If you are sensitive to vehicle exhaust fumes, you can adapt the way you drive in order to help yourself. Keep windows closed as much as you can. Unless you have a car with a re-circulating air system, do not use heating and fan unless you have to, and keep vents closed unless you really need ventilation. A sun-roof can be useful for ventilation – it draws air in and out of the car, directly away from your face.
If the car gets too cold, or too hot, or condensation develops, use the ventilation and heating system in short intense bursts, then close it down again. Shut off if you have to wait in heavy traffic.
Hang back from the vehicle ahead – especially in busy or stationary traffic – do not stop close to someone else’s exhaust, allowing fumes to be drawn directly into your car. Leave as much space as you can. Select a route, or a time, to drive that avoids traffic queues, or sitting stationary at junctions.
When filling your vehicle with fuel, keep windows and vents closed so that fumes from the pumps do not get into the vehicle. If you can find one, go to a service station where someone will serve you, rather than to a self-service garage.
Avoid car journeys in very hot weather if you are very sensitive to vehicle exhausts, or chemical vapours from materials. Materials in cars heat up and give off more vapour in hot weather. It is also impossible to keep windows closed. Only do essential journeys when it is extremely hot, and travel at a cooler time of day if you can. Go earlier to or later from work if possible.
If you are extremely sensitive, try wearing a face mask or use a car filter. If you cannot afford a filter, hanging damp cloths over air vents will reduce the amount of residual vapours which pass through.
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Depilatories
Shave with an electric razor without soap if possible, rather than use a depilatory or wax agent.
Hand Cleansers
Some sensitive people find that they can use a cooking oil (one which they tolerate or to which they are not allergic) to clean off substances like paint, thick grease, oil and stubborn dirt. Massage the oil into the hands until the substance dissolves, then rinse the oil away.
Shaving
For shaving, use an electric razor which will not require soap or lather. For a wet shave, Simple, Gillette and Wilkinson make shaving foams or gels for sensitive skins. If you want to use soap, choose one of the soaps given below. For aftershave, use Witch Hazel, available from pharmacies, which is an astringent.
Soaps
Use soap sparingly. You only really need it to remove grease or severe dirt.
Two soaps that are tolerated well by people with sensitive skins and other allergies are Kays’ Vegetable Oil Soap (available in Superdrug and most supermarkets), and Simple Soap by Simple (available in most chemists). Most supermarkets also sell their own brand of ‘pure’ soap or ‘simple’ soap. These are worth trying. Beware of fragrance-free soaps and look for unperfumed. Health food stores sell pure olive oil soap. Wash E45 is tolerated well by some sensitive people; ask your pharmacist.
Tissues
To avoid formaldehyde and bleaches, use handkerchieves rather than tissues.
Toilet Paper
Toilet paper will contain formaldehyde for wet strength. Some brands will be chlorine-bleached. Some toilet papers are perfumed; avoid these.
Try different brands to see if one suits you better than others. Sniff before buying. If the smell is unpleasant or you get symptoms, try another. Air the rolls before using if you can. Keep supplies out of the toilet, in a cupboard or outhouse, until you need them, to keep down the fumes.
Try using non-chlorine-bleached or unbleached toilet paper. Some people tolerate these better; others find they make little difference. If you find you cannot use toilet paper, use pure cotton handkerchieves instead. To disinfect and kill smells.
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Burns and Scalds
Cool the area of the burn or scald to relieve pain. Keep the burned area in cold water or hold it under a cold running tap until the pain stops, or for at least 10 minutes. Do not prick or burst any blisters, or apply any ointment or lotion.
If the burn or scald is serious, seek emergency medical help. If the bum or scald is superficial, but rubs against clothing, cover it with a dressing of pure cotton lint and secure it with a cotton bandage. Do not use fluffy cotton wool.
Cystitis
Drinking alkali salts can ease the symptoms of cystitis. Dissolve a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water and drink it. Consult your doctor if you are on a low-salt diet.
Diarrhoea
Taking arrowroot will stop diarrhoea very effectively. You can buy this as a powder at a pharmacy and make a paste by adding water. Consult your pharmacist to get the right dosage.
