Do you go to work with parabens on you?

[RNdynamic]

What do you think of going to work with parabens on you?

Do you generally avoid parabens when you get ready to go to work in the morning, or do you apply them liberally? Do you think parabens factor into creating a "safe" environment? Some people are strongly against parabens. Where do you fall on the matter of bringing in parabens to work or spraying parabens around at work.

[smf0903]

Poll:

Who do you prefer? Relationship George (who uses parabens) or Independent George (who uses parabens)?

Well...

[Farawyn]

Well...

[Blindsided]

Just want to thank you all for making me LOL. I knew what OP meant, but enjoyed the direction this thread has taken. Seriously though, I

happen to be one of those poor peeps that are very sensitive to chemicals and smells, and so I thank all of you who take pains to pay attention to us.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

OP why wouldn't you just ask "Do you wear scents, perfumes....etc... at work?"

[TheLittlestNurse]

Great. Now some gullible person is going to think that parabens in their shampoo might be a risk to their patients. For that inevitable naive person: Your products don't emit parabens into the air. Your patients would literally have to lick off your deodorant or body lotion to be exposed to the parabens.

[RNdynamic]

OP why wouldn't you just ask "Do you wear scents, perfumes....etc... at work?"

Not as piquing.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

\Your patients would literally have to lick off your deodorant or body lotion to be exposed to the parabens.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

we're worried about scents when we have pts who can literally stink up a whole floor( to where other pts are gagging) ?

Also, we have to wipe everything down with bleach and whatever that dispatch stuff is. And housekeeping has added vinegar ( which helps) to their cleaning materials

So if the place doesn't smell like poop, it smells like a pool, or a salad.

I don't think anyone notices my deodorant.

Believe it or not, a lot of people are very sensitive to scents. Any scented product - detergent, dryer sheets, soap, deodorant, cologne, perfume, air "fresheners", lipstick, lip gloss, shampoo, and probably a lot more (but you get the idea) can make a lot of us dizzy, cause our noses to burn, cause choking, sneezing, coughing, rashes, itching, SOB, chest tightness, and maybe more.

You've probably heard of sick building syndrome, which can cause misery such as I've mentioned for those who are sensitive to carpeting components, paint, tile, etc. - and it's compounded by buildings being more tightly closed up (with insulation and windows that don't open, for instance).

Yes, some stool, wounds, burns, cleaning products, hand sanitizers also are very problematic.

And just think about all the build-up in air ducts that we have to breathe

A few years ago, the job forced air fresheners on us. Every few seconds, they'd spew out this stinking mess into the air. The dispensers were posted on the walls of all the wards. It was really awful and the DON didn't give a rip - until they stuck one in her office. I admit I really enjoyed her having to put up with it because she had shown no empathy for any of us working the floors.

I even took down a couple. LOL

Think about the pregnant among us.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Using my grad school library I was able to find many studies and papers addressing the impact of parabens on endocrine function. Simply typing in endometriosis” and parabens” into a search is not really going to turn up much information for you. You have to look at it from a wider angle and understand the pathophysiology and etiology of the condition. Knowing that it is driven and impacted by estrogen levels, and the delicate balance between the estrogen and progesterone ratio, you should conclude that any influence of excess estrogen in the form of xenoestrogens is going to have a negative impact on estrogen-driven diseases, namely endometriosis and breast and uterine/ovarian cancers. Therefore, anyone with a disorder related to endocrine function should be hugely concerned about parabens and phthalates in their cosmetic items.

Discrediting an author's credentials because you don't think she's smart” enough doesn't make you look smarter. The author in fact suffered from lady partsl cancer as a result of being exposed to DES in the womb and has led a life-long mission to understand and expose the dangers of environmental toxins. She deserves nothing but respect for her work.

Without risk of boring everyone silly, I have included some excerpts from research studies below that should at least pique the interest of anyone who might be interested in understanding the link between disease and hormone disruption.

