“Louisiana Warns of Ameba Infections Linked to Improper Neti Pot Use

Two people in Louisiana have died this year from primary amebic meningoencephalitis [a severe brain infection caused by ameba] after using tap water to irrigate their sinuses with neti pots, prompting the state’s health department to remind consumers to use only distilled, sterile, or boiled water in neti pots.

To avoid infections caused by Naegleria fowleri, the CDC also recommends thoroughly rinsing neti pots after each use and letting the devices air dry completely.”

And I would add the following: rather than simply rinsing the neti pot, I would wash it with hot, soapy water, rinse, and air dry, in the same way that you would wash dishes.

My patients said that all too quickly the doctors had stopped looking for causes and started focusing on different combinations of drugs to suppress the reactions.  They got tired from Benadryl, were up at night, gaining weight, and feeling “crazy” from oral Prednisone.  Most of them felt that after a very short time topical steroid creams were not effective.

With a very careful, detailed medical history, and comprehensive testing for allergies, we began to look for the causes of the hives.  One was blue clothing dye, another was nickel, but most were foods or food additives.  Among the many allergenic foods, the most common, and the “sneakiest” cause of hives was processed corn products.  These are especially hard to find because very often people who do not react when they eat plain, unprocessed corn, do react when they eat products that contain corn starch, corn syrup, or corn sugars–dextrose, maltodextrin, sorbitol (there is sorbitol in most toothpastes–see below!) and erythritol–there are too many to name here.

I believe there are two reasons for that:

• First,  more and more processed corn products have been injected into the marketplace.  For any of you who saw the documentary King Corn, there is a scene where the filmmakers show a supermarket aisle.  They have examined all of the products on both sides of the long aisle, and there is not one that does not contain corn.
• Second, the processed corn contains traces of all the chemical extractives that were used to process it.  These chemicals function as haptens, or adjuvants which in immunologic terms means substances that increase the allergenic properties of another substance.  So corn, which is already a common allergen, is made even more allergenic by processing.

It turns out that the patient with the increasingly severe reactions in her mouth was allergic to processed corn, and was reacting to the corn sugar sorbitol, in her toothpaste.

Everyone else was also allergic to corn, and some were allergic to dairy or eggs or gluten as well.  Some of them had been scratch tested for food allergies as well, and came up negative–I believe that this was because the processed form of the corn products was not tested.

The most severe allergic reaction to processed corn we have encountered was to the corn sugar in the IV solution known as D5W–which contains 5 grams of dextrose (corn sugar) for each 100 ml of water.  This man was dying in the intensive care unit, had been given D5W despite being told that he was allergic to corn, and recovered very quickly when his IV was changed to plain saline (salt water.)

The other source of corn products in addition to foods is body products.  It is amazing how many of them now contain corn starch, syrup or sugars.

Although not everyone is equally vulnerable to reactions from processed corn, it is in so many forms, in so many products that it is all too easy to get an overdose of it, day after day, and to be sensitized to it as an allergen.

Bottom line:  eat as many whole foods as possible, and avoid processed foods that contain corn starch, corn sugars and corn syrup, and that have labels a mile long, and that contain words like “hydrolyzed vegetable protein”  ”autolyzed yeast extract” “dough conditioners” “artificial coloring and flavoring,” etc.  Also, avoid artificial sugars like aspartame and saccharin, food additives like MSG and sulfites, and food dyes.  And watch out for too many processed corn products and other chemicals in your soaps, lotions, shampoos, cosmetics, and other body products.  You will be amazed at how much better you feel and how much energy you have!

What does that mean for us on the other side of the world?  If anything we are in even more danger from reactions to clothing because almost all the clothing we wear (unless it’s undyed, organic cotton) has anti-wrinkle agents, dyes, and in the case of children’s clothing, fire retardant.

