People who are intolerant of chemicals in everyday products or the environment often find their problems ignored or brushed aside by other people, even their doctors.
Over the past 30 years I've routinely asked patients about intolerance to chemicals, foods and drugs and found a normal bell-shaped curve of distribution: Most people in my medical practice have some degree of chemical intolerance, a small percentage are sensitive to just about anything that's synthetic and a small percentage report no sensitivity at all.
More: "Diabetes Risk Raised by Common Chemical"
Where a person sits on that curve may change, depending upon numerous factors, which include infection, toxic exposures, nutritional depletion, and life stress.
I contributed my findings on chemical sensitivity to one of the earliest textbooks dealing with the topic, which was edited by Mark Cullen of Yale University in 1987.
At the time I found that patients with multiple chemical sensitivities appeared to have difficulty digesting protein, a problem that can contribute to impairment of detoxification and disturbances of immune function.[1] I still find that digestive disturbances play an important role in chemical intolerance, both as a cause and as a symptom.
I've suspected that my observations would apply to the general population, even though the patients I see are not typical of patients in a primary care practice; they're referred to me because they have chronic problems that have been resistant to conventional diagnosis or treatment.
Read: "Why You Need to Detoxify 24 Hours a Day."
Now, a new study from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, confirms that chemical intolerance is common among primary care patients and is rarely diagnosed.[2]
The researchers gave the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) to 400 adult patients in two primary care practices in San Antonio and found that 20.3 percent met the criteria for chemical intolerance. For three-quarters of them, there was no medical notation of any kind of hypersensitivity. Most of these patients were middle-aged working-class women.
The chemically intolerant patients were more likely to have poorer functional status, to limit social activities and to use more medical services when compared with non-chemically intolerant patients.
The researchers explain:
Patients who are chemically intolerant use health care services at increased rates (making an average of 23.3 visits to a medical professional per year). In addition, chemical intolerance is associated with poor quality of life and functional impairments leading to loss of employment and socioeconomic hardships.
Read: "Eat This, Detox That."
Symptoms of chemical tolerance may involve multiple body systems and can affecting thinking, moods, joints, muscles, the gastrointestinal tract, the heart and blood vessels, skin, and urinary system.
Patients with chemical intolerance often have concurrent diagnoses, which may include heart problems, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The Texas researchers found that chemically intolerant patients tended to also be intolerant of medication, specific foods and alcohol and to have more severe symptoms than patients without chemical intolerance.
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An interesting finding was that compared to a healthy population from the same community, chemically intolerant patients scored lower for "masking factors." factors that might otherwise obscure awareness of an association between chemical exposures and symptoms. "In other words," the researchers state, "chemically intolerant patients may be more aware of their difficulties in tolerating everyday environmental exposures than are members of the healthy population."
This is important because most triggers for chemical intolerance, like solvents, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds, are inherently toxic, and according to the Texas researchers, have been "clearly linked with the development of chemical intolerance and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms, via a process referred to as toxicant-induced loss of tolerance."
Read: "Childhood Obesity Linked to Air Pollution"
In this sense, chemically intolerant people are like the "canary in the coal mine" and they carry a message for all of us.
British miners in the early 20th century would take a caged canary with them into the mines because the canary was more sensitive to toxic gas than the miners. If the canary passed out, it was time to leave the mine.
The same kinds of environmental chemicals that provoke symptoms in the chemically sensitive have been associated with serious health problems in people who do not consider themselves chemically sensitive.
An example of this can be seen in how rates of autism among children in the U.S. have increased dramatically over the past 30 years. Development of autism in children has been associated with prenatal and perinatal chemical exposures of the type that may provoke symptoms in people with chemical intolerance.
With so much of our time spent indoors, chemical exposures at home, the office, at school and in stores poses a substantial challenge. Learn more about this important health issue in Sick Building, Sick People.
Chemical intolerance should not be ignored or stigmatized. It should be seen as a common physiologic response to living in a chemical world.
Now I'd like to hear from you:
Have you been exposed to chemicals?
Have you noticed any immediate or long-term affects?
What steps have you taken to limit exposure and detoxify?
Has anything helped?
Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
Best Health,
Leo Galland, M.D.
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Leo Galland, MD is a board-certified internist, author and internationally recognized leader in integrated medicine. Dr. Galland is the founder of Pill Advised, a web application for learning about medications, supplements and food. Sign up for FREE to discover how your medications and vitamins interact. Watch his videos on YouTube and join the Pill Advised Facebook page.
