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Environmental MedicineMany environmental therapists believe, however, that pollution's impact on health extends far beyond allergies that can be clearly linked to a particular irritant. Indeed, they insist that virtually all chronic maladies are caused--or at least aggravated--by a host of natural and artificial environmental pollutants. This proposition is considered far more dubious than the widely documented allergies we're all familiar with. In fact, there are no scientific studies that support it. The physicians who target disorders of a presumably environmental nature use a wide array of treatments, ranging from diet to a combination of holistic, homeopathic, and pharmaceutical therapy. You may encounter some very trendy, over-the-top treatments when you visit an environmental practitioner, but the majority fall into four categories:
Before you begin therapy, the doctor will put you through a battery of tests to help pinpoint the nature of the problem, and will take a very comprehensive medical history. Many physicians have developed their own treatment programs. However, here's a brief look at some of the more popular approaches: DIET MODIFICATION Diet and nutrition are the staples of many environmental medical treatments. The goal is to identify various food allergies so that the offending items can be removed from the diet. The doctor may begin by recommending elimination of certain foods on a trial basis. If symptoms subside in a food's absence, then return in its presence, it's probably the source of the problem. Alternatively, the doctor may administer a "provocation" or "neutralization" test. In this procedure, a small amount of a suspected allergen is either injected just beneath the skin or placed under the tongue. If the skin turns red and forms a raised wheal at the injection site, you have a positive response. (Don't jump to conclusions, however. False positives are very common in skin tests for food allergies, and additional tests may be needed.) The most common food allergies are to milk and milk products, wheat, yeast, corn, eggs, soybeans, tomatoes, peanuts, other nuts, citrus fruits, and shellfish. ENZYME POTENTIATED DESENSITIZATION (EPD) This technique calls for administration of extremely small doses of an allergen in order to cure your sensitivity to it. A natural enzyme called beta glucuronidase is included to boost desensitization. The treatments are intended to "train" the immune system to tolerate the allergen. They are given intravenously, and are recommended only for those in good nutritional health. Treatments are typically given at two-month intervals initially; then less often as the patient begins to respond. For hay fever, 1 or 2 treatments per year are sufficient. House dust and mite allergies are typically treated with 2 doses given 2 to 3 months apart. For stubborn disorders, results can take as long as two years to appear. Most people must continue EPD for a lifetime, although many are able to skip treatments for as long as 5 or 6 years before resuming. CHELATION THERAPY These treatments use intravenous administration of a man-made amino acid called ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to flush heavy metals from the body. EDTA binds with molecules of metals such as lead, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc, plutonium, and manganese and carries them out of the system through the intestinal tract, urinary tract, skin or saliva. It is a standard treatment for heavy metal poisoning. Many proponents also promote it as a treatment for coronary artery disease, circulatory disorders, and stroke; but its effectiveness for anything other than poisoning has never been confirmed. HEAT DEPURATION Like chelation therapy, these treatments seek to rid the body of chemicals such as lead, copper, iron, and other toxins. Patients are placed in a sauna heated to as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature which is thought to mobilize the chemicals from deep stores within the body. The treatments are often administered in conjunction with chelation therapy and other forms of detoxification. For example, patients may spend a full day undergoing heat treatments, exercise sessions, a massage, and nutritional therapy counseling. Each treatment lasts from 15 to 40 minutes, and 3 or 4 may be given during the course of a day. Advocates say that an average of 20 eight-hour sessions are needed to completely clear the body of toxins. OTHER TREATMENTS Some environmental practitioners offer other, more controversial, types of therapy. They may prescribe DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), a solvent that is sometimes used externally to relieve pain and swelling from strains, sprains, and arthritis, and that is taken internally for certain bladder infections. You might also encounter DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a hormone that some advocates say can reduce the risk of cancer, control immunity, regulate blood sugar, maintain tissue integrity, reduce blood pressure, and relieve allergies. Claims for both drugs are considered largely unproven in the mainstream medical community. Almost any type of illness or disorder, from hay fever to heart disease, can be treated with some form of environmental medicine, according to those who practice these controversial techniques. As with most medical treatments, however, there are no guarantees, and practitioners say that, in general, their overall goal is to help individuals cope with the daily hazards of their environment and, in the process, become healthier and, in many cases, disease-free individuals. In practice, these treatments are most commonly sought out to remedy food allergies, mold and pollen allergies, chemical sensitivities, and rheumatoid arthritis. Advocates say that once these disorders are treated, many other underlying diseases and illnesses, such as migraine headaches, asthma, and colitis may also improve. Other conditions said to be relieved by environmental medicine include heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic pediatric disorders such as recurrent ear infections and bed wetting, premenstrual syndrome, hypoglycemia, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and various abdominal pains. Some of the treatments offered by environmental practitioners can be harmful under certain medical conditions. You should, for example, avoid chelation therapy if you have kidney or liver disease. It's also wise to avoid heat treatments if you have asthma, epilepsy, heart disease, blood pressure problems, or multiple sclerosis. During allergy testing and desensitization, there's always a chance of an unpleasant reaction. Likewise, almost any intravenous infusion can occasionally cause a reaction, or at least minor discomfort and bruising at the site of the injection. Heat treatments and other detoxification leave some people weak, dizzy, nauseous, or shaky (a result, say therapists, of the toxins mobilized into the bloodstream). Be particularly cautious about chelation therapy. At typical dosage levels, patients experience little more than occasional nausea, dizziness, or headache immediately following treatment. However, in higher dosages, the EDTA used in the treatments has been known to cause anemia, blood clots, bone marrow damage, insulin shock, irregular heartbeat, and more. Many of the diagnostic techniques and treatments used in environmental medicine require the oversight of an MD or DO, so it's best to stick with a licensed physician. A number of doctors offer both environmental and conventional medical services. They come from a variety of specialties, but typically have a background in internal medicine, pediatrics, allergies, gynecology, or psychiatry. To their conventional expertise, they add training in such nontraditional areas as applied toxicology, immunology, nutritional biochemistry, free radical medicine, and molecular biology. For specialized treatments, it's best to look for a physician with specific training in the desired field. If you're contemplating chelation therapy, for instance, try to find a doctor who has completed courses from the American College of Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), chelation's professional society. As you should when selecting any type of therapist, be sure to discuss the proposed treatment regime, its possible side effects, and the outcomes to expect. Don't be afraid to ask for the names of patients who have been treated for the same illness with the same techniques, and don't hesitate to contact them. Most physicians practicing environmental medicine in the United States will treat you on an outpatient basis. However, if you're looking for an inpatient experience, the Occupational and Environmental Unit at Tri-Cities Hospital in Dallas, Texas can accommodate you. Environmental practitioners stress the importance of a strong commitment to therapy and rigorous compliance with treatment guidelines. The complexity and toxicity of the modern environment, they say, often make it difficult to reach a specific diagnosis and treatment plan. They warn that persistence and patience are important, and that in some cases a complete change in lifestyle may be needed. If you enjoy taking this much responsibility for your health, and agree that environmental toxins are making you sick, you may find yourself continuing the treatments for years. Remember, however, that other forms of therapy may offer faster relief. If your health doesn't seem to be improving at all, don't hesitate to shop around. Many of the treatments used in environmental medicine are deemed ineffective by the majority of physicians. If you have any serious chronic disease, you owe it to yourself to try all the more reliable forms of mainstream therapy before turning to these less promising substitutes. |