How Can MCS Be Treated?
Although some of the symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivities have been attributed to psychological factors (smelling chemicals, or knowing that a chemical is present), modern understanding of illness indicates that psychological and more direct physical causes are interlinked, and so both must be treated in order to recover properly from such a condition. In addition, the fact that symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity can be so serious, even life threatening, means that whether they arise from physical or psychological factors is not really important. It does, however, indicate that a combination of therapies can help people to recover and these include both removing chemicals from the home and developing coping mechanisms through therapy or meditation.
Changes You Can Make in the Home
Chemicals that can harm us in the home are not simply limited to health products. Chemicals in the environment and chemicals in the office can all trigger multiple chemical sensitivities. The presence of many of these chemicals is out of our control, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t reduce our exposure. In the home, we can take many treatment steps. In the office or when we are outside, this is not always possible but reducing overall exposure has a very significant positive effect and the fact is that most of us spend the majority of our day in our home.
Making your home more oriented toward natural products and fibers goes a great way toward reducing your chemical exposure. Here, it is important to distinguish between chemicals and pathogens: exposure to bacteria and microbes is not necessarily unhealthy and today most people appreciate that you need to be exposed to bacteria and other bugs regularly to keep your immune system active; conversely, chemicals do little for the immune system apart from putting your body under constant allergy mode, leaving you feeling run down and far from 100%.
Many harmful effects can be felt from chemicals in wall paint; there are many natural paints available that are based on natural oils (such as linseed oil) which will not only smell more pleasant and won’t trigger multiple chemical sensitivities, but are also more environmentally friendly. Many people do not realize that not only synthetic carpets but also laminate flooring give off chemicals for years after they are produced – if you don’t know if your carpet is made of man-made or natural fiber, it is probably man-made! Replacing these floorings with natural wooden flooring or natural fiber carpeting such as bamboo, sisal or jute, that are not necessarily much more expensive than man-made alternatives, will improve the air quality of your home for years to come. Furthermore, simply having a selection of plant growth is great for air quality in the home as well as increasing wellbeing.
The Simplest Change is to Your Skin and Hair Care Regime
The easiest change you can make in the home is by throwing out your chemical soaps, chemical filled shampoos, conditioners and other chemical laden beauty products and opting for a natural, chemical free personal care products. These chemical-free products are easy to find and are gaining popularity amongst cosmetics professionals. These chemical free products are based on natural soaps and moisturizing oils with natural essential oils and real fruit and herb additives. Whilst chemical-based soaps may smell great, they often contain harmful chemical perfumes, colors and additives that can trigger not only skin ailments such as dermatitis and eczema, but also respiratory problems and other symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivities that we otherwise would not associate with products that come into contact with the skin.
Affected individuals might get out of control, become over or under stimulated, or go through uncontrollable stimulation patterns weaving through their sensorium, which cause inconsistent and volatile behavioral patterns very hard to control in a household. Attention Deficit Disorder This also becomes very emotionally unsettling.
