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What a stressful week it has been!
I rarely go into detail about stressful period in my life, but in today's case, it's a bit relevant, so bear with me...
First was the insane cold front most of the US had just experienced, which came out of the blue to us, then right as we were being hit with the worst of the snow and ice, my significant other's truck (the only one he own with 4-wheel drive, I might add) broke down and had to be taken to the shop instantly.
Somehow, even with his trusty ol' Chevy in the shop, we managed to make it through the first and worst parts of the snowy week without much trouble except for our road being completely closed down at random one night, leaving both my significant other and my mom stranded on the side of the road, with no way to get home!
The police refused to let anyone pass. This is the second time the roads where I live have been shut down lately. In fact, the main roads only just opened back up for the first time in over a month!
And there my mom and significant other were out in the cold, being told they couldn't get past the stop sign to get home.
They ended up meeting up at a grocery store and rode together in his truck, taking back roads until they finally got through.
We hoped these odd stresses were going to begin melting away as the snow and ice did, until yesterday when my significant other and a friend were out of town, in the friend's truck, far from home and the truck broke down! Yes, two break-downs in less than 5 days time.
Some people say that my significant other is simply bad luck when it comes to things like random vehicular break downs, but the friend's luck with vehicles is even worse, so the trip they took was probably bound to end badly anyways.
Thankfully, both vehicle issues were solved (thanks to Bosch Car Service Welland.) Bronson's needed front-end work, which he has already had done within the last year (at a different automotive service place), so having to do this whole shebang all over again so soon took its toll on him.
Actually, the toll had been taken long ago. But the new surprise break-down really brought him to a new kind of breaking point.
Rewind a bit...
I've discussed my own health journies (with IBS, candidiasis, endometriosis, dental health, and more) extensively here at Ribbons & Pearls, but only a few times have I spoke of my spouse's on-going health... complications.
Today, though, I feel like I have something useful to share, as far as his own struggles go.
He's been having some pretty scary symptoms for a long time now -- vomiting at random, almost every morning, severe and seemingly random stomach pains, fatigue, dry heaving, and the typical symptoms that come along with those of the stomach variety.
We've searched and tried narrowing the problem down diligently.
It wasn't until a few months ago that he noticed a pattern in his being ill.
Red #40.
Yep, the artificial coloring found in virtually every food product on the shelves of most grocery stores.
Every single time he consumed anything with Red #40 on the ingredient label, he came down almost immediately with the vomiting, nausea, and other sickly symptoms.
We began looking closely at every single ingredient on anything he consumed from Tums to Cookies and Cream bite size candies (which aren't even colored red at all, by the way, but they do in fact contain red dye.)
Since we've started the journey to cut red out of his life, the problems have let up for the most part, but he's still struggling.
The good news is, we're working on getting to the bottom of it, and we're staying really hopeful and positive.
The bad news is, it's really hard to find foods that don't contain those harmful dyes that manufacturers feel are so important to include in all our food products.
I don't know about you, but I honestly do not care for my food to be brightly colored. And being that those bright, stupid colors are harmful to our health, I would much prefer to eat food that's all the exact same color if need be.
I mean, nobody cares that much about colorful foods. Not so much that they want to risk their health in order to have their food look pretty before they toss it down the hatch, right?
That brings me to the whole reason I'm posting about this crazy, stressful time -- artificial dyes in food.
It took my precious lovey at least half a year (if not longer) to put two and two together and find what was causing the majority of his problems -- the red#40.
I think it's safe to assume that there are plenty of other folks out there who are possibly dealing with similar issues and are not aware yet of what could be causing it. I mean, naturally, you don't expect your food to be poisoning you, especially when it's food that's been approved enough by the FDA to be placed on a shelf and sold by the millions.
But the sad truth is, it's wrong. It's one of those cases where you have to be suspicious of everything around you (the food, that is.) You can't just trust that you're being sold actual food these days as most of it easily qualifies as pure poison.
Rant aside, I've decided, in honor of my sweetie who couldn't even get his cookie cake delivered to him on Valentine's day because the company I was going to hire used red40 in the cookie cake and told me they could not make us one that was free of the artificial dye -- I've decided to share a few of the most common symptoms of a dye allergy, in hopes that someone else may not have to suffer any longer.
