Phthalates And Other Toxic Chemicals... What Are They And Why Should We Care??

Have you ever heard of phthalates? If so, you know that they are bad news.

Phthalates are considered "hormone disruptors". Hormone disruptors are not healthy for anyone but endometriosis patients may want to be particularly wary of them.

Here is a passage from Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers (pages 223-224) regarding phthalates:

"Recent studies have implicated widely used synthetic compounds such as phthalates, an ingredient in plastics, and alkylphenol polyethoxylates, which are found in plastics, detergents, and many other products, in hormone disruption. We need a better understanding of what happens to such compounds in the environment".

I have posted previously about a site where one can search for the safety of specific personal care products. Here is the link again to Skin Deep. It is an excellent resource for making informed choices when purchasing health and beauty products!

Phthalates are found in everything from synthetic fragrances to detergents to plastics. There is plentiful scientific evidence of the dangers of phthalates.

Here is an excerpt from a New Haven Register article "Chemicals causing fragrance can be dangerous" published on November 26, 2008 by Nancy Alderman:

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study showed that many of the air fresheners and scented products contain phthalates. The study said "phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals that can be particularly dangerous for young children and unborn babies. Exposure to phthalates can affect testosterone levels and lead to reproductive abnormalities, including abnormal genitalia and reduced sperm production. ... California notes that five types of phthalates — including one that we found in air freshener products — are ‘known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.’ Young children and pregnant women should be especially careful to avoid contact with these chemicals.

Because phthalates are hormone disruptors, doctors are most concerned about exposures to pregnant women between their eighth and 15th weeks of pregnancy. It is during that period that a delicate balance of hormones directs the development of sex organs in the fetus.

For patients like me who have MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), simply walking into a public rest room with these potent air fresheners can induce dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, and feeling faint. Generally, if I enter a public rest room and the smell is so intense that I immediately feel ill, I turn around and walk back out because my body goes into "fight or flight" mode simply from the strong smell.

For more articles about phthalates, see the Environmental Health News link:

According to a MomsRising.org email on December 4, 2008:

Phthalates are used in soft plastic toys like rubber ducks and bath books and can leech out of these toys when children chew on them. Scientists worldwide have linked phthalates to EARLY ONSET OF PUBERTY IN GIRLS (a risk factor for breast cancer), birth defects in baby boys, testicular cancer and liver problems".

This is an excerpt from a notice from MomsRising.org

"Starting your holiday shopping this week? The LAST thing you want to be giving the children and babies on your list is dangerous chemicals like lead and arsenic. Yet, when the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit, tested over 1,500 popular children's toys for lead, cadmium, arsenic, PVC and other harmful chemicals, they found that one in three toys tested were found to contain "medium" or "high" levels of chemicals of concern.

Scary, right? But knowledge truly is power in this case. Before you give a child a toy this holiday season, search the HealthyToys database for its chemical test results:

Are your kids toys toxic? Find out.

When you're at the store, you can search the HealthyToys database from your cell phone. Simply text "healthytoys [name of toy]" -- for example "healthytoys Elmo" or "healthytoys Wii" -- to 41411.

Then help other parents protect their kids. Print this flyer - which includes info on how to search for toys using your cell phone while you're shopping - and post them up at work, school, the grocery, wherever you go.

Please help spread the word that toxic toys are still on store shelves by posting this flyer in public places, and passing along this information to friends and family. (And if you're not already a member of MomsRising, please sign on now to stay informed: www.momsrising.org.)

Thanks for your help making this a more family-friendly country!

-- Donna, Kristin, Katie, Joan, Mary, Anita, and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S. According to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, toys containing toxic phthalates are supposed to be banned starting on February 10, 2009. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is saying that stores can continue to sell down their inventories as long as they were manufactured before the February deadline. If you haven't already, please sign our letter to the CPSC to tell them to stop monkeying around with our kids' health! (Already 6,443 people have signed.) Go to Phthalates are banned -- We really mean it! to add your name.

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Phthalates are dangerous for everyone: young, old, endometriosis patients, healthy people, pregnant women, babies, etc.

This is not just about toxic chemicals being found in 1 of 3 childrens' toys (as appalling as that is). These chemicals affect everyone.

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This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis Blog: Environment And Endometriosis... What Can We Do To Minimize Symptoms And/Or Possibly Prevent Endometriosis In Our Loved Ones??

Below is a follow-up to two previous posts:

From the Monday August 25 post: “Endometriosis Blog: What Is Epigenetics?? Can Environment Become Heredity”??

From the Tuesday August 26 post: “Endometriosis Blog: Are There Environmental Factors that We Can Control”??

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the problems associated with environmentally harmful products and ingredients??

Here are some websites that may help you to make safer choices for your health & the health of your loved ones!!

Personal Care Product/Cosmetic Safety:

http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1 (This is an EXCELLENT database I’ve had listed in my favorites for some time now. I highly recommend it. It has an enormous amount of information and you can search for specific products and compare their safety to other products)!!

http://www.safecosmetics.org/ (The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition working to protect your health by calling for the elimination of chemicals used in the cosmetics industry linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems).

Is there triclosan in your soap or other personal care products? You may want to read this...

http://www.ewg.org/node/26701

You may also be interested in this...

Environmental Working Group’s Report on Pesticide in Soap, Toothpaste and Breast Milk:

http://www.ewg.org/reports/triclosan

Here are some more resources:

Health Care Without Harm

http://www.noharm.org/us

Women’s Voice for the Earth:

http://www.womenandenvironment.org/newsreports/media/News%20Item%202008/Postarticle

In addition to the above sites, you may wish to do more reading on the topic of environment and endometriosis...