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References and Further Reading
[1] Leo Galland, "Biochemical Abnormalities in Patients with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, in Workers with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities", M. Cullen ed., Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews. Hanley and Belfus, Philadelphia (1987), pp. 713-720.
[2] David A. Katerndahl, Iris R. Bell, Raymond F. Palmer, and Claudia S. Miller, "Chemical Intolerance in Primary Care Settings: Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Outcomes", Ann Fam Med July/August 2012 vol. 10 no. 4 357-365
Landrigan PJ. "What causes autism? Exploring the environmental contribution". Curr Opin Pediatr. 2010 Apr;22(2):219-25.
Larsson M, Weiss B, Janson S, Sundell J, Bornehag CG. "Associations between indoor environmental factors and parental-reported autistic spectrum disorders in children 6-8 years of age." Neurotoxicology. 2009 Sep;30(5):822-31. Epub 2009 Feb 10
Edelson SB, Cantor DS. "Autism: xenobiotic influences." Toxicol Ind Health. 1998 Jul-Aug;14(4):553-63.
Windham GC, Zhang L, Gunier R, Croen LA, Grether JK. "Autism spectrum disorders in relation to distribution of hazardous air pollutants in the san francisco bay area." Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Sep;114(9):1438-44.
Power Healing: Use the New Integrated Medicine to Cure Yourself. Leo Galland M.D., 384 pages, Random House
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Superimmunity for Kids : What to Feed Your Children to Keep Them Healthy Now, and Prevent Disease in Their Future, Leo Galland M.D. with Dian Dincin Buchman, Dell
This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute (i) medical advice or counseling, (ii) the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, (iii) or the creation of a physician--patient relationship. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.
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And yes, I have been exposed several times and I have worked in sick buildings. My MCS really kicked in around 2008 and in the summer of 2009, I left a job because of chemical intolerance issues from working in a sick building (pesticides, etc.) and after that I was fired from a job because of my disability (after 5 weeks) that took me 11 months to find. A co-worker was using a scented laundry product that made me so sick, it affected my ability to do the job and they did not want to have to continue to accommodate me. I had no protection, no union, nothing. It was absolutely devastating. I finally found a job this past spring and although the pay is horrendous, they are accommodating me and although it is a daily struggle, I feel fortunate to have understanding co-workers (most of them anyway).
Having Multiple Chemical Sensitivity has been devastating to me financially, personally and has affected my life in such a big way. More research and training are needed in regards to this condition because there is such a stigma attached to it. My own family has been judgmental and insensitive regarding my condition and I have fewer friends than before and it has taken such a huge toll on me emotionally.
Anyway, thank you for your article and research. I have shared it with other canaries.
Long term effects: could be his whole life - hopefully not as we are chelating using the Andy Cutler Protocol and have already seen some improvement in only 16 weeks, but it takes several years to get the metals out, not to mention the other numerous toxic assaults on all of our bodies on a daily basis.
They just did aerial pesticide spraying of our city for mosquitos despite public outcry/protest. I just hope it doesn't set us back in our son's Autism recovery, but I'm afraid because the pesticides had at least 3 of the top 10 toxins known to cause/exacerbate autism.
It's time to rise up people. We are all being slowly poisoned.
I am now working with a fairly new skin care company because they do not use chemicals, toxins or perfumes in their products.
We cannot tolerate Walmart or Home Depot and struggle with the farmers market (popcorn popper) which is our food lifeline. We wear carbon felt masks in public, organic cotton clothing washed with homemade soap, make our own deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste, use carefully selected cookware and storage, clean with baking soda, apple cider vinegar and avoid smokers, drinkers and junk food junkies. I have no idea why people are so resistant to the idea that toxic chemicals can harm us or that someone can be allergic to corn. I believe it actually makes our relatives angry at/resentful of us and I can't understand it (much less explain it to my children). It scares me that the most toxic people we know are infants and there is a whole generation of children being raised on nothing but pseudo-food full of chemicals and devoid of bio-available nutrition. It also scares me that fast food and chemical exposure is so much a part of American life that people actually accuse me of depriving my children because we don't buy Dr. Pepper, Twizzlers and Doritos (corn).
