INSIDE PERSPECTIVES of AS & Neurodiversity

 

 

 

ALLERGIES

 

 

   Supersensitive people are also often extra sensitive to common allergens, chemicals, stimulants, drugs, medicines and toxins and seem to be at higher risk of inheriting various autoimmune problems.

 

   According to Swedish alternative allergy expert Peter Wilhelmsson, reactions to various foods, additives, chemicals and other environmental substances may manifest in a wider array of symptoms than previously suspected:

 

·  Head/brain: dizziness, vertigo, dazedness, confusion, disorientation, pressure, headache, throbbing, migraine, fainting, temporary memory loss, poor concentration, spacing out, lack of mental clarity, listening or reading without understanding, poor motor control.

 

·  Ears: ear infections, redness, pain, tinnitus, poor hearing, hypersensitivity to sound.

 

·  Eyes: tearing, stinging, itching, clogged with yellow stuff upon awakening, red eyes.

 

·  Vision: blurriness, double vision, dimness, flashes, light-sensitivity, tunnel vision, dyslexia (letters moving).

 

·  Sinuses & nose: sneezing, runny nose, hay-fever, sinusitis, congestion.

 

·  Mouth: bad breath, itching of the palate, white tongue, excessive saliva, metallic taste.

 

·  Speech: blurry speech, stuttering, mutism.

 

·  Throat: tightness, difficulty swallowing, breathing and talking, mucus.

 

·  Thyroid & parathyroid: hormonal disruptions, fatigue, inexplicable weight gain or –loss.

 

·  Lungs: asthma, coughing, wheezing, panting, heavy breath, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation.

 

·  Heart: increased pulse, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, chest pain.

 

·  Pancreas: digestive problems, blood sugar fluctuations.

 

·  Liver: toxicity, poor fat metabolism.

 

·  Kidneys: oedema.

 

·  Bladder: bladder infections, bedwetting, pain, pressure & urinating difficulties.

 

·  Stomach & digestive area: ulcer, heartburn, gasses, swelling, nausea, cramps, diahorrea, hunger, thirst.

 

·  Small intestine: chronic inflammation, Chrohn's disease.

 

·  Large intestine: ulcerous colitis, colon irritable.

 

·  Genital area: itching, menstrual problems, impotence, low sex-drive, sterility.

 

·  Skin: rashes, redness, paleness, sweating.

 

·  Joints & skeleton: pain, stiffness, swelling, heating, red patches indicating inflammation.

 

·  Muscles: shivering, spasms, cramps, weakness, stiffness, tenderness, muscle inflammation, pain (especially in the neck- trapezius- & back muscles plus in the extremities).

 

·  Immune system: chronic infections, colds.

 

·  General: feeling too hot or too cold for no external reasons.

 

·  Psychological/neurological signs noticed in people with food or chemical allergies:

 

·  Lethargy, introversion, naïveté, poor contact with surroundings, spacing out.

·  Feeling uncomfortable, tension, anxiety, panic.

·  Depression, unmotivated crying attacks, suicidal thoughts, self-harming tendencies.

·  Negativity, irritation, unprovoked anger.

·  Hyperactivity, restlessness, excessive talkativeness or unmotivated exaltation.

·  Feeling of unreality, schizophrenia, hallucinations, paranoia, madness.

·  Alcoholism, drug abuse.

 

 

MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY (MCS)

 

   Those who are extra sensitive often need to be extra careful about what to eat, drink, breathe and wear, and avoid as many agricultural/dietary, environmental-, work-, household- & personal hygiene chemicals as possible.

 

   “As far as I can gather, I am allergic to benzene, ammonium chloride, propanol, propalene and bleach for sure. What I am having the most problem with is long acting ‘air-fresheners’ because they seem to coat everything they come into contact with - you have to wash clothes, footwear and backpacks twice to get the fumes out. The thing is that people are really taken with this stuff and I am trying to figure out why. What I hate about the stuff is that it steals my personality and it doesn't come back 100% any more.”

- Vaudree, adult HSP with ADHD from Canada

 

   “My problem with fragrances are so severe that it is one of the reasons I can't go grocery shopping.  I can't get within 30 feet of the fabric detergents without my entire breathing system becoming compromised.  Not quite as bad as my Popcorn allergy but getting there.”

- Miriam, adult with SID from USA

 

 

migraine

 

   Many sensitive people suffer from migraines as well. In some cases it might be an allergy-symptom. Some are helped by supplements like magnesium citrate, B-2 or B-12.

 

   “My Migraines were terrible. Extreme pain to the point of vomiting, and lasting 10-12 hours at a time. Every movement was like my brain shattering against the side/back/front of my head, depending on which direction I move. I can't have any noise or light, and even being touched will make the pain "flare". I literally see stars, and my vision is doubled, making everything blurry. I would lay in bed with a bucket beside me, praying the entire time that I would just fall asleep or that the pain would go away... Anything that meant relief. I would get one at least every two weeks, and for some reason mostly on rainy days. Barometric pressure maybe? After my Doctor recommended the B-12, the migraines cut down to about 1 every two months. Huge difference.

- Tracy, adult HSP/SID from USA