Dr. Tracy McAlvanah's Wellness Blog

You've probably heard of food intolerances to gluten, dairy, eggs, or other foods. But chemical intolerances, or sensitivities, have become increasingly common, as well. A person with a chemical sensitivity has an immune reaction to chemicals and heavy metals in air pollution, pesticides, plastics, adhesives, household cleaners, cosmetics, perfumes, and more. When exposed to these chemicals, the sensitive person may react with a variety of different symptoms, including migraines, fatigue, inflammation, brain fog, memory loss, vertigo, sore throat, respiratory or sinus problems, or a skin rash. A chemical sensitivity can also trigger or exacerbate an autoimmune disease. Why doesn't everyone have a chemical sensitivity? Although we now live in a world of thousands of toxic chemicals, some people react to chemicals and some don't. In fact, lab testing may reveal the person who doesn't react actually carries a heavier toxic burden than the person who reacts very easi...

Question My practitioner diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s and celiac disease, two autoimmune diseases. It seems many of my friends have an autoimmune disease too, including eczema, arthritis, Type I diabetes, and even multiple sclerosis. Why is it so common now? Answer Incidences of autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue, have skyrocketed and continue to climb, affecting as many as one in nine Americans. Hygiene hypothesis incomplete The media darling for an explanation is the hygiene hypothesis—that lack of early childhood exposure to sufficient filth improperly prepares the immune system for later battles. While likely valid, it too neatly dismisses more significant factors linked with triggering autoimmune disease: Environmental pollutants We live in a sea of more than 80,000 chemicals. The few that have been studied have been shown to play a role in triggering autoimmune reactions. People who work with toxic compounds, such as pesticides or solven...