Chemical Allergies, often referred to as chemical sensitivities are much more common than many people believe, but the fact is that in this modern world we all live in a chemical environment.

A hundred years ago, poisonous chemicals were a part of daily life for many workers but gradually the dangers became understood and thankfully many of the processes involving these have been banned, or appropriate precautions have been put in place.

Today, however, we are exposed to increasing numbers of chemicals without being aware of the fact as chemicals are in the air that we breathe, both indoors and out of doors; in our food, as colours, flavour enhancers and preservatives; in our drinks, even in our drinking water.

Chemicals are in our workplaces and in our homes, affecting our health, and we can't avoid them, but fortunately most are rendered harmless by our immune systems. Overload is the problem here, where the overload is so great, or the chemical so unusual that the body has not yet learned to deal with it and sensitivities develop.

Most people know by now that traffic or gas fumes and cigarette smoke can affect us badly, but there are many other chemicals that we don't even think about or even know are in our lives at work or at home. Allergy therapists are very familiar with the problems that chemicals can cause and are often called upon to help deal with their effects.

Most allergy tests and treatment programmes have to deal with a number of chemical substances. Many of these are listed below:

Common Environmental Chemicals:

FORMALDEHYDE

• Aerosol sprays
• Air fresheners
• Antibiotics
• Antiperspirants
• Antiseptics
• Butter
• Cavity wall insulation
• Cements
• Cheese
• Chipboard flooring
• Concrete
• Detergents
• Diesel fuel
• Disinfectants
• Dyes
• Fabric conditioners
• Fertilisers
• Foam-backed carpets/curtains
• Foam rubber
• Furniture
• Glues
• Hair setting lotion
• Insecticides
• Kitchen units
• Manufacture of Vitamins A & E
• Matches
• Mattresses
• Mildew proofing

• Milk products
• Moth proofing
• Mouth washes
• Nail polishes
• Newspaper and newsprint
• Orthopaedic casts
• Paper manufacture
• Permanent-press treatment
• Petrol
• Photography and photographs
• Pillows
• Plaster
• Shampoos
• Shrink-proofing
• Smog
• Soaps
• Soft plastics
• Stretch fabrics
• Synthetic resins
• Tanning of animal skins
• Toothpastes
• Traffic fumes
• Wallboard
• Waste incineration
• Water-repellant treatment
• Wood preservatives
• Wood veneer
• Wrinkle-resisting treatment

HYDROCARBONS

• Air fresheners
• Coal fires
• Coal-tar soap
• Cleaning fluids
• Cosmetics
• Deodorants
• Detergents
• Disinfectants
• Heating oil
• Lighter fuel
• Liquid paraffin
• North Sea and Propane Gas
• Ointments
• Paints
• Perfumes
• Petrol and Diesel fumes
• Polishes
• Propellants in aerosol sprays
• Solvents
• Sponge rubber
• Varnishes
• Vaseline
• Wax candles

PHENOLS

• Aspirin and other drugs
• Bakelite
• Carbolic
• Dyes
• Electrical insulation & wiring
• Epoxy resins
• Fireworks
• Hard moulded plastics
• Herbicides
• Nylon
• Perfumes
• Pesticides
• Petrol
• Photographic solutions
• Polyurethane
• Preservatives in medicines
• Preservatives in pharmaceutical injections
• Synthetic detergents