Produced and directed by Alison Johnson

We have inundated our environment with thousands of chemicals, many known to be toxic and many more never tested, and we still think we are the most intelligent life form on the planet. Many people brush off this state of affairs as not important or dangerous, but more and more people are learning the hard way that it is. It has reached the point where at least some local governments are starting to take action.

Sensitivity to air fresheners forced a cab driver in New York to quit. New York City has since banned air fresheners in cabs. Pesticides, chemicals from new carpets, paint, and perfume affect a lot of people. Petroleum products and mothballs are also high on the list of items that trigger life-threatening sensitivities.

Symptoms can vary widely and include headaches, migraines, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, irregular heartbeat, asthma, sinus discomfort, depression, eczema, rashes, bloating, nausea, intestinal upset and seizures.

The condition of our Gulf War veterans is particularly bad. One third of them are sick. One victim describes the scene in Kuwait where all the oil well fires burned. Everything was covered in oil or smoke. There was not enough water to clean anything. They didn’t see the sun for more than a month. Not surprisingly, they are all very sick. The Veterans’ Administration seems to be mostly in the business of rejecting disability claims.

Volunteers who helped clean up the mess after the buildings fell in the 9-11 attack are now suffering severe lung damage, probably from asbestos and other toxic material filling the air at the time. We have a lot of cleaning up to do if we, as the most intelligent species on the planet, want to avoid exterminating ourselves. The thumb is UP.

This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2014

Fragrance-Free Workplaces For Healthy Employees

From your co-worker's perfume to the housekeeper's cleaning solutions, workplace air is often a mixture of fumes that, due to poor air circulation, can be harmful to one's health. Now some companies are choosing to go fragrance-free. Should yours?


Originally aired on September 18, 2014


Hosted by: Nancy Redd


Guests:
, Dr. Anne Steinemann (United States) Research Scientist
, Karen McDonell (Gig Harbor, WA) Social Activist ; Board of Directors, Chemical Sensitivity Foundation
, Alison Johnson (Topsham , ME) Chairperson of Chemical Sensitivity Foundation