Environmental Illness is a term used to describe an illness including a multitude of symptoms affecting multiple organs caused by environmental triggers. Environmental illness may be allergies, sensitivities to chemicals, GI issues, neurological problems, psychological problems, autoimmune diseases, and different symptoms depending on the person. Some can become sensitive to almost everything in their environment like pollen and animal dander. They may start having food allergies to foods that did not bother them in the past. They may become sensitive to perfumes or fumes from household chemicals. They may have problems with excess weight or hormonal dysfunctions of their thyroid and/or sex hormones. They may develop weird rashes or chronic sinus infections. They may be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. They may carry diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or insomnia. Some may even develop memory issues that can progress to dementia. Does this sound familiar?
Some are unable to work in an office or other enclosed environment without becoming ill - this is known as sick building syndrome. This could indicate a person may be affected by CIRS or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), sometimes referred to as Biotoxin Illness, or Mold Illness, initially thought to be caused by mold exposure only. However, with further research bacteria, fungus, and viral infections are now also considered to cause CIRS.
The medical community does not acknowledge a unified definition of “Environmental Illness”. This is probably due to the indefinite possibilities of how a person may react to the exposure. And, to make things harder, no single person reacts the same way as each person has a different genetic makeup and resilience. There are other factors at play that include the amount of exposure; the combination of multiple environmental triggers, and the length of exposure.
Doctors may not be adequately trained to evaluate if the environment is a possible cause for their patients’ symptoms. Often, patients are diagnosed with a “disease” that includes a set of symptoms and prescribed a medication that usually is designed to ameliorate the symptoms – and the investigation for the cause stops.
What are some environmental exposures?
How do you start the investigation of finding the exposures?
Environmental illness can loosely be defined as:
“A reaction to common components of a person's environment, including chemicals, food, water and physical particles, that results in symptoms relating to multiple organ systems and a general poor state of health.”
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine defines environmental illness:
"ENVIRONMENTALLY TRIGGERED ILLNESSES (ETI) are the adverse consequences that result when the hemodynamic interactions among biological functions are compromised by external or internal stressors. These stressors may range from severe acute exposure to a single stressor to cumulative relatively low-grade exposures to many stressors over time. The resultant dysfunction is dependent on the patient's genetic makeup, his nutrition and health in general, the stressors, the degree of exposure to them, and the effects of seven fundamental biological governing principles: biochemical individuality, individual susceptibility, the total load, the level of adaptation, the bipolarity of responses, the spreading phenomenon, and the switch phenomenon."
Dr. Ilona Samara is a leading specialist in the treatment of environmental illness in the Oklahoma area.
There are many conditions that can be kept under control or even reversed with the help of functional medicine, such as fibromyalgia, fatigue, chronic pain, diabetes, obesity, arthralgia, thyroid problems, etc. All these conditions have deep roots nestled in the human body. Conventional medicine typically treats the signs and symptoms. With functional medicine, the underlying imbalance or dysfunction of the body is addressed, thus achieving long-term relief and resolution. Functional medicine can be used to alleviate or to control a wide array of chronic conditions that may otherwise require extensive, expensive and potentially dangerous long term treatments. The purpose of this approach is to find the cause of the problem and treat it accordingly, thus preventing it from recurring.
Functional Medicine physicians follow a well-designed treatment plan. First, they take your history and emphasize on the slightest details, as they are often the key to the underlying imbalances. The diagnosis process also involves a thorough, in-depth physical examination that includes traditional medicine principles that are rarely used nowadays, in spite of being highly efficient.
Since a functional medicine physician focuses on the entire body, effects of lifestyle choices, genetics and the environment, your initial visit would be at least 120 minutes. During this time, every aspect of your history, diet, exercise, stresses, lifestyle habits, and environmental exposures will be discussed. You will also be asked about any medications and supplements you take on a regular basis. A thorough physical exam will be performed as well as laboratory testing if recommended or needed. Subsequent visits are generally shorter and designed to provide the physician a chance to find out how any recommended changes are affecting your conditions. Additionally, recommendations and lab tests may be ordered to check the progress of your health.
Wellness is a balanced synchrony of body, mind, and soul. Are you ready to take a step closer to a New Life of being healthy and well? Are you ready for a personalized approach that fits your needs? Our clinic can offer proven techniques to help your body heal and maintain its health for years to come.
NewLife Medicine offers a wellness package for those who are ready to get their health on track using Functional Medicine.
Our 4-visit initial package includes one initial 90-min visit, 3 60-min follow-up visits, 9 stress-reduction therapies, and 2 InBody body composition evaluations.
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