There’s so much bad news about everyday toxins and such
a lack of understanding of chemical illness that I always like to celebrate the
victories. This week, I’m happy to
highlight an article published in Discover magazine which describes chemical illness (which they
call Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance, or TILT) in a respectful and serious
manner. It makes the following points:
- Sometimes
when people get sick after a toxic exposure, their neurological and immune
systems remain damaged and they lose tolerance for a wide range of
chemicals. People with TILT can become more reactive to chemicals over
time.
- Substances
that trigger symptoms are often unrelated structurally and include things
like airborn inhalants, foods, drugs, lotions, soaps, detergents, and
newsprint. Symptoms can include cardiac and neurological problems, headaches,
anxiety, gut issues, asthma, depression, sleep disturbance, and impaired
cognitive ability.
- The wide
range of symptoms and triggering substances has often led patients to be
labeled as mentally ill.
- TILT may
be driven by epigenetic changes, which occur when an environmental
exposure changes genetic expression. “Surprisingly low” doses of certain chemicals can strongly affect
gene activity. Once a gene has been switched on and a cell has been
reprogrammed, it’s hard for it to go back to its original state.
- TILT has
been documented in many different countries, including nine in Europe, as
well as
- Because
there is no blood-brain barrier in the olfactory system, toxicants can
travel straight into the brain from receptors in the nose. Even healthy people demonstrate changes
in brain waves during brief exposure to olfactory stimuli that is too low
to be consciously perceived.
- Studies
have shown that people with chemical intolerance have greater
sensitization of their central nervous system. They also have a decrease in blood flow
to specific brain areas when exposed to everyday chemical fumes. A study of Gulf War veterans suffering
from TILT found decreased blood flow through the central artery in the
brain when they were exposed to acetone.
- Despite
the research, controversy over the condition remains.
The
article is definitely much better than most I’ve read about toxic
illness. It provides some
validation for those of us who suffer from it, and I hope it will also
serve as a warning to those who are currently healthy. We aren’t making this stuff up. Chemical illness is a real condition and
you really don’t want it. Be careful, friends.
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