health and safety

[Ben B]

With my medical hat on, I'd recommend anyone who suffers with asthma or a related allergic / immune-mediated condition get their vitamin D levels checked. Vitamin D deficiency causes a malfunction of the immune system resulting in impaired response to infection and an inappropriate attack on the host body. In fact at a recent lecture I attended on asthma the local asthma hed honcho consultant said "there's no such thing as severe asthma, just asthmatics with vitamin D deficiency". Perhaps taking it a little far but certainly when we've been checking VitD levels on poorly controlled asthmatics their vitamin D is very low.

[Tim Mackey]

Well according to my latest results, I now suffer from COPD

[Erfolg]

If curing asthma was as simple as vitamin D supplements, both daughter No1 her husband, both consultants would have more than just mentioned it. Although neither are consultants with respect to respiratory matters, they both have good general medical knowledge. Particularly as the son-in-law suffers from asthma himself.. He something of an expert on which inhaler to use and when, what they designed to do, but then wonders where his own are.

 

As with many health matters, it pays to be cautious, but as to the cause and cure, it is another matter.

 

I guess my wife could argue, that she should have sought total protection from the cold virus and lived in a controlled atmosphere. Yet I suspect having a caught a cold was only part of the story of becoming asthmatic.

 

 

[Ben B]

I didn't say it would cure it, just reduce the severity. Vitamin D deficiency hasn't really been on the radar of most physicians but it's importance has been grossly under-estimated. Our practice only started looking at it 9 months ago and we've found that approx 1/3 of all people have significant deficiency. Nationally, people are increasingly looking for vitamin D deficiency to the extent that one of the treatments used (vitamin D injections) has a national shortage and trying to get hold of it is almost impossible. It's not part of "traditional" medical training so almost nobody was looking for it. Until one of my partners started testing for it, I wasn't either. But since we've started looking for it we've discovered that it has been responsible for the severity of quite a few cases of auto-immune conditions and unexplained muscle aches / lethargy / joint pains. I'm quite evangelical about it now because I've seen the difference the diagnosis can make yet some physicians aren't really aware of it yet. Anyway, just trying to be helpful, feel free to ignore it

 

Asthma does unfortunately sometimes turn into COPD with time because the chronic inflammatory response causes a loss of reversibility (the difference between asthma and COPD) as the acute bronchoconstriction response turns into chronic bronchitis

[Ben B]

http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2810%2900657-3/abstract

 

might be of interest

as might

 

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/20090424/low-vitamin-d-linked-to-severe-asthma

 

as I say, people just aren't looking for it.

There's also an interesting article on the Asthma UK website about the impact of vitamin D deficiency on steroid inhaler resistance....

[Erfolg]

We are seeing Daughter No.1 and the good doctor (he is a proper doctor, as he jokingly reminds us?), I will broach the subject. Is vitamin D deficiency closely related to children, rather than adults?

 

I am certain that asthma suffers and their families are only to aware of the alarm when some one has an attack.

 

You never know, one day we will once again be able to walk the hills of Cumbria.

 

I have from time to time mentioned that Jan Ulhrich is a asthma suffer, yet I do know that the fear of an attack is very real. Not just the better half, as I dread to think how we could get of a fell, or be able to cycle home.

 

Edited By Erfolg on 22/07/2011 15:21:27

Edited By Erfolg on 22/07/2011 15:31:44

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Tim Mackey - Administrator on 22/07/2011 13:14:10:
Well according to my latest results, I now suffer from COPD

welcome to a not very exclusive or desirable club. An illness for life that doesn't qualify you for free prescriptions in England or a disabled sticker.

It does have the upside of excusing you from decorating - 'sorry , it's the fumes'

[Myron Beaumont]

You can't beat smoking ! Kills all known germs living in your lungs .You just bring'em all up first thing in morning by using natures coughing reflex.I had a check a few weeks ago in hospital 'cos I was short of breath .Turned out to be the various pain killers that were the culprits (and the constipation ) Now back to 1/2 oz of baccy a day and perfectly OK .

You should see the amount of dust and stuff we're living in at the moment renovating our old farm house At least 200 yrs old and never touched for 98 of them' riddled with rats & mice as well plus chickens and sheep that wander in and out as they please at feeding times .

