According to Allergy UK “In the UK, there are around 21 million people living with allergies; this is one of the highest prevalence rates of allergic conditions in the world and means that around one in three of us (no matter what our age) are living with an allergy.” And it’s not just allegies, there are many who also suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.
But what if our response to a cleaner, allergen free home is worse for us than the allergy itself. Toxic ingredients in household cleaning products and disinfectants can trigger or irritate existing respiratory problems and cause allergic reactions in some cases.
“If you regularly clean your house, you are at a higher risk of suffering from some form of contact dermatitis than if you don’t. There have been many studies on the subject, some with dramatic results; one study found that over 81% of cleaners suffer from some form of occupational hand dermatitis. In addition, some cleaning products have been shown to directly cause new-onset asthma, as well as trigger attacks, in both adults and children; ingredients may contribute to asthma through two main mechanisms, ‘sensitising’ or ‘irritating.” (Safehouseholdcleaning.com) Liskowsky J, Geier J, Bauer A. (2011) Contact allergy in the cleaning industry: analysis of contact allergy surveillance data of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology, Contact Dermatitis. 2011 Sep;65(3):159-66)
Not only can traditional disinfectants exacerbate allergies but can be a real issue for those suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).
Dr Damien Downing President of the British Society for Ecological Medicine is one of only a few doctors in the UK who treats patients with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) and was quoted on the BBC as saying: “Chemical companies produce four million registered chemicals and we never know what we’re exposed to at any one time.”
What is MCS?
MCS is a chronic illness affecting all ages of people and causes sufferers to have allergic reactions to even very low levels of chemicals in everyday products such as cleaning products, shampoo, soap and perfumes. It causes the immune and detoxification systems to stop working properly so that the body cannot process toxins efficiently. Sufferers are often also sensitive to medicines, food and electromagnetic fields.
According to MCS-Aware the UK charity that provides information and support to thousands of people in the UK and worldwide suffering from chemical, food and electro-sensitivities, over 12% of the US population suffers from severe MCS
Despite it being recognised and treated in many European countries and Japan, MCS is not yet classified as a physical illness by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
And, unfortunately, there is no known cure. Sufferers need to change many behaviours to manage the symptoms, cutting out all toxins from their homes as much as possible to allow the body time to heal itself before any irreversible damage occurs.
How can hypochlorous help?
We know that hypochlorous is a remarkable biocide killing 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses in seconds but hypochlorous is also well used in the by those suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity as a multi-purpose disinfectant.
As hypochlorous is fragrance free and created by the electro-dialysis of salt and water it contains no harsh chemicals or fragrances that affect those with MCS. Whilst it has a mild sea water smell on application, this dissipates in seconds.
A sufferer’s story
Anna was diagnosed abroad with Lyme Disease in 2015 after being bitten by a tick and almost immediately began to suffer from MCS as well as other debilitating symptoms such as skin lesions, nerve pain and chronic fatigue. Anna has been using Salvesan hypochlorous for a number of years as an alternative disinfectant with no side effects and no flaring up of her MCS. She also uses it to wash with due to her sensitivity to soap.
“Hypochlorous has been my saviour and I couldn’t manage without Salvesan to disinfect my home, clothes and all surfaces safely and without any impact on my MCS. I wish people were more aware of this amazing product.”
Hypochlorous certainly can’t cure MCS or allergies and it won’t be suitable for every need but it can go a long way to helping sufferers feel safe in their homes.