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First, I remember a few years ago when I went to a local store, bought some unscented dryer sheets, and was incensed that they stank worse than many scented ones. I got an apology and refund from the company. While the box was sitting, waiting for me to find out if they wanted it returned for quality control, the odor faded. After a month, it was back to unscented. It had simply been sitting too long near the scented products.
Second, long before that, when Whole Foods was just about three years old, I walked into the store and was immediately sprayed with some sort of "natural" spray that was being promoted. I turned right around and walked back out. The idea of a store that caters to people with sensitivities to foods and odors doing that was outrageous.
Chemical sensitivities seem to be increasing. Add to that physical sensitivity the psychological one that develops as one works to avoid the triggers, and it can become debilitating. Good allergists can sometimes help, and there are various schools of thought. Desensitization, in the form of low does allergy shots, are common and effective for many. Avoidance often helps short term or in extreme situations, but may have a reverse effect long term, potentiating any exposure.
I wouldn't castigate the teacher for the suggestion, but in your situation I would have some open-minded discussions with a long-practicing allergist, who has the chops to know what does and doesn't work, and isn't subject to the latest fads.
Thanks, I agree with you Harry. I avoid Whole Foods because of all the essential oil products in various departments.
I frequently sprayed Roundup out of a tank sprayer many years back. I also applied Permethrin fly wipe/spray to my horses starting in childhood. I do believe this led to developing chemical sensitivity.
I hadn't heard an allergist could help with this? I just avoid triggers as does my asthmatic son.
Do you mean beta blockers? Also folks diagnosed with mast cell issues have reactions similar to chemical sensitivity. I don't know if I have that condition. People also talk about a MTHFR gene mutation causing chemical sensitivity too. There's awareness now about many of these "new to me" conditions. I haven't been tested for them.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Harry I appreciate it!
Last edited by Withinpines; 04-13-2021 at 07:15 PM..
Same for stuff in the deli case. It will take on the taste of whatever was used to clean the inside windows. Dumb people. Return it for your money back.
Thanks, this is probably why the meat at a particular store always tasted like lemon cleaner. It smelled like Mr Clean while fried/simmered.
I have not had this happen from a store, but DH has put table napkins in the same cupboard as laundry products and they’ve gotten perfumey. I hate that.
Thanks, I agree with you Harry. I avoid Whole Foods because of all the essential oil products in various departments.
I frequently sprayed Roundup out of a tank sprayer many years back. I also applied Permethrin fly wipe/spray to my horses starting in childhood. I do believe this led to developing chemical sensitivity.
I hadn't heard an allergist could help with this? I just avoid triggers as does my asthmatic son.
Do you mean beta blockers? Also folks diagnosed with mast cell issues have reactions similar to chemical sensitivity. I don't know if I have that condition. People also talk about a MTHFR gene mutation causing chemical sensitivity too. There's awareness now about many of these "new to me" conditions. I haven't been tested for them.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Harry I appreciate it!
You are right. It probably came from all the previous chemical exposure--there's only so much that your body can take. Some people can tolerate a lot though and never get sensitized to chemicals. My allergist who helped me when I got sick from a faulty oil burner in my house, recommended avoidance as much as possible. Most allergists don't know anything about chemical sensitivities though.
My smart allergist said it was like a sinking ship and you would have to throw things overboard--throw away the smelly perfume, throw away the smelly soaps and shampoos, just keep getting rid of anything that has that chemical smell. Plastics were my worst problem because I'd been exposed to the petroleum/oil furnace and plastic is derived from petroleum. (I learned that the hard way!)
After getting rid of things, my smart allergist said to replace them with natural products. I got rid of loads of plastics and even after all these years I don't have much plastic in the house. Things are made of wood or bamboo or cotton or glass. Water comes in glass bottles, never plastic, because all I can taste is the plastic.
Strangely the use of these artificially smelly things isn't that popular around here but I encounter it in the scented laundry product aisle of the grocery store and I get out of that aisle as fast as I can. (I just grab my Borax and Bon Ami laundry soap and get out of there.) Fortunately the laundry aisle is far from the foods and I've never noticed any foods having a chemical odor.