If you need rehydration salts after severe diarrhoea, do not take any of the proprietary ready-mixed products which can cause reactions. Rehydration salts are a mixture of sodium and potassium salts, and glucose in the right ratio; ask a pharmacist to mix these for you.
Earache
If you tolerate olive oil, warm a teaspoonful of it. Drop it into the ear, then close the earhole with pure cotton wool.
An alternative to this is sodium bicarbonate BPC, which is available in an eardrop solution.
Eyewash
For sore and itchy eyes, use a sterile saline solution to ease the itchiness. Either make a solution yourself, buy Normasol or Steripod in sachets from a pharmacist. Bathe the eyes with the solution in an eyebath, or put a few drops into the eye with a dropper.
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To avoid wheat, you have to stop eating foods made entirely or mainly from it:
Breakfast wheat cereals Wheat bran Bread Wheat germ
Pasta Cracked wheat (bulgur)
Most of the following foods are commonly made with wheat;
unless you know for sure they are made totally without wheat, you must avoid them:
Biscuits Breadcrumb stuffing
Crackers Batter
Pastry Battered foods (e.g. fish)
Pies Pancakes
Sausage rolls Waffles
Cakes and bakery Yorkshire pudding
Puddings Dumplings
Breaded food (e.g. fish, chicken legs) Suet puddings
Gravies and mixes Pretzels
Sauces and mixes Snack foods
Stock cubes Croutons
Casserole sauces Melba toast
Soups Baking powder
Wheat is commonly used as a cereal filler and thickener in processed foods. Read labels and avoid foods containing the following which are usually wheat:
Cereal binder Cereal protein
Cereal filler Flour
Avoid the following ingredients which are derived either from wheat or corn:
Cereal starch Modified starch
Edible starch Starch
To avoid wheat as an ingredient in processed foods, you may have to avoid the following which often contain it. If not absolutely sure, avoid the food.
Sausages Pastes
Frankfurters Spreads
Luncheon meats Powdered beverages Pates
Wheat is often, with other cereals, a base material for beers, lagers and spirits. Avoid these while excluding wheat.
Wheat is used in tabletting some drugs and home medicines. Take advice from your doctor about avoiding prescribed medicines. Stop taking any home medicines.
Wheat is sometimes used as a glue on envelopes and similar uses. Avoid licking envelopes and stamps.
Communion wafers are made of wheat. It is best to avoid swallowing or licking these if you can. Your minister or priest will be able to advise you on what to do. Holding the wafer in your mouth without touching it, or touching it without licking it, is often a satisfactory solution.
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Laboratory tests for allergy include the eosinophil test. Eosinophils are white blood cells always present at the place where an allergic reaction takes place. Samples of blood, or of sputum, or of secretions from nose or eye, are taken. The cells are stained with a red dye, eosin, and are counted under a microscope. A high count indicates an allergic reaction is taking place, but it can be an indication of other diseases as well, and it can also be found in symptom-free individuals. Steroid tablets suppress the level of eosinophils and can cause misleading results. The eosinophil test cannot identify allergy to specific sub-stances.
A useful but expensive laboratory test for allergy is the radio-aller-gosorbent test, or RAST test. It can measure the levels of IgE antibodies in the blood specific to a particular allergen, such as pollens, house dust mites or food proteins. The blood sample is passed over an extract of the allergen attached to an inert substance. The IgE antibodies will bind to the allergen if they are present in the blood, as during an allergic reaction. Then another liquid, containing anti-IgE antibodies marked with radioactivity or colour, is passed over the sample. These will adhere to any IgE bound to the allergen, or will simply wash away if none is there. The level of IgE in the sample can then be taken by measuring the level of the marked anti-IgE that does not adhere.
The RAST test is more helpful than skin tests in cases of food allergy, and its results are not influenced by medication. However, results can vary – some people allergic to seasonal allergens, such as moulds or pollens, will have negative results outside the season, but positive results when exposed to their allergen. Similarly, if you have not eaten a problem food for some time, you may get a negative result, whereas you could get a positive result if you eat it regularly.
A modified version of the RAST test can identify false food allergy, as well as true allergy.
