Beware of the Mortuary if you are Chemically Sensitive

I am chemically sensitive and have had problems on various occasions with the mortuary and also with people who work at the mortuary and funeral homes. Once a salesman from a funeral home came inside my home and I could immediately feel the chemicals on him. I suspect that it is the chemicals in the embalming fluid that are making me sick. There are various chemicals in embalming fluid, including solvents and formaldehyde.[1] I know that I am extremely sensitive to some solvents so it could be the solvents that are making me sick. It could also be the formaldehyde. "Formaldehyde is highly toxic to all animals, and is 'known to be a human carcinogen'. It is implicated in cancer, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, disorders of the nervous system, and other ailments."[2] Embalming fluid would be easily spread to anyone who touches a body that has been embalmed, and from that person's hands to anything that person touches. The volatile organic compounds and other chemicals in embalming fluid can also be transmitted through the air and can be felt by those who are sensitive to those compounds.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalming_chemicals
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial

Nasal Filters for Chemical Sensitivity

I recently purchased some carbon nasal (or nose) filters to see if they would be effective in reducing the symptoms of chemical sensitivity. The nasal filters actually go inside the nose and are much more discrete than a carbon facemask. The filters themselves seem pretty free of chemicals. If anyone has tried these, feel free to leave a comment on whether they seem effective at filtering chemicals.

I purchased mine from ebay but there are other websites that sell similar products:
http://gadgetsgo.com/Nose-Filter-Spray-Tanning-Pollen-Smoke-Pollution.html
http://www.shop.breathecleanerair.org/category.sc?categoryId=2
http://www.nosefilters.com/Product_Page.html

Washable Men's Dress Clothing for the Chemically Sensitive

It is often difficult for individuals with chemically sensitivity to find clothing they can tolerate. And it is important to find clothing that can be washed so that any chemicals can be washed off. Dry cleaning generally entails the use of toxic solvents and is not an option for many with chemical sensitivity. I recently found washable versions of two items that generally are not washable:

Washable men’s suits:

I have purchased three washable men’s suits from Marks and Spencer in the UK. I live in the US but they will ship internationally to many countries. The suits are very reasonably priced and are wearable for me (the chemicals are not too strong). The shipping was surprisingly fast.

Washable men’s ties:

Haggar now makes a line of washable men’s ties. I have purchased five and at least two did not have a problem with chemicals on them. However at least one of the other ties was toxic with solvents and I think it was a blue one. I purchased them from Amazon.com.