Reactions can vary from hives to rashes to a “scalded” appearing redness on the skin.  I have also had patients who have systemic reactions that include pain, swelling and fatigue.   If you suspect you are reacting to an article of clothing, stop wearing it for a week, and then do a “challenge.”  If your symptoms go away during the week that it was sidelined, and come back when you put it on again, you can be pretty sure that it is the culprit.  If you are still reacting, you may need to get tested for reactions to formaldehyde, dyes, p-phenylenediamine, and other tongue-twisting, skin irritating chemicals.  Make sure you see an allergist that is familiar with testing for chemicals and dyes.

Obviously, we can’t all switch suddenly to wearing white caftans made of organic cotton.  However, here are some things you can do:

• Use plain white cotton socks for sports and athletic activities
• Use lighter colored clothing against the skin, rather than clothing with heavy red, black or blue dyes
• If possible, get cotton or khaki pants (especially for children) that are not treated for wrinkle resistance and just take them out of the dryer right away, or have them pressed
• Be sure your children’s clothing does not contain fire retardant chemicals
• Avoid underwear with exposed latex elastic
• Avoid clothing that has tight bands, or rubs and irritates your skin

1. Mangosteen   OK, maybe you haven’t even heard of this one.  It’s a fruit, strong in antioxidants.  It was touted as a cure for practically everything for a relatively short time and then eclipsed by acai berries.  But recent research on mangosteen reveals that it actually inhibits two big allergy mechanisms:  IgE mediated mast cell relase of histamines (the process that makes your nose swell and run when you are allergic to cats and get a face full of cat hair).   The second mechanism that mangosteen helps to halt is prostaglandin synthesis.  Prostaglandins are “messengers” in the body, made of essential fatty acids, that cause fever, pain and swelling as a protective response in when there is tissue damage.  This response can be helpful, but in the case of allergies, it goes “over the top.”   Mangosteen can calm down both of these allergy responses–the histamines, the prostaglandins, and all the swelling, sneezing, and mucus that goes with them.  I like Ultra Mangosteen made by Trace Minerals Research.  The recommended amount is an ounce a day.  If I’m making a smoothie, I throw it in there, otherwise I just measure out an ounce (two tablespoons) and toss it off.  You know I’m not going to admit glugging it from the bottle!
2. Vitamin C   Yes, good old Vitamin C.  Linus Pauling did all that great research on it back in the day, and it always seems to me that no one has really paid adequate attention to it.  There have also been numerous attempts to discredit it.  Linus Pauling discovered three things.  First, we do not make our own Vitamin C.  Second, the average person needs 1500 to 2500 milligrams of Vitamin C a day for optimal immune and tissue repair function.  Third, you only absorb about 500 milligrams of Vitamin C at a time, but it goes out of your body in 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Bottom line, take at least 500 milligrams, with 6-8 ounces of water, three times a day.  You can add more, if you suspect you are one of those people that needs more like 2500 milligrams a day.  If you do, just take 500 milligrams 5 times a day instead of 3 times a day.  Take it to what Linus Pauling called “bowel tolerance”.  If you develop loose bowels, cut back 500 milligrams.

I’ll take on Quercetin, Bromelain and Butterbur in the next blog.  In the meantime, you can get up to speed on the Mangosteen and Vitamin  C.

We tested him for reactions to foods, additives, dyes, chemicals and the “usual suspects” like trees, grass, dust and molds.  He was highly reactive to all dairy products, and to gluten.  His two highest reactions were to cheese–and wouldn’t you know it, that has been his “go-to” snack for a long time.  So he is on his way home to get rid of all the dairy (cheese, milk, cream, ice cream, etc.) and gluten (bread, other baked goods, pasta, breading, “food starch”, etc.) from his diet.  OK, no cheeseburgers, but how about steak, roast, chicken or fish with a big salad or grilled veggies and a baked potato?  Doesn’t sound too bad.

But then, the question is, why wasn’t he getting headaches all along?  That’s one of the characteristics of delayed-type allergies.  It’s not that your throat closes up and you go to the ER.  It’s a long, smoldering, irritating, inflammatory process that happens in your body over time, and can “cross the line” all of a sudden into a new symptom.  Remember, our friend with the headaches had already had some allergies, and some evidence of swelling in his head (the sleep apnea.)  And he had eaten more than the usual amount of wheat and dairy in the three holiday weeks beginning with Thanksgiving.