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What Are Resins?
A significant proportion of allergic reactions and sensitivity to clothing are caused by resins, applied to give easy-care properties. The resins used are mostly formaldehyde polymers. They make fabrics more resistant to shrinking, creasing, and going out of shape. They improve dye absorption and restrict fading. The feel of clothes, and the way they hang, can also be improved. Formaldehyde resins are used for stain and grease resistance, waterproofing, and permanent pleating and pressing.
Resins and additives other than formaldehyde resins can also be applied (such as acrylates to reduce creasing and silicates to improve the feel of fabric). Catalysts can also remain in the fabric but are removed when the garment is first washed. These are not generally known as major causes of reactions.
Which Clothes Are Treated?
Fabric resins are not applied to silk, nor to pure synthetics. They are rarely applied to wool or to linen. Virtually all cotton, viscose and polycotton fabrics are treated with formaldehyde resins.
Some sensitive people learn to develop the ability to judge whether a fabric is highly treated or not. There is often a distinctive, sweet, aromatic smell to the fabric which a sniff (gentle, just in case!) can detect. Some people can tell by the feel of the fabric; some say that their skin prickles when they hold it. Another test is to place one drop of water with an eye-dropper on the fabric. If it holds in place without being absorbed, then there is a finish to the fabric.
Generally speaking, the more glazed, stiff and shiny the fabric, the more likely it is to have high levels of resins. If clothes are labelled, ‘Easy Care’, ‘Permanent Press’, ‘Sanforised’ or any variant of these, then they will be treated heavily. Cotton poplin, stiff cotton drill and denim are often treated and may be best avoided.
Conversely, cotton jersey (including cotton loopback), cotton fleece, towelling, knitted cotton sweaters and cotton corduroy are much less treated and are often no problem once washed. Brushed cotton is also sometimes untreated. Some cotton lawns and voiles are treated; others are not. Indian and Third World cotton fabrics are less likely to be treated heavily, and thus are often acceptable to people who are sensitive to most other fabrics.
Watch out for shirt collars on men’s cotton shirts. These are sometimes much more highly treated than the shirt itself. Look for shirts with softer collars.
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If you do not know where to start, your simple course of action is to:
• Take precautions against house dust mites
• Use the Pillow Test to work out what fibres you react to before making any major changes
• Do not replace everything at once. Try out one piece (e.g. a pillowcase or pillow) of a new material to see how you go
• Use anti-dust mite bedding and covers if you tolerate synthetics
• Use pure cotton bedding unless you are allergic to cotton
• Test out bedding in small samples before making any major purchases
Allergy and chemical sensitivity are very idiosyncratic. What works for one member of your family or for a friend may not work for you.
So keep an open mind, stay flexible, take it one step at a time, and with luck you will not waste time and money. Use the Pillow Test to test out materials before deciding what to buy. Borrow bedding from relatives or friends to test them out before replacing yours. Buy one pillowcase, or one pillow rather than a whole set at once.
It is often enough just to replace the bedclothes that immediately surround your head, where you inhale. Some people find, for instance, that if they replace their pillow or pillowcase, or use an anti-mite pillow cover, it can be enough to stop problems. Another trick is to place a piece of fabric which you tolerate over the top of the sheet, duvet or blanket where you breathe in. If this works, you may not need to replace sheets or duvets. It is also a good way of testing out fibres fully before making a major purchase.
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If you are exceptionally sensitive, be careful about where you or your child go if you visit people who have animals, or be careful with visitors coming into your home. Get them to leave coats and jackets outside the door. Research has shown that cat allergens, for instance, have been found at surprisingly high levels in cat-free homes, brought in by visitors. Beware of travelling in cat owners’ cars.
When choosing holiday accommodation, ask whether pets are allowed in the place. If so, and you need to avoid them, stay elsewhere.
If looking for a new home, check whether pets have previously lived in the house or flat, and which parts of the place they have particularly used. If you have any concerns, do not move into somewhere where pet-owners lived previously. Remember that you can develop allergies to lingering allergens months or even longer after you have moved, and that you can be allergic to saliva and urine, not just to hair and fur. Be prepared to have to replace flooring and do a rigorous cleaning programme (see above) if you find that you do become sensitive to a new home.
