As my Saturn Return approaches, I realize that I have survived thirty years of living with chemical sensitivities and that’s not all. Even though I wasn’t diagnosed with MCS until 1997, I started experiencing symptoms as early as 1994 when I had my first Saturn Return. But that’s not what this article is about. I would like to share information of businesses a highly sensitive people should avoid living near.
Now, I know some of you reading this might have suffered from MCS for decades or consider yourself veterans of the syndrome. However, use this articles as a reminder of what to avoid when you’re looking for new housing, especially with the current housing market.
For those of you who recently discovered that you are hyper sensitive to everyday chemicals and even industrial chemicals, pay attention so that you can avoid damaging your body further. Here are five businesses to avoid living next to when you are hyper sensitive. (And no, you don’t need to leave the city and hole up in a cabin in Vermont or New Hampshire).
Dry Cleaners (except for the eco-friendly ones)
When I first became chemically sensitive I couldn’t even walk on the same block where a drycleaner business was located and I certainly couldn’t go inside the building. I’m not going to get technical here and give a list of toxic chemicals associated with each businesses. I encourage you to research drycleaners and why it is toxic living near one, even if you’re not sensitive to chemicals.
Restaurants
Okay, you ask, why is this one on the list? If you are hypersensitive then living next to a restaurant that uses a deep fryer or pumps out food cooking smells onto the street to attract people passing by, will also send unwanted smells into your home. There’s nothing worse than waking up with a migraine in the middle of the night while smelling fried fish or teriyaki chicken (even if you eat those foods). And even the smell of pizza or bread baking becomes annoying when you smell it every day in your bedroom or bathroom because it drifted in through an open (and sometimes closed) window.
At the very least, don’t move next to a restaurant that cooks your least favorite foods. For me, that’s Chinese food which I absolutely cannot stand. I became ill on a commercialized Chinese dish when I was a teen and I’ve never been able to stand the smell of the sauces (plus I avoid MSG).
Gas Stations
Most of the time, unless you live downwind of gas station, you might not smell it. But this doesn’t mean you’re not breathing in toxic chemicals associate with gas and diesel. I currently live next to restaurants and two gas stations. And yes, I plan on moving because this isn’t a healthy situation for me.
Gas stations also attract a lot of car traffic so you get the exhaust from those cars. And if you’re living near a gas station then chances are you live near a busy intersection or a highway. So unless you are in a desperate situation, avoid living near a gas station or a busy intersection (I had few choices at the time I rented my current apartment because I was relocating by train from another state).
Funeral Home with Cremation on site
I also add living near a hospital where cremation is practiced or near a dump where trash is incinerated. Since you won’t might not know if cremation or incineration happens in the area you plan on moving to, check this out with the city or county government or do a Google map of the place. Not all funeral homes have a crematory but some do, so double check that you’re not breathing in someone’s ashes.
You would need to double check but some animal doctors also cremate bodies of animals so maybe living next door to a vet isn’t a good idea either. Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask the tougher questions. As a chemically sensitive person it is unfortunate that you have to play the role of the investigator. I’ve been doing it for thirty years and it’s true that you don’t win friends with this role, but you might add ten years to your life and avoid severe neurological damage to your body.
Hospitals
This is a strange one to add to the list because there are so many other businesses that could have made this list. Hospitals most likely have a crematory and if they don’t, hospitals are filled with cleaning chemicals, diseases, and the vibration of most hospitals is on the low side. If you’re also psychic you will be visited by spirits of the dearly departed and that can be disturbing in itself.
When I first became chemically sensitive, I met middle-aged nurses with this condition. They often mentioned sick building syndrome where referring to the hospitals where they worked. I would imagine too that the electrical magnetic field of hospitals are strong too because of all the machines used in the wards.
If you are hyper -sensitive and you gleaned useful information, please leave a comment, like, share, and follow this blog. I don’t normally cover this topic, but I think this could be a three–part series. Since I’m unable to work full-time because of my condition, please make a donation. Thank you.
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