ELIMINATE PROGRAMME FOR ALLERGY: RADICAL CLEAR-OUT
The fourth strategy for eliminating chemicals is a radical clear-out. It is only worth doing this if you are seriously affected by chemicals and, even then, most people come to it only after a period of selective elimination. It can be disruptive and can cause a lot of tension with family and housemates, so you have to weigh up whether it is worth it to you to do it. Sometimes, however, it is the only way actually to know what you react to, or what you can use without trouble.
The basic approach of this strategy is to clear potential troublemakers out of your environment, especially your home, for as long as you can. If your symptoms improve or clear, this will confirm that chemicals are responsible. Then, to work out what you can tolerate, you reintroduce things you would like to use again systematically – one at a time (preferably one every few days and not more than one a day) -and see if you can tolerate them.
This strategy will achieve what is known as ‘unmasking’ of chemical sensitivity. If you are surrounded constantly by a chemical or chemicals to which you react, you will have permanent symptoms; you may not even identify them as symptoms if you are used to things like constant gut pain, headaches, cystitis, sweating and irritability. When you unmask through avoidance, you clear away these masking, background symptoms and you will recognise them when they recur on exposure. You learn, in effect, what it is like to feel well again.
The strategy of reintroducing everyday chemicals you want to use will also help you to decide what you can tolerate. To get through life, you may well have to use some things that upset you, but if you use them seldom, or do it in an environment basically clear of chemicals, they become manageable. You are starting from close to a zero-base and you have some degree of control over the load of chemicals in your life.
To carry out a radical clean-out elimination programme, follow the instructions given below. Use this for testing, work out what you can tolerate, then go on to the next part of this section for advice on long-term measures for avoidance.
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