What happens when delayed-type allergies give you headaches is this:  your body makes antibodies to the food you are reacting to, and the combination of the food and the antibody makes an irritating “antigen-antibody complex” that can cause inflammation anywhere in your body and cause:

• headaches
• chronic sinus congestion
• joint and muscle pain
• fibromyalgia
• “irritable bowel syndrome”
• ADD
• asthma
• eczema or psoriasis

The symptoms are different with each individual, and even though the allergen is food, the main symptoms may not be digestive.  We have had people whose main symptoms are as unusual as insomnia, or dry and swollen eyes.

If you have chronic inflammation or pain, and suspect that foods might be a “player” be sure to get tested.  We have had 9 years of experience with a non-invasive and highly accurate form of biometric testing that is computer based.  Other centers may use ELISA testing, which requires a blood test.   Getting away from the foods that cause these chronic health problems has fabulous rewards.  I just got a call from a young man who had psoriasis (those big, round, scaly looking skin sores that make everyone wonder if it’s contagious, and want to avoid you) whose skin completely cleared up on his allergen free diet.  He said “You’ve changed my life, and you’ve changed my children’s lives.”  What a happy ending!!  And he’s bringing in an out-of-town relative next month.

The New York Times announced today–January 10, 2010) that the Hyatt and Fairmont hotel chains are in the process of making permanently dedicated allergen-free rooms.  They will feature:

• feather-free bedding
• use of fragrance and chemical free detergents on the linens
• fragrance and chemical free bath products
• medical grade air filters
• many will be carpet free.

The hotels also plan to offer menus that will cater to travelers with food allergies.

They will be a bit more pricey than the average room–approximately $20 to $25 more per night.  I doubt that many allergy sufferers will object to this–I remember a conference in Monterey where I was teaching.  The room had heavy, dusty curtains and a carpet, and mold in the bathroom. (This was supposed to be a “good” hotel.)  With my dust and mold allergies, I woke up in the middle of the first night with a terrible sore throat and a sinus headache.  Not the best thing for teaching Qigong to a big group of people.  Thank goodness I had Chinese herbs with me, so I survived, and lived through the rest of the conference by opening the window in my room and tying up the curtain.  But it felt like I was paying through the nose (lol) to camp out.

Enough said, I’m thrilled to hear about the rooms.  Here’s the link to the New York Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/business/11allergy.html?_r=1&nl=afternoonupdate&emc=aua22

Though the term was originated in 1974 by a psychologist, Herbert J. Freudenberger, burnout is not classified as a psychological illness, and you won’t find it in the DSMIV–the official diagnostic manual for mental disorders.  You will find it in the new ICD 10 codes for illness, to be adopted as an official diagnosis as of October 1, 2013, with the code number Z73.0   It is defined as exhaustion, or vital exhaustion.

Where does burnout come from? And what happens to the health of people who have it?  I am about to discuss a few of the many ways it can damage your health in today’s blog.

People who work in health care, and many other professions are big burnout risks.  The combination of work overload, lack of control, and lack of reward are identified as main causes of burnout, and are epidemic in medicine, teaching, social work, police work, corporate work (OK, maybe not Google) care giving, and many other jobs that feature too much to do, too little time to do it, and few positive results or feedback.

Not having a job is also a huge risk.  Looking for a job can be as stressful, or even more so, than going to work every day.  And there is the added stress of money worries which are difficult enough at other times of the year, but especially tough at holiday time.

Moms of young children are also at super-high risk for holiday burnout.   If you add all the kids’ extra holiday activities, a couple of sick kids and maybe a sick Mom too, multiple roles to fill, gift shopping and wrapping, and the usual daily work load of meals, chores, job, etc. it just “gets crazy.”

What happens?  Burnout comes on gradually, and often the person who has it is the last to know.  It can bring about depression, lack of motivation for work, school, friends and family, feelings of helplessness, being “run-down”, irritability or hostility, and loss of concentration.  Fatigue, exhaustion, headaches, and back and stomach pain are some of the physical symptoms, followed by bigger illnesses like high blood pressure, heart disease, and allergies.

