Chemical Toxicity: An Overview
Chemical Toxicity Many disorders and diseases can be caused or exacerbated by an overload of stored chemical toxins. Addressing this aspect of the Total Body Stress Load can be truly life saving for people chemically injured through acute or chronic chemical exposures. Our toxic body burdens are critical to our health. This is why we often say, “We don’t just get sick, but are being made sick.” At the root of hypersensitivity to common airborne pollutants–such as pesticides, synthetic fragrances, and petrochemical fumes—are three common problems: an increased body burden of toxins, a depletion of key nutrients used in the body’s normal detoxification processes, and, at times, an inherently weak detoxification system.
Some of the chemicals we encounter in our daily lives are man-made, but there are many more chemicals which are not. They may be present in our food, in the air, and in water – exposing us regularlythroughout each day. There are far more natural chemicals in our environment than man-made ones, but both can have poisonous effects. Man-made chemicals are in use all around us – from pesticides to cosmetics and baby bottles to computers – our lives, today,create a sense of need to rely on them.
What makes chemicals toxic?
Exposure to toxic chemicals in food, water, and air is linked to millions of deaths and billions of dollars in health care every year. The term toxicity is used to express how poisonous a chemical is. Scientists distinguish between two kinds of toxicity: acute and chronic.
- Acute toxicity – A poisonous effect produced by a single, short-term exposure to a toxic chemical, resulting in obvious health effects and even death of the organism.
- Chronic toxicity – A poisonous effect that is produced by a long period of exposure to a moderate, less-than-acute dose of some toxic chemical.
Chemicals can be toxic because they can harm us when they enter or contact the body. Exposure to a toxic substance, such as gasoline, can affect your health and can be toxic, hazardous, or both. Chemicals that can cause chemical poisoning include toxins and toxicants. Chemicals that are produced by living organisms are called toxins. There are a wide variety of toxins, including biotoxins, like snake venom or honey bee venom, and cyanotoxins, which are produced by blue-green algae. Toxicants are synthetic or natural substances that are not produced by a living organism, such as pesticides, chlorine, ammonia, and acetone.
Routes of Entry
There are three primary routes of entry into the body:
- Ingestion – Taking a material into the body by mouth (swallowing).
- Absorption – Contact with the eyesor skin.
- Inhalation – The lungs have very tiny blood vessels in constant contact with the air we breathe in. As a result, airborne contaminants can be easily absorbed through this tissue and a very common route of entry.
Chemical Toxicity: Common Causes
Chemical poisoning can be caused by exposure or ingestion. Occupation and local proximity to landfills or industrial complexes can also statistically increase the probability of exposure. Improper or excess use of one or more medications can also cause chemical poisoning. Chemicals in food – Advertisements and labels on food packaging can be very misleading and often play on the consumer’s concerns about mysterious “nasty chemicals”. Campaigns of this sort overlook the fact that our food is made of chemicals, be they are naturally occurring or synthetic. EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a common preservative and is especially useful in oils and fats. Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) is used as a preservative in processed and smoked meats like bacon, salami and pastrami.
Most Common Symptoms Of Chemical Toxicity
Signs of chemical poisoning can appear in seconds or hours, depending on the type of poison, exposure quantity, and individual genetic makeup and resistance. Symptoms may include asthma, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, choking, coughing, delirium, diarrhea, digestive problems, dizziness, dry mouth, faintness, fatigue, headache, itching, nausea, nervous system disorders, skin rashes, stomach pain, sweating, vomiting or nervous system dysfunction.
Chemical Toxicity Treatment
Glutathione is a natural component found in the body which is suppressed in compromised patients. When supplemented it aids the liver and other detoxifying organs in removing xenobioticsor offending agents which have found their way into the body.
Allergy Testing – Neutralization to specific chemicals in our allergy testing lab.
Biodetoxification – The biodetoxification process is designed to remove toxicants using three basic mechanisms:
- Mobilization of bound chemicals from storage sites through lipolysis (the breakdown of fatty tissues).
- Enhancement of the body’s natural systems of detoxification and biotransformation.
- Enhancement of excretion and inhibition of re-absorption.
These three mechanisms permit acceleration of the body’s system of detoxification, making it possible to decrease the time normally required to reduce a body burden of toxicants from months to weeks.
Looking for the comprehensive and best chemical toxicity treatment doctors near North Charleston then contact us today or call us at 843-572-1600 to schedule an appointment today.
Reference –
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/toxicchemicals/chemicals.html http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/f/What-Is-A-Toxic-Chemical.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151001100058.htm https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/chemicals/toxic_substances.htm
http://www.watoxics.org/chemicals-of-concern http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/toxics/