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The objective of this study was to detect the probable association between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and phthalate esters (PEs), and the occurrence of endometriosis in a prospective case control study. We found that PCBs and PEs may be instrumental in the etiology of endometriosis. Environmental toxicants may directly act as hormone disruptors or indirectly behave as immune toxins affecting the response of the endometrium to steroids, resulting in endometriosis. Phthalate esters (PEs) are chemicals used in the manufacturing of automotive parts, medical supplies, plastic wraps, beverage containers, and the linings of metal cans. They may act as potent endocrine disruptors. Several studies indicate that phthalates adversely affect reproductive function in laboratory animals We found the presence of PCBs and PEs in laparoscopy-proven endometriosis infertile women and in the control group. Current research indicates an increasing prevalence of endometriosis (13.2%) in the general population compared to the commonly accepted 10% incidence rate (7 and 43). Correlation between exposure to persistent organic pollutants and the incidence of reproductive conditions, which includes infertility, have been reported (44, 45 and 46). Some of the infertility problems are likely due to the endocrine-disrupting ability of these chemicals and include effects such as endometriosis in women and lowered sperm counts in men. Rier et al. (39) also provided the strongest evidence linking endometriosis to organochlorine exposure. The higher concentration of these chemicals in the plasma of subjects with endometriosis compared to fertile controls possibly suggests an association of PCBs and PEs with the occurrence of endometriosis. (Reddy, et. al, 2006)

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Industrial chemicals, including lead, phthalates, and parabens, are basic ingredients or contaminants found in personal care products. Research links exposure to these chemicals with multiple, serious, adverse health effects such as breast cancer, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, impaired fertility or infertility, low birth weight, preterm birth, obesity, hypothyroidism, hypercholesterolemia, ADHD, hypospadias, and cryptorchidism. In females, phthalate exposure increases the risk for early puberty, impaired fertility or infertility, preterm labor, endometriosis and breast cancer. Research by Colon, Caro, Bourdony, and Rosario (2000) showed an association between phthalate exposure and premature puberty in young girls. Women with higher blood levels of DBP, BBP, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and DEHP are more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis and increased levels of phthalate concentrations correlated with increased severity of endometriosis (Reddy, Rozati, & Raman, 2006). Cobellis et al. (2003) suggests that exposure to phthalates may be contributing to increasing endometriosis rates (Lieser, 2013).

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Some environmental toxins like DDT and other chlorinated compounds accumulate in the body because of their fat-soluble nature. Other compounds do not stay long in the body, but still cause toxic effects during the time they are present. For serious health problems to arise, exposure to these rapidly-clearing compounds must occur on a daily basis.

Methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, and benzyl parabens, all esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. Because of their low cost and low toxicity, they are used commonly throughout the world. Once in the bloodstream they can be conjugated in the liver with glycine, sulfate, or glucuronate for excretion in the urine. But, they are also lipophilic and can be absorbed through the skin and are found intact in tissue.

Parabens have weak estrogenic activity and have been shown to induce the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro, leading some researchers to suggest their potential as initiators or promoters of breast cancer. Part of the concern stems from the fact that an increasing number of breast cancers are occurring in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, where paraben-containing antiperspirant application occurs.'^ Others debate that the estrogenic effect is too weak to cause problems. The current consensus is that parabens' effect on health, including cancer risk, is due to much more than estrogen mimicry. An alternative mechanism by which parabens can indirectly affect estrogen levels is via inhibition of sulfotransferase activity inside the cytosol of human skin cells. By blocking sulfotransferases, the estrogen levels can remain higher than normal.

Paraben exposure comes mainly from the use of personal care products containing these compounds. While their exact health effects are currently unknown, they do possess some estrogenic activity, can adversely affect the breakdown of endogenous estrogens, and cause mitochondrial dysfunction. (Crinnion, W, 2010).

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Environmental chemicals that functionally mimic estrogen may impact normal functioning of the endocrine system (EDs, endocrine disruptors) and lead to abnormal hormone regulation and gene expression [1]. Parabens, the alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, are one such group of ED chemicals with xenoestrogenic activity. Although parabens have generally been considered safe, several recent studies have cautioned that exposure to parabens may modulate or disrupt the endocrine system and thus may have harmful consequences on animal and human health than previously realized [3] and [4]. Parabens are lipophilic and this characteristic may facilitate its accumulation in sufficient concentrations to provide direct estrogenic or cytotoxic challenge.

To better understand the mechanism of CaBP-9k induction by these endocrine disrupting compounds, we measured the levels ofestrogen receptor (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression following parabens exposure. Like other xenoestrogens, parabens can bind to estrogen receptors (ER), stimulate the ER-dependent response, and/or influence the expression of estrogen-responsive genes, including ERα, PR, and pS2 [6], [7] and [8].

In vivo, several studies also showed a progressive increase in the estrogenic activity with increasing molecular weights of parabens. Increasing doses of butylparaben at 100, 400, and 600 mg/kg/day induced increased uterine wet weights and in addition, the high dosage of butyl-, isopropyl-, and isobutylparaben (1000 mg/kg/day) significantly increased uterine wet weight. Estrogen receptor dependent estrogenic activities of parabens were demonstrated in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell [6], [7] and [10] and ZR-75-1 human breast carcinoma cell line [10], [11] and [12] as well as in immature and adult mice and rats [9], [13], [14], [15] and [16] and fish [17].

