Candles making people sick?

I'd say that you're probably allergic to one of the compounds in the candle.

My mother-in-law has some allergy problems with certain fragrances and chemicals that help carry the scents through the air.

She gets horrible headaches, nausea, balance problems.

She doesn't have problems with natural candles, but candles from grocery stores or yankee candle style fragrances knock her on her butt.

Probably similar to how I feel after getting a few strong whiffs from printer cleaning solution.

 

Just curious, but do non scented candles bother you? My mother is allergic to damn near everything it seems like. Most candles she can not burn in the house because of the oils in them. She will break out in hives and hard for her to breath.

It sounds like you have an intolerance to the fragrance in them. Probably the same if you walk by the perfume counters in the malls. I hate walking near them.

As for candles being bad for you. In way, yes they are. If you are burning a candle you are creating smoke which then you are inhaling into your lungs. Cheap candles that have a lot of chemicals are worse than lets say a beeswax candle but I am not sure as bad as second hand smoke from cigarettes.

Candles are actually really bad for your home, especially for your AC unit. Over time the smoke and the residue it causes can cause a lot of damage to the unit. It can cut the life of an AC down by up to 5 years or more depending how many candles are lit and how often. Candles can cause what is called "ghosting" on your walls, ceilings, and furniture.

If you don't regularly clean your walls especially the ones closest to the candles frequently, you could and most likely will have a ghosting problem later on. Unless you prime over the walls the next time you paint.

 

Candles are well known for dropping indoor air quality you're releasing carbon and sulfur (and a bunch of other nasty things) into a closed system.

If something makes you feel ill, avoid that something. Are you asking us because you think signs101 is doctors101 or are you trying to get us to mediate a spousal debate....?

 

I have found that people with allergies and especially asthma have issue with some candles. If they have tooo many chemicals to make them smell strong, then they will affect you.

 

i burn incense sticks of nag champa)))))))))))
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nag_Champa

 

strong perfumes, and candles give me a headache.

 

John, have you tried burning the candle at both ends?

 

lol