When allergic reactivity is part of the picture, as the immune system is weakened by the stress of the burnout, allergic reactions increase–to foods, and to environmental allergens like dust, mold, pollens, animal danders, and chemicals such as perfumes and formaldehyde (in new clothing, carpets, wallboard, particle board in new furniture, etc.)  Suddenly you find that you, who used to spend happy hours in the cosmetics department at every big department store, now get a headache from your office mate’s perfume, and can’t stand the thought of going to the department store, or having that bowl of potpourri, or that plug-in air “freshener” in the bathroom.

Around holiday time scents are an even bigger risk.  Scented candles, sprays, plug-ins, and “wick” fresheners are all dangerous to your respiratory system, irritating everything from your nose to the very bottom of your lungs, weakening your immune system, and being a major contributor to the loss of energy and repeated respiratory illnesses that are so much a part of burnout.

How to get off this train?  As with so many problems and illnesses, the best cure is prevention.  Be alert for the signs of burnout listed here, and if you think you are burning out, start to look for ways to reduce your workload, and spend time in activities and with people that nurture and support you.  Once you begin to slow down,  seek support, (for example, getting some down time, talking to your boss about flexible time policies which allow you to come in later if you stay late) and re-evaluate your goals, you make room for something different to happen.  One of the best articles I have seen in my web survey on burnout is at http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

And here is the ultimate holiday burnout prevention list from Canary Times, the newsletter of the CFCCC–Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Chemical Sensitivity Coalition of Chicago.  It was written for people who already have immune problems from exposure to chemicals and allergens, but it is amazingly useful for anyone.  They’ve thought of everything!

For each item on your holiday list, decide:

Is it important to you?

Do you really enjoy doing it?

How much time will it take, with time to rest?

Is there an easier way to do it?

Can someone else do it?

Can you calmly but firmly refuse to do something

that has always been done?

Gradually reduce the list to a manageable size

Prioritize the items and drop the bottom half

Repeat that process as often as necessary

Make a schedule

Do as much as you can as early as possible

Put tasks that will exhaust you on your calendar so

you can spread them out

Avoid proximity to other stressful activities

Allow time to rest before and after them

Do as much as possible before

Thanksgiving

Start involving others early so they have time to adjust

Ask them to do as much as possible

Ask them to rotate responsibilities like hosting

family dinners

Ask them to simplify or eliminate traditions

To provide ideas for accomplishing some of those

changes:

Your goal here is to get more pleasure out of those holiday

activities you choose to do.

Have a family meeting to agree on

changes and distribute tasks—this can usually be done online,

and may be an important part oo the process.

Cut your list dramatically, and agree to

do only the things that matter most to you.

Assess expectations, yours and those of others.

Decide which of yours are important to you and that

you will let the others take care of theirs.

Practice saying no and do it often.

Cut corners wherever possible

Cut your list for cards or just skip them

Suggest revising or eliminating gift exchanges (i.e.

only the children get gifts).

Draw names

Give money or gift certificates

Regift things or pass on family treasures

Give certificates to help with small, manageable

tasks

If you must shop, plan and organize carefully

Make lists to minimize trips, calls, and orders

Shop by phone or on the internet as much as

possible

Go when stores are least crowded

Stop to rest frequently

Have someone drive you and help (or do the

shopping!)

Ask for help finding things

Consider using a store provided wheel chair

Stop when you start to tire, not when you are ready

to collapse.

Simplify meals and meal preparation

If you have been hosting, can someone else do it?

If you must host, use disposables to reduce clean-up

Suggest that everyone bring part of the meal

Purchase your contribution instead of making it

Make your contribution early and freeze it

Buy as much as possible in advance

Don’t shop and cook on the same day

Go to a restaurant

And once again, stop when you start to tire, not when

you are ready to collapse.

TILT has been confirmed and well described in this month’s Science of the Total Environment–a high quality, peer-reviewed scientific journal.   People who have this illness have been told they were crazy, that it is all in their head, and all the usual dismissive nonsense, just like people with Chronic Fatigue 30 years ago–until the science was done and it was confirmed beyond doubt that they are actually ill.

