Toxic chemicals TILT your system, trigger allergies

What is TILT – Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance

Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) is a term used to describe the development of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, respiratory problems, and skin rashes in response to exposure to low levels of environmental toxicants. TILT is believed to occur when the body becomes sensitized to chemicals and other toxicants, leading to an increased susceptibility to their effects.

TILT can develop after repeated exposure to low levels of toxicants, and can result in persistent symptoms even after exposure has ended. This phenomenon is also sometimes referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

Why so many more people have allergies

People always ask me why so many more people have allergies.  My answer is one word–Chemicals!  There is an increasingly heavy load of chemicals in our air, groundwater and soil.  We are surrounded by chemical inhalants if we spend much time in a newly built or rehabbed living space (like the Hurricane Katrina survivors who got so sick in FEMA trailers that FEMA recalled all of them.)

We have aspartame, MSG, sulfites, “modified food starch”, “dough conditioners”, dyes made from coal tar, and other chemicals in our food.  How are these related to allergies? There is more and more evidence that chemicals can accumulate in your body, and change your system so that it loses tolerance to even small amounts of allergens.  A whiff of perfume or after-shave that you might not even have noticed before can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, mental confusion, and other symptoms.  This process is called TILT–Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance.

Science about TILT

TILT has been confirmed and well described in 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.

Researches

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.