Finally, if you have a strong family tendency to allergy to pets, it is preferable to avoid keeping a pet if you have a baby or young children. Children under two are particularly vulnerable. If you do have a family pet, then follow the avoidance measures above and keep your home as free as you can of allergens. Preventative measures with young children may help them avoid lifelong problems with allergy. If you must keep pets, try goldfish or tropical fish – maybe not as lovable as a cat, dog or small furry mammal – but allergy free!
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Some women attach enormous significance to their lover’s ability to get an erection. They think that a firm erection is a sign of genuine love. A woman who believes the penis is some type of emotional-sexual lie detector will feel threatened and rejected by a man with an erection problem. She may doubt herself intensely and she may jump to all types of conclusions about the cause of his problem.
If the above scenario strikes a chord in you, you should probably explore your feelings further, perhaps with the help of a counselor. It’s important to recognize just what messages you give yourself about the situation, and what you express to your lover. A woman who feels that erections are proof of a man’s love may feel too hurt to participate in treatment, She may resist facing the problem, fearing that ultimately, her husband is going to leave her. But our research indicates that couples who deal directly with potency problems often fare extremely well, both in resolving the sexual difficulty and in maintaining, and even strengthening, their relationship.
Whatever course of treatment you and your lover choose, get started as soon as you can. It is much better to get to the problem early. Even in the best of situations, the void left by not knowing what is causing a potency problem is often filled with anxiety, depression and debilitating self-doubt—for both the man and the woman. That’ s why we recommend that you take care of yourself—and help your partner—by getting qualified professional help early. You wouldn’t want a painful stomachache to go untreated, and the emotional pain that potency problems can cause is just as, or more, debilitating and serious.
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Scientists also know that libido is linked to the male sex hormone testosterone. Technically an androgen, a type of steroid that acts as a male sex hormone, testosterone provides the masculinizing elements that orchestrate development of muscle tissue, the lowering of the voice during puberty, and overall growth, including that of the penis. It has other consequential applications as well, affecting libido, memory, and lean body mass. Interestingly, at birth, boys have the same testosterone levels as young adult males. They drop quickly, however, and remain low until puberty. At that time they rise, setting in motion the development of masculine characteristics.
Testosterone production continues to climb as men get older, eventually tapering off at around the age of forty. At that point they drop off about 10 percent each decade. By the time a man reaches sixty, his level may be one third what it was between the ages of twenty and forty. In that period of time, his reading ranges from 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter of blood. It’s estimated that about one third of men over the age of fifty have lowered testosterone levels, and by the age of sixty-five, more than 60 percent have low testosterone. Despite a lowering of testosterone, the “free” testosterone levels usually remain in the normal and adequate range. It’s only a distinct minority of men who require some testosterone supplementation. The hallmark of the testosterone-depleted man is decreased libido.
Nature may have intended testosterone to decline with age. The body may be guarding itself against the enlarging of the prostate gland —which grows in the presence of testosterone—by dropping down normal production of the hormone. Still, the significance of that decline remains unclear. Circulating in a man’s bloodstream and acting on his brain to enhance his sexual desire, the hormone may also intensify penile sensation. Testosterone levels rise and fall throughout the day; some researchers think there is an hourly difference. There is even a monthly variation. Typically, testosterone levels are lowest in February and highest in the autumn.
But despite the fact that testosterone has a very pronounced effect on libido, it has little to do with whether or not a man achieves an erection. Even so, some doctors mistakenly link diminished testosterone levels with erectile dysfunction and prescribe testosterone patches or monthly injections for their patients. Raising minimally depressed testosterone levels rarely, if ever, improves erections.
Testosterone replacement is highly controversial, except in cases of men with a condition known as hypogonadism. Men with this ailment have extremely low levels of testosterone—under 300 nanograms per deciliter—due to decreased function of the testes. Their symptoms include lessened libido, mood swings, insomnia, irritability, decreased bone mass, weakness, lethargy, and loss of lean body mass. These men also have decreased erection capability, an overall drop in sex drive, and are at risk for osteoporosis.
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