By the way, one of my least favorite things that the health care industry does is put people with new illnesses in the “crazy bag”. Instead of admitting that they do not have adequate information about some of these illnesses, and doing research, it seems to be much more convenient to call people crazy and give them drugs.  Occasionally there is a large enough group of people (like the ones in the FEMA trailers) to get their attention and create a different kind of response.  Keep in mind that there is very little direct economic incentive to research illnesses TILT (in terms of new drugs to be developed and sold) and very little knowledge of the true economic loss related to people with chemically related illness who can no longer function in the work force.

Research on TILT is in approximately the same stage that Chronic Fatigue research was in 25-30 years ago.  However, there is some hope.  Here is the abstract from Science of the Total Environment that inspired this blog:

Sensitivity-related illness: The escalating pandemic of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity.

Genuis SJ.

Sci Total Environ. 2010 Oct 2.

Abstract

The prevalence of allergic-related diseases, food intolerance, and chemical sensitivities in both the pediatric and adult population has increased dramatically over the last two decades, with escalating rates of associated morbidity. Conditions of acquired allergy, food intolerance and chemical hypersensitivity are frequently the direct sequelae of a toxicant induced loss of tolerance (TILT) in response to a significant initiating toxic exposure. Following the primary toxicant insult, the individuals become sensitive to low levels of diverse and unrelated triggers in their environment such as commonly encountered chemical, inhalant or food antigens. Among sensitized individuals, exposure to assorted inciting stimuli may precipitate diverse clinical and/or immune sequelae as may be evidenced by clinical symptoms as well as varied lymphocyte, antibody, or cytokine responses in some cases. Recently recognized as a mechanism of disease development, TILT and resultant sensitivity-related illness (SRI) may involve various organ systems and evoke wide-ranging physical or neuropsychological manifestations. With escalating rates of toxicant exposure and bioaccumulation in the population-at-large, an increasing proportion of contemporary illness is the direct result of TILT and ensuing SRI. Avoidance of triggers will preclude symptoms, and desensitization immunotherapy or immune suppression may ameliorate symptomatology in some cases. Resolution of SRI generally occurs on a gradual basis following the elimination of bioaccumulated toxicity and avoidance of further initiating adverse environmental exposures. As has usually been the case throughout medical history whenever new evidence regarding disease mechanisms emerges, resistance to the translation of knowledge abounds.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920818

PMID: 20920818 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Here is a translation of the abstract:

The number of children and adults who suffer from allergy related diseases, food intolerance, and chemical sensitivities has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, with greater and greater rates of illness associated with these diseases.  Acquired allergy, food intolerance and chemical hypersensitivity are frequently the direct result of a toxicant induced loss of tolerance (TILT) in response to significant toxic exposure that initiates the loss of tolerance. Following the primary toxicant exposure, the individuals become sensitive to low levels of diverse and unrelated triggers in their environment such as commonly encountered chemical, inhalant or food antigens (items that cause allergic response.)  Among sensitized individuals, exposure to assorted chemical, inhalant or food triggers my cause diverse clinical and/or immune results, as may be evidenced by clinical symptoms (like headache, nausea, dizziness, tremors, fatigue, loss of memory and concentration, nasal and sinus congestion, etc) as well as varied lymphocyte, antibody or cytokine response (responses that can be measured by blood tests) in some cases.

Recently recognized as a mechanism of disease development, TILT and resultant sensitivity-related illness (SRI) may involve various organ systems and cause a wide range of physical and neuropsychological effects.

With escalating rates of chemical exposure and bioaccumulation in the population at large, an increasing proportion of current illness is the direct result of TILT and the allergy related illnesses that follow the initial chemical exposure.

Avoidance of triggers will reduce symptoms, and desensitization allergy therapy or immune suppression may help symptoms in some cases.  Resolution of allergy related illnesses that follow a chemical exposure that TILTs the system can happen on a gradual basis, by eliminating the accumulated chemicals from the body and by preventing further exposure.