Oddly enough, the use of artificial ingredients like dyes and preservatives in food has contributed to the amount of people who've ended up with allergies to artificial coloring.
1. Skin
Obviously, skin problems are a number one sign of an allergy, and artificial coloring allergies are no exception.
Angioedema, a skin condition that resembles welts that are often found on eyelids, tongue, face, etc. is caused by a red dye allergy
This type of allergic reaction can throw some people off even more as they might expect the culprit to have been something that's actually been used on their skin -- soaps, laundry detergents, etc.
Seeing skin related allergy symptoms can signify an allergy to virtually anything, and that includes red # 40 dye, or other artificial dyes in foods.
When you think about it, though, it's really no surprise that the skin would be affected by a food dye allergy since the skin is the body's largest organ, and it is an organ where toxins are excreted from (the pores in our skin, anyways.) Therefore, you may notice some type of skin symptoms that could resemble rashes, itchiness, sores, blisters, hives, etc.
Thick bumps filled with fluid are also a dermal sign of a red dye allergy.
2. Flu or Cold Like Symptoms
The symptoms that typically come along with the flu or a cold can also show up in someone who's suffering from an allergy to red 40. You may also experience symptoms common with other allergies like hay-fever -- sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, breathing issues, stuffy nose, etc.
3. Gastrointestinal problems
The G.I. symptoms one might experience due to an allergy to red dye can resemble the symptoms of IBS or candidiasis. So much so that I was pretty certain my spouse was actually developing one or both of them when he began going through this stuff. I had picked up on the similarities since I have such a long history with those conditions myself.
One way to tell if it's IBS related or something else is the pain associated with IBS and often candidiasis is typically relieved after ... using to the bathroom. One might spend an entire day back and forth to the bathroom with G.I. trouble while suffering with IBS, but typically, the pain lets up afterwards, and this process is quite distinct to IBS sufferers.
The issues I've watched my spouse deal with from Red 40 allergy is instant after consuming anything that contains it. He is nauseous and vomits until he dry heaves. This is not exactly a common symptom of IBS. That's one significant difference from the problems of IBS and those of a food dye allergy. Red #40 allergy commonly starts off with severe stomach pain, and then progresses until finally easing up (usually after vomiting.)
On the other hand, a symptom of red #40 allergy is on-going bathroom visits, including diarrhea.
4. Weight Loss, Particularly Rapid Weight Loss
Something Bronson experienced as soon as this new health trouble began was rapid weight loss. Scarily rapid.
He also lost his appetite for so long we feared he'd never re-gain it. Once he began cutting the red out, he did get an appetite back, but is still losing weight.
5. Insomnia
Bronson hasn't had the best relationship with sleep as long as we've known each other, but once he started getting sick, he also started losing more and more sleep. Some nights, he was only sleeping a couple of hours.
This was further made worse by his back problems, which makes it hard for him to sleep anyways. Red#40 allergies can cause you to lose sleep, as well as other things like your appetite, stomach contents, energy, etc.
Becoming dizzy, feeling light-headed, feeling faint and exhausted are other signs Bronson has dealt with during this red#40 allergy problem. A rapid heart rate is yet another, which as far as I know, was typically only happening during the "attacks," right after consuming the Red #40. Blood pressure problems can also arise for some folks who are allergic to the stuff, among probably a whole world of other symptoms humans haven't yet put together.
I think it's also interesting to note that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and even put on various medications for it. Red #40 dye is known to cause ADHD, especially in children since they are more prone to eating snacks and foods that contain the harmful dye.
I can't help but wonder if my sweetie's allergy hasn't been something that's been brewing inside his body since perhaps as far back as his childhood. Or if there's any link at all.
I know this will be an on-going learning experience for us, but I'd love to have you guys pitch in with any stories or advice/suggestions you may have regarding this topic.
Do you, or anyone you know have allergies to artificial dyes? Ever dealt with anything similar to this?
I rarely go into detail about stressful period in my life, but in today's case, it's a bit relevant, so bear with me...
