Chemical Intolerance
Chemical Intolerance
`To start with, I just used to get this irritation in my throat when I was reading a magazine. Over the years it got much worse, and there was a dreadful burning feeling, not
just in my throat now, but also in my eyes and nose. Sometimes I could scarcely breathe. My doctor said it couldn’t be magazines and diagnosed asthma. Twenty years on, I can’t
look at a magazine, even for a few minutes, and other things affect me now too. If I go in a room with a photocopier running I start to choke and can’t breathe. Whenever I
describe this problem to anyone — apart from the doctor, that is — they almost always say they know someone else who has a similar problem. But the doctors still say that what
happens to me can’t happen.’
Mary has chemical intolerance, which is also known as chemical sensitivity, environmental Illness or idiopathic environmental intolerances. It is a condition that arouses more
passionate controversy than any other described in this book. Many believe that it simply does not exist, or rather that people who claim to have chemical intolerance are
actually victims of psychological problems, which express themselves as physical symptoms. Careful studies show that, while some people with supposed chemical intolerance do
fall into this category, others do not – they have no psychiatric problems, but they do appear to have valid symptoms when exposed to certain synthetic chemicals.
`People with MCS are desperate. They will go to great lengths and do almost anything to find a doctor, anyone, who believes them.’ So speaks one sufferer from MCS (Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity), the most extreme form of chemical intolerance. It is often severely disabling, with symptoms such as exceptional fatigue, nausea, headaches, poor memory
and concentration, dizziness. muscle aches, joint pain, chest pain and digestive problems. Those with MCS react to a very wide range of chemicals, and very often to foods and
food additives as well.
These severely affected patients are a small minority, however, and many more people are like Mary, with sensitivity to just one or two types of chemical exposure. Surveys in
the United States suggest that about 30% of the population are affected in this way. The authors of one such survey note that ‘the widespread idea that chemical sensitivity is a
condition of educated, urban housewives was not supported by our study. The region surveyed was rural… and individuals who reported chemical sensitivity were found in all age,
gender, income, race and employment groups.’
The chemical exposures that are identified as triggering symptoms include:
• perfumes
• pesticides
• cigarette smoke
• paint fumes
• petrol
• exhaust fumes
• cleaning products
• newspaper ink
• plastics, especially those with a strong smell
• glossy paper (e.g. In magazines).
Typical symptoms, in those with sensitivity to just one or two chemical products, are:
• a blocked or runny nose
• sore throat
• irritation of the eyes
• sinus pain and congestion
• headache
• breathlessness and wheezing
• nausea
• skin rashes
• extreme fatigue
• dizziness.
How does chemical intolerance begin?
For some of those with MCS, the problems began with a sudden over-exposure to a toxic chemical, such as a chemical spill, or pesticides from a crop-spraying plane. Others are
first affected by regular doses of pesticide at lower levels, such as spray drift from nearby fields or from a neighbour’s garden. It seems as if, for these people, their inborn
ability to detoxify both natural and manmade toxins is overwhelmed by an unusually heavy exposure, and never fully recovers. Although there have been no systematic studies of
this – it is difficult to imagine how they could be done –the wealth of well-documented cases is convincing. And studies of those exposed to high levels of pesticides in
accidents at work support the idea that this can cause lifelong sensitivity to very small doses of some synthetic chemicals. Sensitivity to alcohol and caffeine usually
increases enormously too.
In some cases, classical allergies also feature in the range of symptoms for those with MCS. If they had an allergic tendency before the accidental exposure to pesticides, this
is especially likely: after the accident, along with chemical intolerance, they have far more pronounced allergic reactions to common allergens.
The loss of tolerance to everyday chemicals may be related to some kind of damage to the enzymes in the liver that carry out the important task of detoxifying toxins that enter
the bloodstream. This detoxification system evolved to deal with natural toxins, such as those in plant foods, and those produced by bacteria living naturally in the gut. These
enzymes can also detoxify the widely used synthetic chemicals, when these are encountered in relatively small amounts, but the enzymes are overwhelmed by large doses.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
This is a disease that probably has multiple causes rather than a single cause. The main symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by rest. Many people with CFS also have a
slightly raised temperature, problems with concentration and memory, headaches, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes (’swollen glands’). The lymph nodes are part of the immune
system, so this symptom suggests some disturbance of immune function. Other findings, related to immune cells in the blood, also support this idea. However, there are often
minor abnormalities in the brain as well, with some loss of the insulating material around the nerves (myelin).
For many patients, the disease develops in the wake of a viral infection, but for others the origin may be unclear. Whatever the origin of the disease, avoiding synthetic
chemicals is very helpful in many cases. Some sufferers also find an elimination diet helpful (see pp. 194-7). Doctors working in this area say that there is no sharp
demarcation between patients with Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and those with MCS.
Autism
In the search for a cause of autism, many possibilities are being investigated. The consensus now is that there is a genetic predisposition which, when combined with certain
trigger factors, leads to autism.
What are those trigger factors? Some researchers suggest that autistic children have poorly performing detoxification enzymes and are therefore sensitive to synthetic chemicals,
both in food and the environment. The suspicion is that these chemicals affect the developing nervous system.
Other researchers pinpoint food as the culprit. They believe that children who develop autism are affected by exorphins (see p. 76) produced from the proteins in wheat and/or
milk, and that these damage the child’s developing nervous system. There are claims that a dairy-free and gluten-free diet can help, but that it must be ultra-strict to work,
and may need to continue for at least six months before any improvement occurs. You must have your doctor’s approval for this.
Before starting them on such a diet, some doctors also give a course of anti-fungal drugs to those autistic children who have been treated repeatedly with antibiotics. This
combined treatment is reported to have very good effects for some children.
Treatment
Assuming that you really do have chemical intolerance rather than some deep-rooted psychological problem – and you have to be honest with yourself here, because otherwise you
will never get better – then careful avoidance of the offending synthetic chemicals is the only effective treatment. If you have eliminated everything that obviously affects you
and are not much improved, then try tackling common indoor pollutants (see pp. 128-30) as well.
Such measures are of value to some with chemical intolerance but may not be adequate for those most severely affected. If you need to take more radical steps, you may benefit
from the bedding, paints and other household items manufactured for those with chemical sensitivity. Once you reduce the level of synthetic chemicals in your everyday
environment, you may find that you can tolerate occasional exposures much more.
Some doctors recommend taking supplements of vitamins and minerals to speed your recovery. These (especially antioxidants – see p. 206) may be helpful for some people, but be
sure to get nutritional advice from someone with good medical qualifications, rather than a self-styled ‘nutrition therapist’.
Neutralisation therapy (see p. 211) seems to be effective for some people with chemical intolerance, but you will still need to avoid the offending substances. Hyperventilation
(see p. 236) can make chemical intolerance much worse.