As has usually been the cas throughout medical history, whenever new evidence regarding disease mechanisms comes out, resistance to this new knowledge is widespread.  (See my rant, above.)

If you have recently or in the past

• spent time in a new or rehabbed environment (a common TILT trigger)
• been exposed to chemicals at work
• worked with chemicals as an artist
• worked in construction or manufacturing
• have worked in retail (formaldehyde preservatives on new clothing)
• worked in the concrete or leather industry
• done a lot of painting or used a lot of paint stripper

and are suffering from reactions to perfumes, hair sprays and other body products, headaches, disorientation, dizziness, tremors, nausea, fatigue and just feel like you “aren’t yourself” you may have TILT.

It is important to find an integrative doctor to address these problems.  Otherwise, like many of my patients, you may waste weeks, months or years with a lot of negative, costly tests, and the wrong diagnosis.

Some important things you can do yourself are:

• get a one or two seat infrared sauna and spend at least 20-40 minutes a day in it at relatively low temperature (120-130 degrees—this sweats chemicals out of body tissues.
• Buy all organic, unscented body products and house-cleaning products
• eat organic food
• use non chemical pest control
• stop using chemicals on your lawn, and encourage your neighbors to do it as well
• leave your job, if need be, if it is the source of chemical exposure.

Children breathing fumes from water-based paints have high risk of asthma, allergies, new study says

Children who sleep in bedrooms with fumes from water-based paints and solvents are two to four times more likely to suffer allergies or asthma, according to a new scientific study. Swedish and U.S. scientists measured the compounds – propylene glycol and glycol ethers – in the bedroom air of 400 toddlers and preschoolers, and discovered that the exposed children had substantially higher rates of asthma, stuffy noses and eczema. The irony is that these compounds are supposed to be healthier than the old, high-polluting, oil-based paints and solvents.

By Marla Cone
Editor in Chief
Environmental Health News

Children who sleep in bedrooms containing fumes from water-based paints and solvents are two to four times more likely to suffer allergies or asthma, according to a new scientific study.

Scientists measured the compounds – propylene glycol and glycol ethers, known as PGEs – in the bedroom air of 400 toddlers and preschoolers, and discovered that the children who breathed them had substantially higher rates of asthma, stuffy noses and eczema.

It is the first human study to link harmful effects of these chemicals to common exposures in households, and it suggests that they exacerbate or even cause allergic disorders and asthma, according to the team of scientists from Harvard University and Sweden’s Kalstad University.

“Apparent risks of PGEs at such low concentrations at home raise concerns for the vulnerability of infants and young children,” according to the report published Monday in the journal of the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE.

The aim of the study was to investigate the health effects of chemicals called volatile organic compounds that are widely used inside homes. The result: Of the hundreds of compounds tested in eight different categories, only one group — the PGEs – was associated with the children’s allergies and asthma.

That discovery is particularly surprising, since PGEs are widely used in water-based paints and varnishes, as well as in cleaning fluids such as glass cleaners. They are considered healthier substitutes because they have low volatility, which means they emit less fumes than the high-polluting, oil-based paints and solvents.

For several decades, scientists have tried to unravel why allergies and asthma have skyrocketed among children throughout the developed world since the 1970s.

Experts suspect that exposure to some environmental factors in the womb or early in life might trigger the disorders.  The findings of the new study add to the many theories that have evolved, including ones about other indoor air pollutants, diesel exhaust, viruses and cockroach allergens.

Michael Laoisa, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, who studies children’s allergies and immune disorders, called it “a very interesting article and well-conducted study.’’

If these findings are confirmed by other studies, “it may be another piece of the puzzle as to why atopic diseases like allergy and asthma are on the rise, particularly in kids,” said Laoisa, who was not involved in the research.

“It may be another piece of the puzzle as to why atopic diseases like allergy and asthma are on the rise, particularly in kids.” -Michael Laoisa, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee “It also is concerning given how ubiquitous these compounds are, particularly at low levels like those found in this study,” he said.

