Article of Interest: Is Your Home Contributing to Chronic Illness or Chemical Sensitivity?

Our team at the Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) Program at UT Health San Antonio wanted to share this important external article:

“Is Your Home or Environment Contributing to Chronic Illness or Chemical Sensitivity?” from NatureMed Integrative Medicine.

“In a subsequent paper published by Dr. [Claudia] Miller in 2021, she reported the link between exposure to common chemicals and unexplained chronic illnesses. For the first time, a mechanism was found for how and why TILT occurs in some people.”

“Mixed volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, including some chemicals found in everyday products used to build and maintain homes, were prevalent in those exposures, as were pesticides and combustion products. The exposures suggest TILT’s role in explaining a new class of environmentally initiated chronic illnesses that share the same underlying bio-mechanism.”

What can you do?

Read more about breakthrough research about TILT and a tutorial from Dr. Claudia Miller, allergist/immunologist, professor emeritus, and leader of the TILT Program at UT Health San Antonio.

Then use the TILT Program’s guide to create a clean-air oasis, as free as possible of pollutants and allergy triggers.

“Eliminating these [fragrant] products was essential for patients’ symptoms to improve,” said Dr. Miller in a news article.

How can you find out if you are TILT’ed or have chemical intolerance?

Answer these three questions from the TILT Program on Chemical Intolerance:

Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.
Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?
Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?

If you answer YES to any question, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!

How chemically sensitive are you?

Answer these three questions from the Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI):

Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.

Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?

Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?

If you answer YES to any of these three questions, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!