Our modern conveniences and products make our lives easier to manage, but have you ever considered that they might impact on our health?

There are many factors in our modern environments that can negatively impact health. For the purposes of this article, we will address aspects related to the learning and functioning of your child.

I am coming from the perspective of a Building Biologist – where we look at the way that our built environment affects our health, where we question things and we err on the side of caution.

My passion is preventing Environmental Sensitivities and working with those affected to regain their health. Let’s take a look at this.

Environmental Sensitivities

Environmental Sensitivities is an umbrella term that refers to chemical sensitivities, electrical hypersensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and more. These conditions could be said to be due to “sick building syndrome.”

Every person with Environmental Sensitivities experiences them differently, but one of the most common symptoms, regardless of the trigger, is “brain fog.” This is where a person is affected cognitively. There is a sense of being in a fog, not being able to concentrate, an inability to connect ideas, difficulty articulating, poor comprehension, memory problems and more.

This could translate into a child who has difficulty remembering what s/he is reading; a “blank” look that may last for hours; a child whose mathematics skills seem to vanish; one who can’t express themselves; a child who seems dazed and can’t follow routines or requests, and more.

From my perspective, there are many children who have been diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum, having ADHD, and other conditions or syndromes that could easily be relieved if not remedied by removing the environmental triggers.

Brain fog is a symptom that can come about when a child is exposed to a trigger. Triggers can include:

• Perfumes and Aftershaves – on parents or teachers
• Fabric softeners and other scented laundry products
• Scented reeds and other air fresheners
• Wireless technology
• Cleaning products
• Mold

Not all children will have the same triggers, but it is worth keeping an eye out for these.

What Can You Do?

Getting to know your child is a really important part of recognizing what is going on.

Steps that you can take:

1. Notice any fluctuations in their abilities

This will help you to identify where they are when there is a change. For instance, their work at school may be of a higher standard than their work at home. The quality may drop when they are in after-school care. By identifying when these changes occur, you can begin to identify what is potentially causing them.

2. Take a good look around

Once you have narrowed down the when and where, the next part is to determine potential “what’s.” Are there air fresheners, plug-in insecticides; scented reeds? Are the other people wearing perfumes or aftershaves (light or otherwise)? Where is the wi-fi router?

3. Remove the potential triggers

Remove the possible triggers one by one and notice what happens for your child. When you have one, don’t stop. A person who is sensitive is often reacting to many things in their environment. Keep looking and remove anything that is a suspect.

Some things to consider

If you are looking at altering an environment that is not your own (for instance, if you are a parent and you feel there is a problem in the classroom) then please bear the following in mind:

Firstly, approach the others with respect. It is their space, and if you are gentle in your approach, you are more likely to have success. Things like, “I am exploring environmental factors that could be contributing to my child’s learning difficulties and am wanting to eliminate possible causes one by one. I would really appreciate your co-operation… Could we try taking the scented reeds out of the classroom for a few weeks to see if that makes a difference?”

Secondly, this is for your child, or a child in your care. By reducing exposures you can reduce the long-term health problems that can result.

Thirdly, what you are requesting is beneficial to everybody’s health. So have the confidence to politely request action.

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I have written a White Paper called Do I Have Environmental Sensitivities? If you would like a copy, please visit my website www.EcoHealthSolutions.com.au

If your child has been experiencing environmental sensitivities, or feeling unwell and have no explanations as to what is going on, then working with Lucinda can not only bring you clarity and insight, but a world of support along your path to optimal well-being.