Why are women more likely to get ill from toxic exposures? | Volunteer Mold and Indoor Air Quality
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Why are women 60 to 80% more likely to get ill from Enviormental Exposure?

Women are much more likely to become sick due to environmentally acquired illnesses than men. Though this is a widely accepted fact in the medical community, there isn’t a clear reason as to why. There have been a number of factors which have been hypothesized through studies and doctors’ experiences.

As a society, we are exposed to more toxins than ever before and our health is paying the price.

When referring to environmental illnesses we are talking about anything that is instigated, triggered, or worsened by factors found in the world around us.

In our environmental inspection practice, at Volunteer Mold and Indoor Air Quality, 80% of calls for information and help come from women. These calls come out of a desperation related to health concerns and suspicions of exposure. Shockingly we hear a similar set of concerns and health complaints from women typically linked to toxic exposures. In order to better understand our clients concerns we begin with a Free Phone Consultation and simple health questionaire..

Environmentally acquired illnesses can include:

  • Mold illness
  • Chronic inflammatory response syndrome
  • Mast cell activation syndrome
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Cancer
  • Sleepless
  • Chronic Fatigue

On the whole, women are much more affected by these conditions. Environmental triggers can include both man-made chemicals and natural toxins such as mold. In an analysis of women and men in moldy environments, it’s often found that women are far more likely to have more symptoms.

Woman with a scowl on her face looking up from under a pillow in bed.

Chemical sensitivities and Indoor Air Quality Illness does not have to be a way of life. 865 385-0170

Four potential reasons that women more likely than men to develop environmentally acquired illness:

1. Cosmetics and personal care products Cosmetics and personal care products are shamefully toxic. Women apply an estimated 12 products per day, which contain an average of 168 unique chemicals. That is a staggering number of chemicals that are applied to the body every day. Talk about a war of attrition!

Over time these chemicals can build up, and if you’re body is having trouble detoxing, the effects can become stronger and much worse. We encourage you to read the labels on and clean out your personal care products and cosmetics and replace them all with extremely clean and safe options. Remember that what you put on your skin ends up in your body. Is it healthy or not?

2. Harsh cleaning products While it’s a tad old school to suggest women are more exposed to cleaning products than men. Obviously men can also be exposed to harsh cleaning chemicals on a regular basis, but cleaning occupations are still a female-dominated industry. Plus, cleaning products can be extremely toxic and definitely add to a person’s overall toxic burden, so there is no way we can leave it off this list.

Overall, our cleaning products are unnecessarily harsh. We don’t really need to be blasting our kitchen counters with bleach when vinegar does a fine job. Vinegar effectively kills germs and is much safer than commercial cleaners.

3. Chemical exposure in female-dominated jobs For the same reason cleaning products must be mentioned, we can’t overlook that a number of female-dominated industries have a higher than normal toxin exposure. Women with careers as hair stylists, estheticians, and in cleaning-related positions are constantly exposed to a higher than average number of chemicals – and these chemicals can be extremely toxic.

Over 2 million deaths every year are due to work-related disease, though I suspect this number is actually much higher. Meaning, we can’t continue to ignore the impacts of these harsh chemicals in these industries any more.

4. Testosterone down-regulates autoimmunity It’s a fact that testosterone actually down-regulates autoimmunity, meaning if your testosterone levels are low this could be part of the problem. When you think of testosterone, you probably associate it with men. But women need healthy levels of testosterone just as much as men do. When testosterone levels are low, it can contribute to inflammation levels and increase a woman’s risk for autoimmune disease.

Low testosterone levels can make you feel as though you’ve lost your spark. As you age, your testosterone levels naturally drop. So, if you’re older and struggling with your health in the autoimmune realm, you should absolutely have your testosterone levels checked by an Endocronologist.

Patients that have their testerone levels corrected with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy usually report an increase in energy, libido, and an overall satisfaction with life.

Reduce Your Risk of Environmentally-Acquired Illness

We are bombarded by over 80,000 chemicals everyday, which makes it critical that you learn how to reduce your daily toxin exposure. No matter where your health stands today, you should take steps to reduce your burden and support important detox pathways.

In East Tennessee we recommend that our clients schedule an assessment with Knoxville Wellness , Emily Kopek. Reach Emily at 865 801-9501. As experts in their field they offer critical resources and testing to provide answers.

Call Volunteer Mold and Indoor Air Quality for any of your building related health concerns. We provide testing, inspection, laboratory analysis and solutions to our clients. All phone consultations are free.

Photo of Bob Byrne wearing a full face respirator

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5377931/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24570366

http://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/osh/en/story_content/external_files/fs_st_1-ILO_5_en.pdf

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