With foods, try to buy organic so you can avoid the pesticides. It all adds up. My allergist called it "overload." Some of the allergy patients used to put contaminated things (foods, if they didn't need to be refrigerated) out in the garage to outgas.) It's good to keep your food in glass jars to protect them from contamination.
Be careful because if you aren't it only gets much worse.
You are right. It probably came from all the previous chemical exposure--there's only so much that your body can take. Some people can tolerate a lot though and never get sensitized to chemicals. My allergist who helped me when I got sick from a faulty oil burner in my house, recommended avoidance as much as possible. Most allergists don't know anything about chemical sensitivities though.
My smart allergist said it was like a sinking ship and you would have to throw things overboard--throw away the smelly perfume, throw away the smelly soaps and shampoos, just keep getting rid of anything that has that chemical smell. Plastics were my worst problem because I'd been exposed to the petroleum/oil furnace and plastic is derived from petroleum. (I learned that the hard way!)
After getting rid of things, my smart allergist said to replace them with natural products. I got rid of loads of plastics and even after all these years I don't have much plastic in the house. Things are made of wood or bamboo or cotton or glass. Water comes in glass bottles, never plastic, because all I can taste is the plastic.
Strangely the use of these artificially smelly things isn't that popular around here but I encounter it in the scented laundry product aisle of the grocery store and I get out of that aisle as fast as I can. (I just grab my Borax and Bon Ami laundry soap and get out of there.) Fortunately the laundry aisle is far from the foods and I've never noticed any foods having a chemical odor.
With foods, try to buy organic so you can avoid the pesticides. It all adds up. My allergist called it "overload." Some of the allergy patients used to put contaminated things (foods, if they didn't need to be refrigerated) out in the garage to outgas.) It's good to keep your food in glass jars to protect them from contamination.
Be careful because if you aren't it only gets much worse.
Thanks In New England. About 20 years ago I tried to figure out what suddenly happening and saw a few Dr's who acted like I was nuts. So I gave up trying to get a diagnosis.
When I'd use my usual scented products I'd immediately turn red faced, chest included, then progressively feel like I had the flu. The back of my neck felt really stiff/ached, up into my skull. I'd then get a headache, plugged up nose, run to the bathroom (not vomit). Lots of other symptoms......
Couldn't use anything scented anymore, at all. Took years to replace all those bath/cosmetic items with "safe" ones. Randomly tried my kids unscented baby shampoo and stuck with that and now unscented Dr Bronners. Olive or coconut oil as lotion/lip balm. No makeup unless there's a "dress up" occasion.
We too got rid of fake wood formaldehyde furniture, any PVC, plastic hampers. Anything with that water proof coating sprayed on it (raincoats, rainpants, back packs) made me reactive. Even some of the varnished wood furniture made me sick. A new Kuerig we received as a gift left me flu ridden because of all the plastic components and plastic coffee containers. The coffee tasted like plastic and left me messed up.
I turn red like this whenever I've had a medical procedure or surgery, sometimes alarming the nurses. I've never sought a formal diagnosis as I suspect it's just MCS. Mast cell activation and MTHFR gene mutation pique my interest.
If you're in New England I think folks there seem to be into cleaner living. This may account for why you don't smell laundry products in the air outside. Thanks for sharing your info.
Last edited by Withinpines; 04-15-2021 at 08:54 PM..
I have not had this happen from a store, but DH has put table napkins in the same cupboard as laundry products and they’ve gotten perfumey. I hate that.
Especially napkins because you put them near your nose.
30 years ago I had a meat-wrapper that used wayyyyy
Too much perfume ...
and some of that flowery stink got into the meat ... we had
Some complaints and I had to ask her to tone it down ..
I believe what many of you are smelling/tasting is the residue from anti-bacterial cleaners that many of the grocery stores are using. I smell/taste it especially in fresh fish purchased at my local Publix.
I've complained about it to the store manager, but he says he can't do very much since it is a company-wide practice.
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