Here are a couple of books that I have been really wanting to read for some time but have not gotten to as of yet. (Maybe an endo blog reader out there may read one or both of these books and let me know what they think!!! I’d be happy to post your thoughts on one or both of these books here in this blog).

Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day for me to read all of the books I’d like to read (!!) but I’ve wanted to read these two for awhile:

1 - Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers

See website associated with the above book at---

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/environment.html

2 - Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

If you look through the following website:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Sources/recentbooks.htm, you’ll see a list of books about endocrine disruption.

Endocrine disruption is an important topic for endometriosis patients and changing the personal care products you use can make a huge difference!! (See the Skin Deep website above on how to find safer products to use).

Maybe you have some insights on the environment and endometriosis??? Do you have information on products that are safer than those mass marketed???

This blog doesn’t normally get into specific brands but this is one area where specific brands may be extremely helpful to assist endometriosis patients to know what to look for or what to avoid!

For example, companies like Natracare sell pads and tampons that are made using organic materials. Since the chemicals used to bleach the mass marketed products can actually harm women with endometriosis, it’s good to know there are alternative products available!

Maybe you know of website links or books that provide information on how to reduce or minimize harmful chemical exposures for endometriosis patients?

If so, PLEASE provide this information in your comments to the environmental articles here on this endometriosis and chronic illness blog. You could be helping other patients make healthier choices!!

Some of the best information I have become aware of over the years came from fellow chronically ill patients! So please keep those comments coming!! You may very well have information that can help fellow endometriosis and chronic illness patients tremendously!!

Thank you in advance for your feedback and valuable information. I know there are readers out there with useful information to offer to fellow patients! I have learned over the years that fellow patients can provide incredible amounts of information to assist others who are suffering. Let’s work together to get that helpful information flowing freely!

Finally, I'd like to end with some good news regarding the preventability of many illnesses that ties together much of what has been covered in this post and the two preceding it. Check out this portion of the "Our Stolen Future" website:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Commentary/JPM/2006-0401goodgenesgonebad.html

So don't feel helpless. Information is power. Using the above information to alter your lifestyle choices can help you personally to be healthier and, yes, to possibly prevent loved ones from experiencing the challenges of endometriosis (and other illnesses)!!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis Blog: Are There Environmental Factors That We Can Control??

Many women with endometriosis are aware that it can be a genetic disease. While some women are the only ones in their family who have endometriosis (that they are aware of, anyway!), many other women don’t understand why they have endometriosis.

Maybe you already have endometriosis and you don't want to do anything to make it worse. Maybe you have endometriosis and don't want the illness to be expressed in loved ones who may already have genetics working against them. (See previous post: "Endometriosis Blog: What Is Epigenetics?? Can "Environment Become Heredity??)

Having a genetic predisposition to endometriosis does NOT necessarily mean that endometriosis will express itself in vulnerable individuals.

I’m certainly no scientist or medical researcher. However, I have heard presentations and I have read about environmental links between endometriosis and various chemicals and pesticides. Such potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides can be found in personal care products, cosmetics, and even the food we eat!

Did you know that cooking/microwaving foods in plastic can cause chemicals from the plastic to leach into the food? Did you know that some of these leached chemicals can mimic estrogens in the body?!

Did you know that PVC (i.e. used to make shower curtains, IV fluid bags, and many other items) can also cause harm... particularly to women with endometriosis whose immune systems are likely to already be compromised (and who have more medical interventions than many other people do)?!

Are you aware that the bleaching process used to whiten sanitary pads and tampons (to apparently create the illusion that they are "sterile") can be harmful too and that there are organic alternatives available on the market?!

Below are numerous sources of information regarding environmental factors that may impact endometriosis patients.

I believe it's good to have some basic understanding of products and chemicals that can be particularly harmful to endometriosis patients (or that may help endometriosis to express itself in genetically vulnerable individuals).

Here is some information that you may find of interest if you have endometriosis and/or if you have loved ones who don't have endometriosis but may be at increased risk genetically for it.

By getting informed about environmental risks associated with endometriosis, it's possible you may be able to prevent someone you love from experiencing this potentially devastating illness!

Here are some websites of interest to learn more about this...

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First, the Endometriosis Association’s “Endo & the Environment” website section:

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/environment.html (general environmental information)

Here is some more information from The Endometriosis Association:

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/pvc.html (information on PVC)

The Endometriosis Association’s information on endocrine disruptors, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and dioxin (including downloadable PDFs):

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/pcb.html


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All of this information can be overwhelming. While learning about the many risk factors associated with endometriosis can be daunting, the good news is that there are factors you can control like avoiding chemicals known to be potentially harmful, focusing on sound nutritional choices (i.e. eating as much organic food as possible to avoid pesticide exposure, for example), and using products that are less likely to aggravate symptoms or put loved ones at risk for developing or worsening endometriosis.

Look in the next post for some more information regarding risk factors for endometriosis patients and some possible ways to prevent or minimize suffering associated with endometriosis.

While the process of learning about potentially harmful products and chemicals for endometriosis patients can be overwhelming, I believe it's important to get a handle on the basic information. Having knowledge of what the risks are and how to minimize or avoid them is a way of taking control and managing (or maybe even preventing) endometriosis symptoms.

So stay tuned for more information that may help you to take some control when dealing with this challenging illness. Every little bit helps and making some small changes can make a difference.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.