Patients have asked over the years for me to write a series of articles on the tips and tricks I've learned for those suffering from allergies.  This is the first in a series of articles; If you'd like more articles, hit that reply button and tell me what you think!

"Don't Lecture, Just Tell Me What to Change.."

I'll start with the bottom line for those Type A people who let me do all the research for them.

You've been brainwashed into thinking your laundry is clean.  Allergy sufferers take note: today you can put a big dent in your symptoms by making some changes in the laundry room!

Here are three immediate steps to take, with longer explanations below:

1. SWITCH to a baby-safe laundry detergent like Dreft, or a healthier product like Ecover or Seventh Generation. Put the extra rinse cycle on every load, then (with the NEW detergent) rewash every article of clothing and bedding you intend to use, including your family members' clothing (if you want to be near them.)

2. STOP using ALL fabric softeners and dryer sheets.  Period.  Never.  No Exceptions.

3. ELIMINATE chlorine bleach, unless you are willing to wash that load twice.   If so, then the first wash use 1/2 or less the normal amount of bleach, and the second wash is detergent and bleach free, using the hottest water possible to purge the chlorine residue.  If you can still smell the bleach, wash it again.

Now the details, for all the rest of you..

Detergents

Modern detergents are jammed with fragrances and chemicals to make your clothes look, feel, and smell better.  All of these backfire for anyone suffering allergies and asthma.  Optical brighteners, enzymes, and bleaches are the most common culprits.  I'll explain each separately.

Optical brighteners attach to the cloth, converting invisible ultraviolet light into visible light on the blue side of the spectrum, causing the fabric to reflect a greater proportion of light and making it appear brighter.  Since the tone of the extra light reflected is on the blue side of the spectrum, this blue-violet tinge will complement any yellowing or dinginess present on the fabric to make it look whiter, as well as brighter.  Most optical brighteners are given trade names which consumers are unlikely to see on a label.

Enzymes are found in many laundry detergents to break down organic stains such as grass, blood, and wine.  Unfortunately, these enzymes are skin irritants and can cause skin rashes and allergies.   If you must use a product with enzymes added, be sure to thoroughly rinse, even using an extra rinse with warm water to cleanse the residue.

Many laundry detergents may contain Sodium Hypochlorite (chlorine bleach), which is used to whiten fabrics.  If not rinsed completely, bleach can cause severe irritation to lungs, eyes and skin, resulting in asthmatic symptoms, dermatitis and rash.  It can emit fumes long after the clothing is dry – fumes that can severely irritate and impair the respiratory tract.   Sodium Hypochlorite is the most frequently involved chemical in household poisonings.

Here is a pretty comprehensive listing of what's in detergents, compiled by brand name.  If it's good for infant's skin, it's a good option for us also: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

I have found Ecover to be one of the least irritating products for patients with allergies and asthma.  You can read more about this company and its products here: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/00/pauli.html

Fabric Softeners and Dryer Sheets

All fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain optical brighteners (see above).  Not only should you avoid ever using these products, if you are suffering from allergies or asthma, you should throw the boxes out!  Many laundry rooms are situated in the basement, close to the furnace.  If you can smell your laundry while in the dryer, for example, then these chemical fumes are being blown throughout the house by your furnace.

Here's a partial listing of toxic chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets (eMediaWire website – Press release February 21, 2005):

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• Alpha-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Here is a glossary of chemicals and their uses and dangers: http://www.lifekind.com/catalog/chemical_glossary.php

Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine used in bleach poses a number of health hazards.  Breathing in chlorine fumes can irritate the entire respiratory tract.   This is especially true for people suffering from heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems such as asthma or emphysema.  These fumes sensitize the membranes lining your bronchial tubes, making them more likely to overreact to other toxins or allergens.  The risks are compounded when cleaners are used in small, poorly ventilated rooms. Chlorine is a also a highly corrosive substance, capable of damaging skin, eyes, and other membranes (remember how your eyes would burn after swimming in chlorinated pool water?)

Using detergents that contain chlorine for clothing and bedding can pollute the air in your home. The water in the machines, which contains chlorine from the detergents, transfers the chlorine to the air through a process called "volatilization." We then breathe the contaminated air.

Chlorine was listed as a hazardous air pollutant in the 1990 Clean Air Act, and exposure to chlorine in the workplace is regulated by federal standards.  In 1993, 40,000 household exposures to chlorine were reported to poison control centers, more than any other chemical.

