A Look At Treatment Options
by Karen Robinson
UPdate March 2000
Desperate times call
for desperate measures. Many Nova Scotians were left without treatment
for allergy and environmental illness (EI) because the Nova Scotia Department
of Health closed its Environmental Health Clinic when a research center
was opened at Fall River, Yet many people are too sick to risk
taking part in research at the new clinic, and still others
have not been accepted to take part in the research and therapy options
offered by the new facility . Most environmentally ill people have
visited several doctors, before being diagnosed with EI. Many spend thousands
of dollars travelling outside their own area or province to geta diagnosis
and/or treatment for their illness. Others try to learn as much as
possible about their illness through independent research on the Internet,
through libraries, health food stores and alternative health publications.
Some of the remedies are sound,others might be dangerous. Some alternative
practitioners are very good, while others may lack proper training.
Sales people,
with the best intentions, promote products which sound like the "cure"
for EI, and indeed, many of the products are helpful, but some are completely
unnecessary, or only marginally helpful. Seeking alternatives is
a natural and intelligent choice in the absence of the kind of research
and support that should be provided by mainstream health care practitioners
.EI patients, as consumers, need to be wary of desperately using
untested therapies as there is an absence of information and support. In
the end "buyer beware" is as appropriate for EI patients, as it is for
the consumer buying an automobile. Some treatments work well in their
own right, and some work best as adjuncts to conventional environmental
medicine. Some are completely unproven. In the end, as with every facet
of life, it is wise to
research enough to be aware of the reliability
or risks of a treatment.
Alternative Therapies - the wheat from
the chaff
One remedy
involves drinking small daily doses of hydrogen peroxide in order to give
more oxygen to the body. Some report trying coffee enemas.
Another involves drinking watered down urine and gradually working up to
larger daily "straight" doses. The theory is
that one's own urine contains substances
that will help rebuild the body's health.
Aroma therapy
is reported to be helpful for some people, but not to others.
This depended upon several factors, including the individual sensitivities
of the patient. Flower essences have been said to give help
without the "smell" of flowers. There are various forms of massage
therapy and energy therapy. There is magnet therapy for aches and
pains.
There are magnesium injections, dietary
supplementation , nutritional enzyme formulas, and special diets
such as Low Salt, High Salt, High Protein, High Carbohydrate, various rotation
diets, and more. Local health magazines are packed with options for treatment
for all manner of ailment. How does one separate the wheat from the
chaff?
In his address
on Treatment Options to the NSAEHA Annual General Meeting of May
1998, Dr Bruce Elliott noted that with "some of the pillars of testing
and treatment are under challenge, we are all the more called to examine
what other innovations are available, and have been showing promise in
recent times as those affected attempt to fill the void created."
Dr Elliot mentioned bio-energetic
testing as meriting closer examination and cautious
interpretation. He said some
interesting techniques including kinesiology, scratch tests, zero balancing,
acupuncture, and a relatively new technique called NAET for desensitization
to a wide range of sensitivities. Chiropractic techniques, laser
techniques to promote sinus drainage, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Chinese
Herbal Medicine, and others were mentioned in his talk.
Dr Elliot spoke
of the more conventional treatments for EI, such as Intravenous Therapy
using selected vitamins, minerals and detox agents. Although
Provocative Neutralization Skin Testing and Antigen Therapy are no longer
locally available, it is hoped this will be rectified as soon as
possible since many victims of EI found this method of diagnosis and treatment
very helpful.
When the practicing
physician knows how to alter the treatment to fitthe needs of the patient,
Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization (EPD) has been shown to help in some
cases, but particularly for conventional
allergies. For some, however, according to the Dallas Environmental
Health Clinic, as many as 20% fail miserably and are often much sicker
than before treatment.
Mind/body work,
sacral cranial manipulation, therapeutic touch, and more active practices
such as Chi Gong, Tai Chi and others, have proven to be beneficial even
to healthy people. Many patients of mind/body practitioners, report
coming away feeling as though they are somehow to blame for their own illness,
if they've been unsuccessful in healing themselves, with their thoughts.
As with all treatments,
dietary supplementation to re-balance the body's nutritional status and
to be sure the body has the materials it needs to detoxify are best prescribed
by trained practitioners. The removal of unwanted chemicals from
the body, or Detoxification,
should be done with a knowledgeable health
practitioner. Sauna and exercise programs are
sometimes coupled with IV therapies.
Others involve chelation therapies. Slower detoxification can involve
epsom salts baths, or just hot baths, or hot baths followed by cold towels.
The variations are many, and this only underlines the importance of having
a trained practitioner who knows what is likely to be best in your particular
case.
Some forms of
treatment have stood the tests of time, such as Homeopathy, acupuncture,
and others. Thus the important question
is "has the practitioner undergone years of study with a reputable school,
or has he/she taken a few weekend courses?"
Check qualifications. Check references.
Does the practitioner belong to a peer-regulated society? Ask
other patients for their experiences. No magic bullet. In the
absence of a "magic bullet" cure, it takes time and commitment to heal
the body, and repair damaged body systems. Reducing the "total
load "on the body is something we often hear about. Given the opportunity,
our bodies have a natural tendency to move toward health, and the theory
is that by lessening the burdens on the body, one frees up reserves to
heal. All these treatments are good adjuncts for EI, but can't replace
the basics of avoidance, "clean air, clean food, clean water", detoxificataion,
and other conventional treatments for EI. Avoidance of toxins
and allergens remains one of the most effective means of preventing
symptoms and reducing body load. For many with EI this is the key to functioning
and healing. One attempts to avoid anything that makes one feel ill
or brings on symptoms. Part of avoidance is reducing general
levels of pollution in ones life by providing the body with "clean air,
clean food, and clean water". This seems a harmless enough task,
but is not quite so. Take as an exampl the challenge of choosing between
multitudes of air filters on the
market, with sales people each making
their own claims. Some machines have plastic
parts, unfiltered motors, polyester filters,
glues, and other materials that are best avoided if one suffers from EI.
Some "clean" the air with ozone, something that even mainstream
authorities are now recognizing can cause
more harm than good, and sometimes
serious harm. (Marketplace, CBC TV)
Fortunately, there are several knowledgeable
Environmental Health educators and consultants
available who specialize in providing information on "clean air, clean
food, clean water" and more. The Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental
Health Association ( NSAEHA), with its long history and large network of
EI sufferers, can help provide information and contacts with knowledgeable
consultants. See this publication for details on how to reach or
join the NSAEHA.
This article has
not attempted to be all inclusive. Neither is it an endorsement nor
a
denouncement of any of the therapies mentioned.
It is hoped that the reader will recognize their own responsibility when
choosing a therapy or practitioner. There is much excellent help
out there, but the challenge is in the choosing.
References:
Tired or Toxic, Dr Sherry Rogers
Dr Bruce Elliott, AEHA Annual General
Meeting Panel
discussion May, 1998
Conversations with patients and practitioners.
Marketplace, CBC TV |