The research involved 198 children in Varmland, Sweden, between the ages of 1 and 5, who had asthma or at least two symptoms or wheezing or rhinitis without a cold or eczema in the previous year, as well as 202 children with no symptoms.

For children with rhinitis – or nasal allergies – the average PGE concentration in their bedrooms was twice as high as the concentration found in rooms of the children with no symptoms. The higher the dose, the more likely the children were to suffer from rhinitis, asthma, or eczema, even when concentrations were low.

Children in bedrooms with the highest concentrations were 4.2 times more likely to have rhinitis, twice as likely to have asthma and 2.5 times more likely to have eczema, compared with children with the lowest concentrations in their rooms.

High concentrations of the chemicals also doubled their likelihood of testing positive for immunoglobulin E, an antibody that develops when people are exposed to something that inflames their airways. None of the other VOCs led to similar associations.

The researchers did not identify the sources of the PGEs. But children living in a house where at least one room was painted right before or after their birth had 63 percent more PGEs in their room than those whose houses had not been repainted. “Thus, repainting might have provided a sustained exposure since the gestational period or shortly following the birth,” the study said.

The airborne compounds can remain inside homes for months, perhaps even years.

“Overall, the question of long-term airway injury from the glycol ethers and other organic solvent exposure requires clarification,” wrote the scientists.

How the glycol compounds might trigger allergies and asthma “is not well understood,” the authors said, but they added that “it has been known for more than three decades” that inhalation of propylene glycol methyl ether irritates nasal passages of people and lab rats.  Asthma, eczema and allergies are inflammatory, immune system disorders, so it is possible that the compounds disrupt a baby’s or child’s immune system development.  Some of the compounds already are known to alter hormones.

“Several glycol ether compounds join a growing list of VOCs that are suggested to contribute to allergic diseases in humans,” the study says. “While several PGEs are well-known endocrine disruptors, very little is known whether and how they influence developing immune systems.”

Children living in a house where at least one room was painted around their birth had more PGEs in their room than those whose houses had not been repainted. The airborne compounds can remain inside homes for months, perhaps even years.Laoisa added that “one of the most interesting aspects for me is that our understanding of how VOCs in general, and PGEs specifically, affect the immune system, is quite limited.”

Previous studies of house painters and some adult volunteers exposed to some PGEs have found higher incidence of nose and throat irritation, wheezing and shortness of breath. But the levels found in the children’s bedrooms are “more than 400-fold lower than exposure ranges reported in occupational and experimental settings,” according to the report.

“Several lines of evidence support that our findings are not due to a chance or a bias,” the authors reported. For instance, the increase in allergies, eczema and asthma were observed for every rise in exposure, from the lowest-exposed children to the highest-exposed. In addition, it wasn’t driven by any single compound.

“This suggests that multiple compounds, rather than a single one, contribute to the observed risks,” the report says.

A compound called 1-methoxy-2-propanol was the most prevalent glycol ether in the children’s rooms. But because multiple types of PGEs were found in the children’s homes, “we currently cannot distinguish the risks of the individual compounds,” the authors said.

In their analysis, the researchers accounted for other factors that might raise the children’s risk, including secondhand smoke, allergies of parents, cleaning with chemical agents, age of the homes, pet allergens and exposure to other indoor chemicals called phthalates.

Laoisa said that testing for VOCs is tricky, but the researchers “did an admirable job” of identifying the limitations of their study and ensuring the testing methods were reliable.

The levels found in the bedrooms were strikingly similar to those found in previous studies of homes in other Scandinavian countries.

That finding “is a strength of this work,” Laoisa said. ”In other words, I don’t think anyone can question the validity that these PGEs are present in the children’s bedrooms, even at such low levels. “

Many volatile organic compounds have been regulated in recent years to clean up smog. The petroleum-based compounds, found in car exhaust as well as consumer products, react in sunlight with nitrogen oxides to form ozone, the main ingredient of smog.

Carl-Gustaf Bornehag , a professor of public health science at Sweden’s Kalstad University, and John Spengler, an environmental health professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, conceived of and designed the experiments, while the lead author was Harvard’s Hyunok Choi.

