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Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, March 01, 2010

Controlling Chemical Sensitivities

Q: Dear Elena, I have very bad reactions to perfumes, artificial scents, detergents and fluorescent lights. I wheeze, get a headache and become nauseous. I have dealt with this for over 10 years and have been told I have chemical sensitivities, but there's not much I can do for it. Can you help? Thanks in advance!

Signed, Inflamed Nostrils

A: Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome is a disorder that seems to be triggered by exposure to low levels of multiple identifiable or unidentifiable chemical substances commonly present in the environment. Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome is more common among women than men. In addition, 40% of people with chronic fatigue syndrome and 16% of people with fibromyalgia have multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome as well. Symptoms may include rapid heart rate, chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, flushing, and dizziness.

When dealing with multiple sensitivities the field is wide open. Some doctors think it is psychosomatic, others feel it is allergic in nature. What ever the case may be, I have helped a number of patients by healing their digestive tract, getting rid of food allergies, disbiosis and heavy metal toxicity. Food allergies, especially the delayed onset type, can play a role and are often addressed in the treatment plan.

You can start by doing an allergy test for IgG4 mediated allergic reactions. The best way to do that is to order a blood test. Skin prick tests for foods are not an accurate assessment. Secondly, I would suggest doing a heavy metal assessment. That can be done in a variety of ways including, blood, urine or hair analysis. In some patients, stool tests can be beneficial to rule out presence of parasites or other antagonistic bacteria in the gut. Whatever you decide to do, just remember there is always something that can be done to improve your condition. How much result you can expect would depend on the outcome of your test results, but it is never a case where nothing can be done. A body is a resilient organism and can learn to adapt and function under many unfavorable conditions, so there is always room for improvement no matter what the disease.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon-Malisani Holistic Nutritionist