(luxury and the epitomy of non H&S)

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 22/07/2011 15:43:59:

Posted by Tim Mackey - Administrator on 22/07/2011 13:14:10:
Well according to my latest results, I now suffer from COPD

welcome to a not very exclusive or desirable club. An illness for life that doesn't qualify you for free prescriptions in England or a disabled sticker.

It does have the upside of excusing you from decorating - 'sorry , it's the fumes'

 

Ah but we lucky folk in Wales have free prescriptions for anything and everything - have done for several years now .

[Tim Mackey]

Myrons post recommending smoking should of course be taken with the correct pinch of snuff it deserves

[fly boy3]

Please do not forget Blue Foam dust and Cyano fumes. Mask for B/F dust, and more than normal ventilation for Cyano fumes. Due to a very bad experiance, I will only use cyano outside. Cheers

[david 7]

Both my daughters had asthma when they where young could be due to all the buliding work and diy i did, for 10 years they have been fine no puffers etc, they have both just got hold of some old property to do up, when i whent round to check how they were doing the place was covered in plaster, wood , brick dust, could not even see through the dust.

The pair of them are now back at the doctors and you have asthma and now back on the puffers and anti biotics, the mask i gave them where still in the packets on the side, i think they have learned a lesson. Dave

[Phil Claridge]

i spent the first seven years of my working life, changing brake shoes and disc pads in a garage. we used to blow the dust off with an airline. then went to work at a motor factors and relined thousands of brake shoes. then moved ot to tyre fitting very dusty. spent next fifteen years in a fridge factory in clouds of fumes and nasty chemicals, fluorocarbons ect. lungs still working fine so far at 62 years old touch wood. also worked with methyl ether ketone and toulene at another firm. phil

[flytilbroke]

Whlle do not have any respiratory illness I am allergic to almost all the common scented products in common use as well as tobaco. This means I cannot "do" any of the normal social things due to the overload of the rubbish people cover themselves with. Everything from the personal Soap and Soap powder in the washing machine, Body spray, roll on stuff, Shampoo then conditioner, and of course Gel and Laquer on thier hair. Look well at all the household chemical stuff too, same problem. I was past Fifty before it started.

 

Plant scent outside? I enjoy with no problem.

 

I have a lot of Grandchildren, half had inhalers for Asthma. EXCEPT when we had them stay for more than four days, then they did not need them. The day they went home.... gasping again.

 

I will confirm that severe allergy can occur almost instantly after many years of exposure to some chemicals and ather substances having seen this quite a few times. Please don't assume that it can't happen to you "'cos I am healthy" as that is not the way it often works

[Big Bandit]

Posted by Tim Mackey - Administrator on 22/07/2011 13:14:10:
Well according to my latest results, I now suffer from COPD

Same here Tim, it was discovered on my last Occupational Health exam. Maybe some one should suggest issuing health warnings with all of the stuff we build models from.

 

Chris.

[cad]

Hi all who have responded to the question I originally posed. I certainly did not expect to see the response that it has received. It is clear that there are many different opinions but the overall message is.... be sensible. Perhaps we should now terminate the thread or retitle it into "the model flying doctor"

[Erfolg]

Before we all forget this thread.

 

I think I got the message that Blue Foam had some very real hazard. Perhaps to the extent that great care is needed.

 

If that is the case, I think we need to understand what it actually is. It is a an Expanded Polystyrene, as is Pink Foam and Depron and many foamies. Along with Pink and Depron it is extruded. Where as many foamies are made from beads which are poured into a mould and steam heated to fuse the beads together.

 

The difference to foamies comes from the production method rather than the base material.

 

I do not know what gases are produced when burning, I would guess Cyanide, as it seems common when burning many polymers.

 

I am not aware of Blue Foam being any more dangerous than many other polymers. Before it is demonised, I think we should have evidence.

[Big Bandit]

Hi All,

 

My mate's wife has just hung a sign on the door to his workshop "beware grumpy old man" and knowing him I'm sure he would be a lot grumpier if he knew of all of the things that are bad for him,which he uses. It's not as if we are using hazardous substances in industrial quantities, after all it's a hobby. As for health and safety at work, leave it where it belongs "at work".

 

There's enough information on the internet regarding the hazards of the substances that we use, for us to be informed of the risks to our health, and as responsible adults we can make up our own minds as to whether we use them or find safer alternatives.

 

We can all live long and miserable lives avoiding anything that's bad for us or get on with it and enjoy our selves, the choice is yours. I know which way I'm going.

 

Chris.