Reflexology
Reflexology is a form of foot massage which claims to alleviate and resolve illness. There are various systems of reflexology, but all have in common that they divide the foot into zones which correspond to organs or systems of the body. Reflexologists claim that massage of specific areas of the foot, and of the feet in general, addresses organic disorders and restores overall equilibrium.
Some people with allergies and sensitivity find reflexology very helpful, in particular finding it relaxing and invigorating. It is noninvasive and requires taking no remedies, oils or creams. It rarely causes adverse reaction. Some practitioners use special talcum powder. If this upsets you, ask for massage to be done without, or to use magnesium carbonate powder (available from pharmacies).
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of therapy which combines massage with the application of oils from plants. The oils are chosen for their ability to stimulate certain systems of the body, and to alleviate specific symptoms.
Aromotherapy can be relaxing and helpful if you have mild sensitivity, but it can sometimes be troublesome if you have skin problems, and if you are chemically sensitive. The oils used, although from natural sources, are complex chemicals and can cause or aggravate chemical sensitivity. You should do a Patch Test or Sniff Test on individual oils before using them. Only use oils which do not upset you and make sure the practitioner knows that you are prone to allergy and sensitivity. It is probably best not to use the oils on a highly sensitive baby or child.
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Sodium cromoglycate is a drug which works by stabilising the mast cells which are the cells primarily responsible for releasing histamine and other chemicals during an allergic reaction. Stabilising the mast cells reduces the amount of histamine released. It works best for people who have true allergy but can be effective sometimes in cases of food intolerance or chemical sensitivity. It is almost totally free of side effects. Adverse reactions to it are extremely rare.
The drug can be given as eye-drops for conjunctivitis (e.g. Opticrom), as a nasal spray (eg. Rynacrom) or in a spinhaler or pressurised aerosol for asthma (e.g. Intal). It can take from a few days to several weeks for the drug to take effect and needs to be taken continuously during the period of exposure.
It can be taken as a powder by mouth with water to block food sensitivity reactions (e.g. Nalcrom). Large doses of the drug may be needed to make this effective. It can also take a time of experimenting with Nalcrom to find the right dose (usually 6-10 capsules 30 minutes to an hour before a meal) as individuals vary in the dosage that they need. So most people who take it reserve its use for special occasions -for children to go to birthday parties for instance, for family celebrations, or for meals out. It is not usually prescribed for anyone who has had a violent, immediate allergic reaction to a food, who should avoid that food completely. The risks of the drug not working are very slight but not worth taking in these situations.
In clearly allergic cases, sodium cromoglycate is usually tried before steroid drugs are, and is effective in most cases, avoiding the need for steroids.
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If you suspect you are sensitive to your tapwater, try the following method of detection:
Avoid using unfiltered tapwater for four days, as far as you possibly can.
For drinking and cooking, use bottled water or filtered tapwater. (Borrow a jug filter if you can.) Remember to use your chosen water for hot drinks such as tea or coffee. Use it for boiling vegetables, pasta or rice, for washing vegetables before use, or for making soups, casseroles, or other cooking. Use it for cleaning your teeth, or for any water that you swallow.
Stick to the same water if you can throughout the four days, and avoid drinking any made-up or processed drinks – such as fruit juices, canned or bottled drinks, draught beers, lager and cider. These will have been made with tapwater from somewhere. (Most fruit juices are reconstituted with tapwater from concentrated fruit pulp.) Avoid likewise processed foods made up with water – canned soups, fruit or soya milk, for instance. Do not use hot drinks vending machines. Take your own hot drinks or soups to work or school if you need to.
Limit your exposure to water generally. If you can make the effort, use filtered water as much as you can for any use. Bathe and wash hair as little as possible. Avoid showers and baths. It is better simply to do a bodywash at the basin during the four-day test. Get someone else to do the washing-up so that you do not touch or inhale the water. If you have to use water a lot at work, do the avoidance test over a weekend, days off or holiday. Avoid going swimming.
After four days, you can then test your tapwater to see if your symptoms return. If your symptoms return on trying tap-water again, then you are sensitive to it.
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Sexual difficulties caused by your allergies and sensitivity can erode your self-confidence, destroy your ability to meet and relate to new people, and can eat away at an existing relationship. Sex is often an area of great loneliness and private grief for people with allergies and sensitivity. Little support or counselling is ever offered.
If you are a young person just starting out and need help to cope, you must not feel that you are left alone. Many schools or student organisations can put you in contact with groups that offer sexual counselling, and they will quickly be able to understand the special problems that allergies and sensitivity bring. Family planning clinics and GPs can also refer you to people who will help you. Ask for the help and support you need.
If you are in an existing relationship, and tensions result over sexual abstinence, ways of making love or methods of contraception, contact your local branch of Relate who can provide sexual and relationship counselling.
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The chemically sensitive should be careful with the hygiene solutions they use on their lenses.
Soft Lenses
Soft contact lenses need particular care. The material of the lens acts like a sponge and takes up fluid from the eye, and from cleansing and soaking solutions. A significant proportion of the volume of the finished lens can in fact be fluid and any chemical in the solutions used on the lenses will be absorbed into the lens itself, and be held in contact with the eye.
Older preservative-based soft lens cleansing systems use a wide range of chemicals as germ-killing agents. All are liable to cause irritation and symptoms in the average soft lens-user, not just in the chemically sensitive. You should look for a preservative-free system.
Some modern preservative-free cleansing systems use hydrogen peroxide as the germ-killing agent in an aqueous solution. If used properly, these peroxide systems cause no problems at all to the chemically sensitive. The soft lens is soaked in the peroxide solution overnight. In the morning, the lens needs to be rinsed to remove the peroxide which will cause smarting, but no harm, if it is left on the lens. A neutralising agent is therefore used in the morning to remove the peroxide.
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