Alex has done it again…..
Found an extraordinarily abstruse subject (did you ever read his piece on gluten-free communion hosts?) and dissected it in great detail. But on this occasion he has not only dissected it, but reconstructed it into manageable and comprehensible chunks for the average, scientifically and chemical illiterate reader – like me….
So – what is MI and should we care about it? Definitely, yes.
MI is an very effective – and therefore very widely used – preservative which is to be found in cosmetics and body care products and a huge range of homeware, household and gardening products. Around 1.5% of the population, mainly women, react to it and reactions can last for many weeks. These reactions can include redness and rashes, inflammation, itchiness, stinging, swelling (of eyelids), blistering and scaly or flaky skin. Its use is not always declared on packaging and it can ‘off gas’ into the air meaning that you don’t even need to come into contact with the MI to suffer symptoms.
Most doctors know very little about MI and, even when they recognise it, there is little available in the way of treatment – except the usual trusty avoidance. Which, as with so many of the more obscure allergens, is often easier said than done.
However, there are ways. And apart from a very much more in depths analysis what MI is, its history and where it can be found, in his Complete Guide Alex not only warns of where it may be found but advises on the best way to avoid it and how to deal with both the physical and emotional symptoms and fallout of being sensitive.
Excellent short primer and extremely good value from Amazon here (as both a paper back and an ebook) for £7.45 (or thereabouts….)
Thanks, Michelle, both on my behalf and of those with MI allergy out there, for whom any kind of exposure – like this – really means a lot to them. Awareness desperately lacking!
A.
Amazing! I thought this sounded familiar, so checked back on my email folders and Alex wrote to me in answer to a question I asked regarding my husband’s exposure to MI back in January 2015. Amazingly, the Dermatology Unit at our hospital identified my husband’s rash through testing. Alex and I then exchanged emails and he pointed me to links regarding this.
Please tell Alex how grateful we are for his research and how much it matters.
Thank You.
Thank you, Janet – a lovely thing to read.
All the best, Alex