Allergies & Environmental Illness
By Jane Sheppard
Environmentally Sick Homes
and Schools
The pollution in today’s environment is pervasive.
Our air, food, water, homes, and schools are
polluted with over seventy thousand chemicals.
What can be surprising to many people is that
the outdoor air is often less polluted than
the indoor air of some of our buildings. Many
schools are seriously affected by both indoor
and outdoor pollution and are no longer environmentally
safe for our children.
The numbers of children and teachers who
do not feel well during school hours are sadly
increasing. Many feel better shortly after
arriving home. Parents are puzzled because
their children do not seem to remember things
as well as they used to, or they may not be
able to learn at their natural level of ability.
Mood and behavior changes are also common.
According to a recent survey, 71 percent of
teachers say they are now seeing more children
with health problems than ever before. Up
to 20 percent of American children have developed
chronic illnesses. Asthma and allergic coughing
are common complaints. The soaring number
of children diagnosed with hyperactivity,
ADD, or other behavior and learning difficulties
is disturbing. Sometimes these problems are
encountered only at home and not at school.
Is our environment triggering these problems?
According to Doris J. Rapp, M.D., a leading
specialist in Environmental Medicine, our
present environment is
causing a growing number of children to be
sick. It is estimated that more than 40 million
people now have some form of environmental
illness due to allergic or toxic reactions
to various substances in our environment.
The intensity of a reaction can range from
mild to very severe. Exposures to chemicals
and natural allergens (dust, molds, pollen)
can trigger serious physical, neurological,
and psychological problems. Certain foods
can be the cause of an allergic response,
as well as many substances in water that can
make a child ill. Among the most common toxins
in water are chlorine, fluoride, pesticides,
copper, lead, plastic and styrene (from the
water containers).
We are all exposed to numerous chemicals
on a regular basis. Usually, these exposures
do not show any immediate adverse effects.
Our bodies can handle a certain amount of
toxins. Over time, though, if our food, air
and water remain polluted, our bodies can
become increasingly toxic until, eventually,
they are in a state of overload. When a child’s
body becomes overloaded, it cannot deal with
any more toxins. The child may begin to have
adverse reactions to certain exposures such
as new carpet, paint, cleaning materials,
dust or molds. A minor exposure can make a
toxic overloaded child very ill.
Symptoms of Environmental
Illness
Environmental illness is difficult to diagnose
and most doctors do not even know what to
look for. In addition to the typical allergy
symptoms of asthma, congestion, intestinal
and skin problems, the symptoms of environmental
illness may include a long list of other perplexing
problems. One or more of the following symptoms
may be present:
puffiness under the eyes
dark eye circles
nose-rubbing
allergic eye wrinkles
red earlobes
red Cheeks
spacey “out-of-it” look
glassy, glazed eyes
eczema or atopic dermatitis
hives or other rashes
skin scratching
wiggly legs
dramatic change in writing
change in speech
increased pulse
change in breathing
increased fatigue
headaches
asthma
throat clearing and clucking
pain in muscles, legs or joints
abdominal pain, gas
nausea, diarrhea, constipation
bladder problems
ear inflammation or chronic ear infections
hearing problems
sinusitis
food cravings
bad breath
facial tic
twitches
moodiness
depression
irritability
hyperactivity
withdrawal
aggression
focus, memory or learning problems
Of course, there can be other reasons for
all of the above symptoms, but many doctors
do not even consider chemicals, foods or other
allergens as a possible cause of a child’s
problem. The child could easily be labeled
with ADD/ADHD, a learning disability, or any
number of diseases. This could set up a child
for endless medications and struggle.
Dr. Rapp, author of Is
This Your Child? (a NY Times best seller)
has written a fully documented, 600 page book
entitled Is
This Your Child’s World? How You Can Fix the
Schools and Homes That Are Making Your Children
Sick.
This book is a wake-up call for parents, teachers,
school administrators, doctors and other health
practitioners, including everyone who cares
about the future of our children. Is
This Your Child’s World? provides detailed
information that explains how to approach
certain aspects of Environmental Illness,
including diagnostic testing and treatment.
Detecting the Source of
Environmental Illness
Detecting the source of a child’s problem
includes highly detailed record-keeping of
symptoms and the substances to which the child
has been exposed. Dr. Rapp’s “Big Five” approach
is a simple, systematic, inexpensive and fast
way to pinpoint exactly what is causing your
child’s problem. This involves comparing five
variables before and after an exposure. Changes
in a child’s behavior, appearance or physiology
should alert parents that something has gone
wrong. The key question to ask is: What was
smelled, eaten or touched just before some
change became evident? Compare these five
variables before and then ten to sixty minutes
after an exposure. Food reactions could take
fifteen to sixty minutes to become apparent.
A reaction to dust or molds can occur within
an hour.
1. How does my child feel, behave, and remember?
2. How does my child look?
3. Is there any handwriting or drawing change?
4. Is there asthma or a breathing problem
present?*
5. Is there a change in the pulse rate or
rhythm?**
* Use a Peak Flow Meter if wheezing is a
problem. Note a drop of over 10 to 15 percent
** Check for a pulse increase over 20 beats
per minute or a change in pulse rhythm.
Treatments and Solutions
Treatments may include avoidance, allergy
diets, allergy extract treatment, improved
nutrition, detoxification, psychological counseling
and family support. Homeopathy or herbal therapy
can also be very helpful. The specific diagnostic
evaluation and treatment that each child may
need should be highly individualized; therefore
it is beyond the scope of this article. If
you are the parent of a child who is manifesting
some combination of the above symptoms, I
urge you to read Is
This Your Child’s World? and find a
qualified specialist in environmental medicine.
Dr. Rapp also includes five chapters in Is
This Your Child’s World? on what we
can do about an environmentally sick school
or home. She presents answers for air-quality
problems, indoor and outdoor chemicals, food
and water, lead, asbestos, pesticides and
carpet chemicals. There are a wealth of resources
provided for protecting the health of our
children as well as fast, easy, practical
tips for parents, teachers and school administrators.
I completely agree and align myself with
Dr. Rapp’s statement: “We urgently need to
address these issues by recognizing the causes
and removing them, and by more quickly and
effectively treating the individuals who have
already lost their health and learning ability.
We must do this immediately, for the sake
of present and future generations.” She goes
on to say that our current challenge is much
more than increased dust and molds. It’s the
“seventy thousand chemicals that presently
permeate what we eat, breathe, touch and smell.
We can no longer wait for our government to
protect us.”
Doris J. Rapp, M.D., FAEM, FAAA, FAAP, is
a board-certified environmental medical specialist
and pediatric allergist. She was clinical
assistant professor of pediatrics at the State
University of New York at Buffalo. She is
the founder of the Practical Allergy Research
Foundation in Buffalo, NY and past president
of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.
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the information provided on this site as an
educational resource for determining your
options and making your own informed choices.
It is not intended as medical advice or to
diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific
illness.