If bleach is mixed with ammonia, a chemical reaction takes place and it gives off dangerous chlorine gas.  Chlorine gas was also known as Mustard Gas in World War II.

Here's a short British video about the dangers of bleach that ends in a real bang: http://www.thecaretakers.net/dangersofbleach.wmv

Seventh Generation has additional information on their website: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/household_hazards/chlorine/chlorine_in_household_products.html

Safe Options:

Here are some other low-tech remedies:

• To reduce or even eliminate static cling, only dry clothes that contain the same fabric. Socks containing nylon will rub up against other fabrics and gather a charge more than if they were dried separately. Overdrying your clothes increases static, so becoming more precise as to the drying times for different loads will reduce static.

• Get a whole house humidifier. This helps reduce breathing difficulties significantly, so you are making one investment for several healthy purposes.

• Add to the washing machine rinse cycle a quarter cup of white vinegar to the rinse, which will soften fabric and help eliminate static cling.

• Also, add a quarter cup of baking soda to the wash, which will soften fabric.

Nellie's Dryer Balls are non-toxic, allergy-free PVC balls that soften fabrics without chemicals. http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-0202825-7908142?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0009IB6T2

Dryer balls are a similar product: http://www.seenontvproducts.net/dryerballs/

Static Eliminator is a reusable dryer sheet system.  It eliminates static, softens fabric, and each box will last ~500 loads.  Chemical free, safe for sensitive skin and 100% hypoallergenic, these anti-static powerhouses really get the job done.  http://www.staticeliminator.us/about_products.asp

Remember:

We can help you become free of allergies. Call today and get help before Spring is in full bloom!

(248) 559-6763

What follows is a reprint of last week's allergy article, for those who missed it or wish to forward this to friends.

I'm the back doctor.  The neck doctor.  The guy who gets rid of headaches.  But I have a secret side many of you don't know about.

I'm also the "allergy doctor" to many.  Now, technically I don't treat allergies.  Shots, inhalers, pills – they don't treat allergies either.  Those just cover up the symptoms.

However, the root of those allergy symptoms falls right into our specialty.

What if (because I, like you, was very skeptical when first introduced to this)... what if allergies were learned responses to stimuli, just like Pavlov's dog (Does Pavlov ring a bell?)  Years ago, Dr. Pavlov taught us we could actually train a dog to salivate to the sound of a bell.  So your sinuses run from a little thing called pollen, or cat hair. It's the same response, really.

And we can RETRAIN YOU, so your body acts like normal again.  What was learned can be unlearned, and with our help, many people suffering like you, can be allergy-free.

•   A patient suffering from allergies with 20 years of weekly allergy shots now cuts her own lawn. . .without a Kleenex in sight.
•   A year old baby no longer needs the breathing machine and daily Albuterol medicine just to survive, and the mother's now sleeping like the baby. . .
•   And countless patients who dreaded hayfever and Springtime, can now see through eyes that don't water.

It works so well I'm known to some as the "voodoo" doctor.   While I'm not fond of that title, it illustrates a point: something can work amazingly well, even though you have no idea how it works.  If you wait until you fully understand something, you'll be living in the dark forever.  Do you really know the intricacies of electricity?  Yet you use it.  You know virtually nothing about how pills work.  Pills KILL people - yet you trust enough to use them.

The beauty is: you already trust us.  We hate seeing you suffer about as much as you hate suffering, and we know we can help.

Some patients need a half-dozen treatments.  Others need a couple dozen.   Do the math.  Compare it to the latest gizmo you spent money on.  Think of your comfort.  Of not worrying what food you'll react to.  Of not sneezing through an entire movie.  If you deserve your other creature comforts, you deserve to feel better so you can enjoy them.

I had cat allergies so bad in college my eyes swelled shut.  I was so skeptical about the treatment protocol I now use, that I bought a cat!  She lived with me for 13 wonderful years, and remains in my memory a testament to how well this works.   Resist your built-in skepticism.  Let us help you.   If you don't have allergies, help convince someone suffering from allergies that another solution exists.  I bet you're thinking of someone right now.  We helped you with your other condition – we can help with allergies.

There's a free CD explaining the concepts waiting for you in the office.   We also have cassettes, if necessary, and for those of you (like me) who prefer your audio in MP3 format, it's on our website for you to listen or download.  Go here: http://www.drborn.com/allergy_elimination.htm

Call our office today.  Don't wait another, sneezing, drippy, head pounding, gut-cramping day to find relief.  Risk a little bit - we'll help you through the rest.

Dr Bryan