When your body is so sensitive to everything even the slightest stimulant can seem unbearable. Sometimes it is impossible to cut these out of your life completely; but you can cut down on them

LIGHT SENSITIVITY

It is advisable to use a combination of the following tips. You may still need dark glasses, even in a darkened room.

 

• Thick curtains with blackout linings

 

• Blinds – Venetian ones are particularly good for increasing or decreasing the amount of light. Alternatively stick opaque paper over the windows.

 

• Dark glasses – these can be normal sunglasses; but many people have a problem with light coming in round the sides – a solution is wraparounds or specially designed sunglasses from

 

SolarShield

Arcade

PO Box 213

Dover

Kent

CT15 4GA

 

• You can also have blue tinted glasses, like the ones used for dyslexics. Irlen UK 0207 736 5752 www.irlenuk.com. Also available from opticians.

 

• Eye masks - these are material masks with a dark lining, which are attached by elastic round your head and are good to help you sleep or just to cut out all light when resting. Some people find the elastic round their head hard to get used to; but after a while the elastic relaxes a bit and it feels less tight.

 

• Using a torch – this may be easier on the eyes than normal room light and allows you to look at things in more detail e.g. cards and letters etc.

 

• If you can cope with a small amount of light then you could have a dimmer switch installed, so you can gradually increase/decrease the light in a room.

 

• Soft lights like lava lamps in pale colours can be nice to watch if you can cope with the movement. If not place them out of view; but still allow them to light the room softly.

 

 

Some people get so weak that they are unable to open their eyes at all because their brains cannot cope with even the slightest stimulation. As with everything this will go away eventually.

NOISE SENSITIVITY

Noise sensitivity can be very hard to live with because even the slightest noise like the rain or someone talking in another room, can be too much. It is often hard to cut out all noise, especially if it is coming from outside; but there are ways to reduce the problem.

 

• Foam Ear Plugs – these can be bought from any good chemist and also from displays of travel aids in supermarkets or large stores. Try different brands to see which are most comfortable.

Mark the base of the left earplug with a biro dot so you can tell which one is which.

Ear plugs are available from www.fastbikebits.com

www.tooled-up.com www.amazon.co.uk

• Alternatively you can buy noise-cancelling headphones. You can switch this on without having to plug them into a stereo. They are sold mainly to cut out aircraft noise when flying. severely affected people have found they work well to reduce sounds such as hoovers, lawnmowers and drills but don't reduce all types of sounds. They can be good if you find ordinary headphones and earplugs exaggerated body sounds through bone conduction. The Bose headphones are lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear. There's a slight white noise hiss but some find this quite calming. www.bose.co.uk www.iheadphones.co.uk

 

 

• Ear defenders are another option, although sometimes the plastic ones can pick up motor vibrations and make them worse.

 

• If you live in a semi-detached house or flat and noise from next door is a problem – then put heavy furniture, thick rugs, carpets and curtains round the room to absorb next doors’ noise.

 

• If there is space in the house to change rooms many people find this is the best solution – this is obviously influenced by the routine of other members of the household.

 

• Ask family members to keep the noise down, get them to talk as quietly as possible, and as far away from your hearing because it is extremely difficult to switch off from surrounding sounds when you are resting, no matter how quiet. They may have to resort to whispering or writing things down.

 

• Put plasters over doorknockers and disconnect outdoor bells to avoid loud interruptions. Put up messages for deliverymen to leave parcels in a specific place, so they don’t need to knock.

 

• Turn down the noise on telephones. You can get a special service from BT, which means you can turn the ringing off and an automatic answer phone takes messages, which can be picked up at a convenient time. You can also set it so that the phone only rings for a short time before the answer phone switches on.

 

• Suggest that people listen to music or possibly even the television using headphones. You can get special ones without leads. Make sure you explain the problem to them, so that they understand you are not just trying to be awkward.

 

If you can cope with a little soft music, you can put it on to block out surrounding noise; but listening takes energy so try and have periods of complete silent rest. It is an idea to use headphones because they contain the sound, making it more confined. Try using earphones; but just in one ear because it reduces the amount of stimulation you receive.

TOUCH SENSITIVITY.

This is a very difficult symptom to live with and there is little that can be done. The main approach is to reduce contact with the affected areas.

 

• Wear as few clothes as possible, keep the heating turned up all the time.

 

• Use a blanket cradle to keep bedclothes off the body.

 

• Holding severely affecteds hand, although comforting can get very tiring and painful. Allow the severely affected person to place their hand on top of yours.

 

• If you have carers in, draw a diagram of wear the severely affected person can’t be touched due to sensitivity. Do this for both the front and back of the body.

Smell or Chemical Sensitivity

 Sensitivity to smell can be very hard to live with as it is hard to cut out all smells, whether they are from the garden or come in on people’s clothing.

 

Make sure people who come into the house use non-scented products like those made by Simple or Avon. Ask them not to wear perfume or aftershave. This can be difficult if you have lots of people coming to the house e.g. carers but try to explain the problem to them.

 

An air purifier can help with allergies, including hay fever and also remove smells. They are available from Kelkoo and Argos.

 

Keep doors and windows shut to keep smells out of the person’s room and in the room they are coming from. Open the windows within the room to air the smell out before opening the door and allowing the smell to penetrate the rest of the house.

 

Keep the kitchen door closed to trap cooking smells and always keep lids on pans. Have a window open to extract the smell. Try to cook things that cook quickly and don’t give out a strong smell.

 

Wash new clothes and bedding before using to remove the chemical smells. Lakeland do a Wash-It Laundry ball. This is a washing ball for the washing machine, which cleans without using a detergent.

 

There are a number of shops which now stock eco-friendly and chemical free products, great for people with sensitivities.

 

The Healthy House sell products which are good for people with smell, chemical, electrical sensitivities, S.A.D, allergies, asthma and eczema, including a range of cleaning products which don’t smell, air purifiers and non-smelling.

The Healthy House Ltd

The Old Co-Op

Lower St

Ruscombe

Stroud

Glos

GL6 6BU

 

01453 753533

www.healthy-house.co.uk

 

Alternatively try Ecover cleaning products, wash powder, washing up liquid etc and E-cloths with water to clean glass/mirrors. Available from some leading supermarkets.

 

Bio-D cleaning products are chemical free, Faith in Nature Shampoos and Jasons toothpaste, face cream etc, all available from http://www.honestycosmetics.co.uk

 

Non perfumed deodorants without chemicals can be found at health shops and Lush www.lush.co.uk

 

Green People have a range of products. www.greenpeople.co.uk

Marks and Spencer’s have also brought out a natural range. www.marksandspencer.com

 

Natural odour free paints can be bought from www.eco-paints.co.uk