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| Image Source: Wikimedia.org |
First was the insane cold front most of the US had just experienced, which came out of the blue to us, then right as we were being hit with the worst of the snow and ice, my significant other's truck (the only one he own with 4-wheel drive, I might add) broke down and had to be taken to the shop instantly.
Somehow, even with his trusty ol' Chevy in the shop, we managed to make it through the first and worst parts of the snowy week without much trouble except for our road being completely closed down at random one night, leaving both my significant other and my mom stranded on the side of the road, with no way to get home!
The police refused to let anyone pass. This is the second time the roads where I live have been shut down lately. In fact, the main roads only just opened back up for the first time in over a month!
And there my mom and significant other were out in the cold, being told they couldn't get past the stop sign to get home.
They ended up meeting up at a grocery store and rode together in his truck, taking back roads until they finally got through.
We hoped these odd stresses were going to begin melting away as the snow and ice did, until yesterday when my significant other and a friend were out of town, in the friend's truck, far from home and the truck broke down! Yes, two break-downs in less than 5 days time.
Some people say that my significant other is simply bad luck when it comes to things like random vehicular break downs, but the friend's luck with vehicles is even worse, so the trip they took was probably bound to end badly anyways.
Thankfully, both vehicle issues were solved (thanks to Bosch Car Service Welland.) Bronson's needed front-end work, which he has already had done within the last year (at a different automotive service place), so having to do this whole shebang all over again so soon took its toll on him.
Actually, the toll had been taken long ago. But the new surprise break-down really brought him to a new kind of breaking point.
Rewind a bit...
I've discussed my own health journies (with IBS, candidiasis, endometriosis, dental health, and more) extensively here at Ribbons & Pearls, but only a few times have I spoke of my spouse's on-going health... complications.
Today, though, I feel like I have something useful to share, as far as his own struggles go.
He's been having some pretty scary symptoms for a long time now -- vomiting at random, almost every morning, severe and seemingly random stomach pains, fatigue, dry heaving, and the typical symptoms that come along with those of the stomach variety.
We've searched and tried narrowing the problem down diligently.
It wasn't until a few months ago that he noticed a pattern in his being ill.
Red #40.
Yep, the artificial coloring found in virtually every food product on the shelves of most grocery stores.
Every single time he consumed anything with Red #40 on the ingredient label, he came down almost immediately with the vomiting, nausea, and other sickly symptoms.
We began looking closely at every single ingredient on anything he consumed from Tums to Cookies and Cream bite size candies (which aren't even colored red at all, by the way, but they do in fact contain red dye.)
Since we've started the journey to cut red out of his life, the problems have let up for the most part, but he's still struggling.
The good news is, we're working on getting to the bottom of it, and we're staying really hopeful and positive.
The bad news is, it's really hard to find foods that don't contain those harmful dyes that manufacturers feel are so important to include in all our food products.
I don't know about you, but I honestly do not care for my food to be brightly colored. And being that those bright, stupid colors are harmful to our health, I would much prefer to eat food that's all the exact same color if need be.
I mean, nobody cares that much about colorful foods. Not so much that they want to risk their health in order to have their food look pretty before they toss it down the hatch, right?
That brings me to the whole reason I'm posting about this crazy, stressful time -- artificial dyes in food.
It took my precious lovey at least half a year (if not longer) to put two and two together and find what was causing the majority of his problems -- the red#40.
I think it's safe to assume that there are plenty of other folks out there who are possibly dealing with similar issues and are not aware yet of what could be causing it. I mean, naturally, you don't expect your food to be poisoning you, especially when it's food that's been approved enough by the FDA to be placed on a shelf and sold by the millions.
But the sad truth is, it's wrong. It's one of those cases where you have to be suspicious of everything around you (the food, that is.) You can't just trust that you're being sold actual food these days as most of it easily qualifies as pure poison.
Rant aside, I've decided, in honor of my sweetie who couldn't even get his cookie cake delivered to him on Valentine's day because the company I was going to hire used red40 in the cookie cake and told me they could not make us one that was free of the artificial dye -- I've decided to share a few of the most common symptoms of a dye allergy, in hopes that someone else may not have to suffer any longer.
