Pierre-Paul Gagnon, MD
312 South Washington Street
4C
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-2275
More Allergy, Asthma & Infectious Disease Articles
Chemical Sensitivity
Chemical Sensitivity
If you are suffering from a chronic illness that your doctor has not been able to diagnose, there may be an explanation. Years ago, due to the work of several dedicated physicians, it was found that chemicals often produced symptoms which were otherwise undiagnosed.
Reactions To Chemicals
Are Varied
You may have symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, fainting spells, seizures, nasal congestion or abdominal pain and cramping. If the chemical comes in contact with the skin, you may have a mild skin rash, or the chemical may produce large areas of redness and swelling under the skin.
Common Forms Of Chemicals
We eat, drink, and breathe chemicals, and also absorb them through the skin.
Foods We Eat
Chemicals often found in food are in the form of preservatives, dyes, coloring, pesticides, herbicides and flavor enhancers. The most common preservatives are monosodium glutamate, nitrates, benzoic acid, soda, ash, alum, caffeine, and sulfates.
Red, green and yellow food coloring and dyes are found in many processed foods. Always check the labels of canned and frozen foods for artificial flavoring and dyes.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are often sprayed with sulfites for preservation. There have been several deaths reported from acute asthma secondary to these sulfites.
Three hundred and nine volatile organic compounds and fifty-five pesticides have been identified in our diet and in the water we drink. Chlorine and fluoride with their byproducts are the most prevalent chemical irritants.
Air We Breathe
Chemical contacts in the air we breathe are numerous. If you reside in the area of chemical plants, tire factories, foundries, steel mills, glass factories, or power plants, this may be a cause for chronic cough, shortness of breath, eye irritations, sore throat or skin rash. Consult your otolaryngic allergist to see what chemicals may be polluting your air.
Chemical pollutants found in the home are cleaning compounds, glues, insecticides, plastics, and fabrics. Gas, heating oil, wood stoves and kerosene heaters and their by-products produce upper respiratory tract irritation, fatigue and chronic cough.
Tobacco products and smoke are a major source of chemical irritation, producing cough, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.
Where We Live
The material used to build your home may give off phenol and formaldehyde. Your new carpet, or furniture may contain phenol, scotch guard and flame-retardant material. Particle board is the major source of formaldehyde.
Paint, varnish, wood preservatives and insulation are all sources of chemical allergy and irritation. Moth proofed clothing, solvents, aerosol sprays and formaldehyde-laden perma press clothing are other sources of chemical irritants. There are twenty-nine identifiable chemical irritants in cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes.
In the farm belt, and in patients who do their own yard and garden work, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are all potential toxic substances.
Are You Affected?
It is impossible to test and describe all the chemicals we are exposed to from day to day. This article is intended to arouse the interest of patients who have suffered from chronic illnesses of the ear, nose, throat, lung, G.I. tract, cardiovascular system and skin which have not been cured or explained. Even altered psychological behavior, black out spells, fatigue, and depression have been attributed to chemical overload.
What To Do
If you feel the cause of your chronic illness has not been adequately identified or explained, seek the help of an allergist interested in these problems you may be suffering from a chemical sensitivity.
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