Buddhist Dental Relief
Why did the Buddhist refuse the dentist’s
Novocain during root canal work?
He wanted to transcend dental medication!
I’m being a bit of an instigator here, using this joke to approach a delicate topic. How often we reach for otc medicines. otc = over the counter for those unfamiliar with the term. Whether it is an aspirin, or Tylenol for a headache, orajel for a toothache, neo-citran for a cold or flu, polysporin for a cut. Most of us at some point use these, but how about those eye drops we use everyday with our contacts, or the number of times we use the hand sanitizer at work, or in shopping malls? Perhaps it’s the mouthwash you use every morning? The point is have you ever stopped to take inventory of how many of these products you are using on a weekly basis? For many of these chemicals I am about to mention I have linked the term to Wikipedia, so those that you want to learn more about are a click away. This is not a scientific paper, nor is it an exhaustive list, rather it’s some general information to give you pause for consideration.
Some common chemicals is some of these products:
Mouthwash: Alcohol helps kill germs and bacteria but can weaken the enamel on your teeth. Triclosan is an endocrin disruptor. Sodium Lauryl Sulfates is a cleansing and foaming agent, that is suspected of being a carcinogen. Formaldehyde, here is some information on it from it’s MSDS, or Material Safety Data Sheet, a system used to inform workers about hazards;
Effects of acute exposure of formaldehyde
Death if inhaled or absorbed; severe eye irritation and burns; allergic dermatitis, skin burns; bronchitis, pulmonary oedema; headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting; abdominal pain; blindness.
Effects of chronic exposure of formaldehyde
Nasal cancer, respiratory tract irritation; reproductive disorders, asthma, dermatitis; multiple organ damage.
Hand sanitizer: Triclosan, Alcohol (The Ohio Department of Health recommends a person utilize a hand sanitizer that contains 60 percent or more alcohol.)
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/101586-chemicals-hand-sanitizers/#ixzz2IYUNl36v
Now before you go throwing your mouthwash or hand sanitizer away, the exposure levels for many of these are controlled by the governments in many countries. However knowing what’s in the products you are using is a good step to taking responsibility for your health. also if the chemicals are found in multiple products, you use you may be exceeding the maximum daily exposure levels of some chemicals. Here is one article on accumulated exposure to triclosan, http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/11475/20120813/antibacterial-soap-triclosan-personal-care-products-muscle-function.htm
So what should we do, take an inventory of what we use around the house, and see if we are exposing ourselves to unecessary risks. Every home is different and has different needs, but we can all be mindful of what we expose ourselves and our families to.
Yes we do just trust that someone is looking out for us and making sure we aren’t being harmed by the products we use. Interesting, yours is the 2nd post I’ve read today that asks these types of questions. Maybe I need to have a look…
I was inspired to write the post after noticing several products I use all contained triclosan, which is under review in Canada and the USA. So I was wondering if I was exceeding the maximum daily exposure levels.
I use very many products, egads who knows what’s in them.
I hate to think of how much hand sanitizer I used at work (I was a nurse)
It’s the number of products that I use, that contain these, that caught my attention. As a healthcare professional yes the hand sanitizer would be a concern.