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/glycol-ethers-and-allergies

1.  Make sure your heating system is clean, and free of moisture, rodents and rodent contamination, insects, dust and mold.  Here is what the EPA has to say about getting your heating ducts cleaned:

• Learn as much as possible about air duct cleaning before you decide to have your ducts cleaned by reading this guidance and contacting the sources of information provided.
• Consider other possible sources of indoor air pollution first if you suspect an indoor air quality problem exists in your home.
• Have your air ducts cleaned if they are visibly contaminated with substantial mold growth, pests or vermin, or are clogged with substantial deposits of dust or debris.
• Ask the service provider to show you any mold or other biological contamination they say exists. Get laboratory confirmation of mold growth or decide to rely on your own judgment and common sense in evaluating apparent mold growth.
• Get estimates from at least three service providers.
• Check references.
• Ask the service provider whether he/she holds any relevant state licenses. As of 1996, the following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may also require licenses.
• Insist that the service provider give you knowledgeable and complete answers to your questions.
• Find out whether your ducts are made of sheet metal, flex duct, or constructed of fiber glass duct board or lined with fiber glass since the methods of cleaning vary depending on duct type. Remember, a combination of these elements may be present.
• Permit the application of biocides in your ducts only if necessary to control mold growth and only after assuring yourself that the product will be applied strictly according to label directions. As a precaution, you and your pets should leave the premises during application.
• Do not permit the use of sealants except under unusual circumstances where other alternatives are not feasible.
• Make sure the service provider follows the National Air Duct Cleaning Association’s (NADCA) standards and, if the ducts are constructed of flex duct, duct board, or lined with fiber glass, the guidelines of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA).
• Commit to a preventive maintenance program of yearly inspections of your heating and cooling system, regular filter changes, and steps to prevent moisture contamination.

2.  Vacuum regularly, with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter.  Because carpet and rugs are dust-catchers, wood or tile floors are recommended for people with dust allergies.  If you have carpet that you cannot remove at this time, use a good dust-mite prevention powder to clean your carpet.  You spread it on the carpet and vacuum it up.  It generally prevents dust mite growth for about 6 months.

3.  In addition to vacuuming, control dust by using zippered dust-barrier covers on all mattresses, pillows, and box springs, and by washing comforters and pillows in hot water and drying them in a hot dryer at least once every two months.  This means you need to have down-free bedding, because it is a dust collector and cannot be washed often enough for a person with a dust allergy.  Also, many people are allergic to the feathers themselves.  Sheets, blankets and pillowcases should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer once a week.

4.  To prevent mold growth, keep your home at less than 50% humidity (30-40% is ideal).  Overuse of humidifiers, and keeping humidity at above 50% can encourage mold growth.  Be sure to use fans in the bathroom.

5.  Be sure to repair all leaks.  Moisture can attract cockroaches, as well as being a source of mold growth.

6.  Avoid all use of scented “air freshener” products and scented candles.  There are some products that plug into the wall, producing a constant cloud of chemicals in your indoor air.  NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) testing of 14 air fresheners revealed that 12 of them contained unlabeled phthalates, a “gender bending” chemical.  Here is what the NRDC had to say:

Air fresheners have become a staple in many American homes and offices, marketed with the promise of creating a clean, healthy, and sweet-smelling indoor atmosphere. But many of these products contain phthalates (pronounced thal-ates)—hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. NRDC’s independent testing of 14 common air fresheners, none of which listed phthalates as an ingredient, uncovered these chemicals in 86 percent (12 of 14) of the products tested, including those advertised as “all natural”or “unscented.”…

Phthalates are known to interfere with production of the male hormone, testosterone, and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities. Numerous animal studies have linked prenatal exposure to certain phthalates with decreases in testosterone, malformations of the genitalia, and reduced sperm production.  The State of California notes that five types of phthalates–including one that we found in air freshener products–are “known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.”  Phthalate exposure in indoor environments has also been associated with allergic symptoms and asthma.”

So to prevent winter allergies, (and avoid gender-bending chemicals) use these tips to keep your air truly fresh and clean, and skip the “air fresheners.”