Oddly enough, the use of artificial ingredients like dyes and preservatives in food has contributed to the amount of people who've ended up with allergies to artificial coloring.
1. Skin
Obviously, skin problems are a number one sign of an allergy, and artificial coloring allergies are no exception.
Angioedema, a skin condition that resembles welts that are often found on eyelids, tongue, face, etc. is caused by a red dye allergy
This type of allergic reaction can throw some people off even more as they might expect the culprit to have been something that's actually been used on their skin -- soaps, laundry detergents, etc.
Seeing skin related allergy symptoms can signify an allergy to virtually anything, and that includes red # 40 dye, or other artificial dyes in foods.
When you think about it, though, it's really no surprise that the skin would be affected by a food dye allergy since the skin is the body's largest organ, and it is an organ where toxins are excreted from (the pores in our skin, anyways.) Therefore, you may notice some type of skin symptoms that could resemble rashes, itchiness, sores, blisters, hives, etc.
Thick bumps filled with fluid are also a dermal sign of a red dye allergy.
2. Flu or Cold Like Symptoms
The symptoms that typically come along with the flu or a cold can also show up in someone who's suffering from an allergy to red 40. You may also experience symptoms common with other allergies like hay-fever -- sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, breathing issues, stuffy nose, etc.
3. Gastrointestinal problems
The G.I. symptoms one might experience due to an allergy to red dye can resemble the symptoms of IBS or candidiasis. So much so that I was pretty certain my spouse was actually developing one or both of them when he began going through this stuff. I had picked up on the similarities since I have such a long history with those conditions myself.
One way to tell if it's IBS related or something else is the pain associated with IBS and often candidiasis is typically relieved after ... using to the bathroom. One might spend an entire day back and forth to the bathroom with G.I. trouble while suffering with IBS, but typically, the pain lets up afterwards, and this process is quite distinct to IBS sufferers.
The issues I've watched my spouse deal with from Red 40 allergy is instant after consuming anything that contains it. He is nauseous and vomits until he dry heaves. This is not exactly a common symptom of IBS. That's one significant difference from the problems of IBS and those of a food dye allergy. Red #40 allergy commonly starts off with severe stomach pain, and then progresses until finally easing up (usually after vomiting.)
On the other hand, a symptom of red #40 allergy is on-going bathroom visits, including diarrhea.
4. Weight Loss, Particularly Rapid Weight Loss
Something Bronson experienced as soon as this new health trouble began was rapid weight loss. Scarily rapid.
He also lost his appetite for so long we feared he'd never re-gain it. Once he began cutting the red out, he did get an appetite back, but is still losing weight.
5. Insomnia
Bronson hasn't had the best relationship with sleep as long as we've known each other, but once he started getting sick, he also started losing more and more sleep. Some nights, he was only sleeping a couple of hours.
This was further made worse by his back problems, which makes it hard for him to sleep anyways. Red#40 allergies can cause you to lose sleep, as well as other things like your appetite, stomach contents, energy, etc.
Becoming dizzy, feeling light-headed, feeling faint and exhausted are other signs Bronson has dealt with during this red#40 allergy problem. A rapid heart rate is yet another, which as far as I know, was typically only happening during the "attacks," right after consuming the Red #40. Blood pressure problems can also arise for some folks who are allergic to the stuff, among probably a whole world of other symptoms humans haven't yet put together.
I think it's also interesting to note that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and even put on various medications for it. Red #40 dye is known to cause ADHD, especially in children since they are more prone to eating snacks and foods that contain the harmful dye.
I can't help but wonder if my sweetie's allergy hasn't been something that's been brewing inside his body since perhaps as far back as his childhood. Or if there's any link at all.
I know this will be an on-going learning experience for us, but I'd love to have you guys pitch in with any stories or advice/suggestions you may have regarding this topic.
Do you, or anyone you know have allergies to artificial dyes? Ever dealt with anything similar to this?
1 comment:
Is the vomiting and nausea accompanied by belching sulphur dioxide? Does he complain of rotten egg taste or smell accompanying the GI Tract issues? I have suffered similar symptoms and have attributed it to winter vomiting disease and no doctors have been able to diagnose.
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