metal hypersensitivity

Do your ears swell up when you wear certain types of jewelry?  You might have metal hypersensitivity and these fall into several categories and sources: Metal pollution Then there is the matter of hypersensitivity to metals such as nickel and chromates. These are cell-mediated immunity reactions, without antibody involvement. These too are probably best not called allergies, but clearly there is a sensitization effect that fulfils the prescription of the von Pirquet phenomenon. Don’t forget too that metals can be poisons as well as sensitizers. Mercury and lead are pretty obvious poisons, but so are aluminium (from cooking), cadmium (from tobacco), thallium (rat poisoning and industrial exposure), zinc and iron smelting wastes are EPA regulated toxic materials yet are sold and used legally as fertilizers. There are many other potential metal poisons and it has been my contention for some years now that what I call “metal pollution” may turn out to be a far more serious hazard than chemical pollution, such as pesticides and atmospheric pollution.

Do your ears swell up when you wear certain types of jewelry?  You might have metal hypersensitivity and these fall into several categories and sources: Metal pollution Then there is the matter of hypersensitivity to metals such as nickel and chromates. These are cell-mediated immunity reactions, without antibody involvement. These too are probably best not called allergies, but clearly there is a sensitization effect that fulfils the prescription of the von Pirquet phenomenon. Don’t forget too that metals can be poisons as well as sensitizers. Mercury and lead are pretty obvious poisons, but so are aluminium (from cooking), cadmium (from tobacco), thallium (rat poisoning and industrial exposure), zinc and iron smelting wastes are EPA regulated toxic materials yet are sold and used legally as fertilizers. There are many other potential metal poisons and it has been my contention for some years now that what I call “metal pollution” may turn out to be a far more serious hazard than chemical pollution, such as pesticides and atmospheric pollution.