Parabens are readily absorbed through the skin and gastrointestinal tract and metabolism involves hydrolysis to p-hydroxybenzoic acid [2]. The estrogenic activity of the paraben has shown adverse reproductive effects by the dietary route because these compounds are rapidly absorbed, metabolized and excreted as urinary conjugates Parabens have been shown to bind the estrogen receptor, activate genes controlled by these receptors, and stimulate cell growth and increase immunoreactivity of estrogen receptors [43]. In addition to estrogenic activity, parabens also increased progesterone receptor gene expression [7], [8], [15] and [39]. In this study, we showed that the induction of CaBP-9k expression by estrogens and estrogenic chemicals correlates with the increase in estrogenic potencies and their structure (Vo, et. al, 2011).

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Studies indicated that parabens, used as anti-microbial agents in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, produced a positive uterotrophic response in vivo. The proliferation of two estrogen-dependent cell lines MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 could be increased by parabens. They also increased expression of both transfected and endogenous estrogen-regulated genes in MCF-7 cells. (Ge, et. al, 2006)

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Parabens are a class of suspected weak endocrine-disruptor chemicals possessing antimicrobial properties. Parabens are used widely in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care products. Common parabens are comprised of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, and iso-butylparaben. Detection of these compounds in breast tumor cells [155] raised concern over the safety of these compounds, suspecting them to be carcinogenic. Human exposure to parabens is caused via absorption through skin or ingestion or by the use of products containing parabens. (Faniband, et. al, 2014)

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Although diet, alcohol, radiation and inherited loss of BRCA1/2 genes have all been associated with increased incidence, the main identified risk factors are life exposure to hormones including physiological variations associated with puberty/pregnancy/menopause,1 personal choice of use of hormonal contraceptives2 and/or hormone replacement therapy.3–6 On this basis, exposure of the human breast to the many environmental pollutant chemicals capable of mimicking or interfering with oestrogen action7 should also be of concern. (Darbre, et. al, 2012)

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Parabens are esters of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid that are commonly used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food or beverage processing (Andersen 2008). It is likely that repeated contact with products or foods containing parabens leads to widespread human exposure through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact. some parabens may be estrogenic in vitro (Routledge et al. 1998), although with activity levels several orders of magnitude lower than that of estrogen. Recent experimental studies have reported that certain parabens may also act as antiandrogens (Chen et al. 2007; Darbre and Harvey 2008; Satoh et al. 2005), and there is limited evidence that parabens may affect thyroid function (Rousset 1981)

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References

Crinnion, Walter J. "Toxic effects of the easily avoidable phthalates and parabens." Alternative Medicine Review Sept. 2010: 190+.Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Darbre, P. D., & Fernandez, M. F. (2012). Environmental oestrogens and breast cancer: long-term low-dose effects of mixtures of various chemical combinations. Journal of epidemiology and community health, jech-2012.

Faniband, M., Lindh, C. H., & Jönsson, B. A. (2014). Human biological monitoring of suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds. Asian journal of andrology, 16(1), 5.

Ge, J. H., & Chang, B. (2006). [Estrogenic activities of parabens]. Wei sheng yan jiu= Journal of hygiene research, 35(5), 650-652.

Lieser, A. E. (2013). Toxic exposures from personal care products in women of childbearing age.

Reddy, B. S., Rozati, R., Reddy, S., Kodampur, S., Reddy, P., & Reddy, R. (2006). High plasma concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and phthalate esters in women with endometriosis: a prospective case control study. Fertility and sterility, 85(3), 775-779.

Vo, T. T., Jung, E. M., Choi, K. C., Frank, H. Y., & Jeung, E. B. (2011). Estrogen receptor α is involved in the induction of Calbindin-D 9k and progesterone receptor by parabens in GH3 cells: A biomarker gene for screening xenoestrogens. Steroids, 76(7), 675-681.

I appreciate this post. Thank you for your scholarly contribution.

It only makes sense that people can react badly to chemicals and elements and other "stuff" that are unnaturally in or on or around our bodies. Think what breathing dust in coal mines can do to miners.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

OP why wouldn't you just ask "Do you wear scents, perfumes....etc... at work?"

Because then he wouldn't be the OP we all know and love.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

When Poppy peed on the couch it was full of parabens!

Who told you I peed on the couch?!

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

When Poppy peed on the couch it was full of parabens!

Also, in your question, was it the couch or the pee that was full of parabens?