USE GUIDELINES, COMMON SENSE WITH INSECT REPELLENTS

By Dr. Nirala Jacobi N.D.

Q:  You’ve mentioned unsafe insect repellants in your last article, can you elaborate?

A:  I was referring to DEET, a chemical insect repellant that has been associated with a variety

of health concerns.  DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) works by affecting the mosquito’s target sensors,

thereby confusing the insect’s sense of direction.  DEET is a very effective insect repellant and has been

heavily marketed as insect borne diseases such as West Nile virus are

on the rise.  I think it is important to consider it’s safety warnings that have been issued from a number of

 institutions including the American Academy of Pediatrics.  DEET affects the

nervous system and can cause long term health problems including memory loss, headaches, weakness,

tremors, shortness of breath, joint pain, and fatigue.  Children are particularly susceptible because of their

developing nervous systems.  One confounding factor with DEET

 is that sometimes it can take years for symptoms to manifest, making a cause and effect relationship difficult

 to establish.  It is also important to remember that DEET ‘s absorption is increased 3 fold by the simultaneous

 application of sunscreen.    One study, which is being

hotly contested by the makers of DEET clearly shows that when a 2.5% solution of DEET was mixed with

oxybenzone, a very common sun-blocking agent, DEET  absorption went from

 9.6% to 30.2%

Natural insect repellants, such as Buzz Away usually

contain citronella, an effective alternative to DEET. 

Natural products typically need to be re-applied every 2 hours, making their use cumbersome but safer.

If you use DEET, consider these guidelines:

-         choose repellants which contain less than 20% DEET

           (you can purchase as high as 100% DEET in some stores!)

-          try to cover external clothing, avoiding the skin if at all possible,

           do not use under clothing, wash clothing

           after use.

-         Never let children apply DEET—it invariably ends up

           in their mouths.

-         Do not apply to open wounds, cuts or scrapes

-         Do not apply with sunscreen

-         Do not spray in enclosed areas

 Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 North 30 Street
Beautiful downtown Billings, Montana

Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655

ync@180com.net

Dispensary
406·254·9682

dispensary@yncnaturally.com