Yes after complaining to my school in Fontana that the mold was making me sick they came in a poisoned me with chemicals to cover up the smell, then finally removed the glued down carpet and tiles with cheap toxic glues and finishes turning my classroom (a portable) into a paintbooth.
Have you noticed any immediate or long-term affects?
I lost hearing, got vertigo and tinnitis, permanent sinus swelling and muscle loss, fatigue, weakness, and pain in joints and muscles, tendonitis, vision disturbances, and lower cognitive abilities.
What steps have you taken to limit exposure and detoxify?
Removes gas appliances and toxic materials from home. isolate myself, eat organic, juice, take vitamins, don't let people in that smell.
Has anything helped?
gas appliances were the worst, fabric softeners and gas fumes are bad so keeping away from them helps.
Never believe that schools put your health first, Liability is their only concern.
Endless science experiments on myself. Nonstop reading about greenwashing. Tons of advocacy work to get my needs met in the system. Will be getting an Oxygen tank and ceramic face mask to see if that helps. Thinking of trying the Ziem-Pall protocol if I get the One reason i hate to suggest something is what one person can use is horrible for another. I will need to buy ceramic electric space heaters since no other form of heat is tolerated. Have a small washer for my clothing does not get ruined at Laundromats by other people’s toxic choices. The plastic hoses are sickening though. Learned how to cover everything possible with heavy duty aluminum foil. Soak all new clothes, even though organic, in several baking soda rinses with much by hand agitation. Food kept in canning jars. Shelves are metal. Cheap metal tool boxes for storing toxic things like mail, and also for organizing things. Red meat really helps, but it has to be highest quality organic.
Also threw away/give away everything I own. Books, diaries, art, photo albums, clothing, furniture - my whole past gone to a dumpster. Had to sleep in a chair for 2 months due to no safe bedding. Haven't found any tolerable pillows or blankets yet. A Kindle lets me read but I always have the WiFi off out of respect to those with EHS and bees and birds and me. Found beeswax crayons that let me write things down without poisoning. Medic Alert Bracelet with a letter from PCP sent to them and all other doctors I may see explaining I have MCS so please do not kill me in an E/R with chemical ODing. Allergic to metal so put the tag on organic hemp.
Warning signs I learned: Lips go numb when there is a toxic substance near me. Hands tingle if I touch poisons.
Told we had Sick Building Syndrome and chronic CO Poisoning which few neurologists even know exists, thinking if you didn't die you are fine.
--Yes. It's hard to not be! It was many small exposures, rather than one big one.
Have you noticed any immediate or long-term affects?
--I often react immediately. Symptoms include burning/itching skin or eyes, problems breathing or swallowing, twitching muscles, headache, toothache, digestive issues, rashes, difficulty thinking and/or speaking. Do not improve until remove cause.
What steps have you taken to limit exposure and detoxify?
--Removed most "products" from my home. Safe products: Dr. Bronner's, Ecos, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, baking soda, Bon Ami, shea butter, tea tree oil, lemon. Eat organic when possible. I wear a mask in public places. "Detox" teas, TriSalts for immediate relief. Change clothes and shower when I get home from to remove the soap/perfume/smoke smells that I pick up.
Has anything helped?
--Standard Process diet, long showers or baths with EPSOM salts, chiropractic and massage treatment help a bit. What helps the most is to be in a clean environment--like in a wilderness area, beach or botanical garden! After a few days in a safe place, I perk right back up, like a wilted plant being given water!
I take magnesium , high dose vit b complex and the one that has really helped is Vit D3, a noticable difference has been achieved with vit D3.
Deciding "which came first" is only helpful for those who want to stigmatize and blame patients. It would be more helpful for people to adopt a holistic understanding of health--that psychology and physiology are not separate entities and that the whole of both are involved in ALL illness. It would be more helpful if we would accept that all health and "disease" is a product of the combination of he above factors. There is a reason why you can find patients with any given disease healing themselves by addressing any one of those factors; others do not see significant improvement from the same therapies because other unaddressed factors might be more influential in their case.
So yes, poor nutrition, toxins, emotional stresses, etc. can lead to depression and anxiety. And yes, the above can lead to physical hypersensitivity, autoimmunity, hypertension, and any number of other physical symptoms.
Which one arises first is mostly irrelevant when devising a healing plan. And isn't that what we want? To find healing? Or are we running these studies just so we can blame people and deny them the accommodations and benefits and compassion that they need in order to recover their health?