A couple of years later, I got my ears pierced and figured my problems were over. DUH! While I had some improvement, I found that I had trouble whenever I wore gold plated earrings. I had to wear 24k gold. Life went on, and I usually wore 24k gold earrings. Every once in awhile, I'd wear costume jewelry and suffer for a few days after.
It never crossed my mind that I was intensifying an allergy with each exposure. About 10 years later, I started coloring my hair, and have never stopped since then... it's been decades! I had little bouts of blisters on my scalp after coloring my hair. At one point, I told my Kineseologist/Chiropractor about the blisters. He said I needed to make some changes immediately. The doctor gave me a phone number for a beautician who takes special care in this treatment. The beautician generously talked with me about adding Poly-Sorbate 80 to my hair coloring as a protection of the scalp from the chemicals. So I've done that for at least 10 years.
But when my eye problems exploded, with a diagnosis of chronic conjunctivitis and ocular rosacea, all these past little annoyances became a focus as an irritant to my eyes. And following a nasty allergy panel on my back, lasting 5 days, the diagnosis was severe allergies to nickel and iron oxide.
Turns out all the jewelry exposure and the hair coloring exposed me to toxic amounts of nickel and iron oxide. Now drastic changes were facing me.
Prolonged exposure to heavy metal allergens like nickel and iron oxide will intensify the allergic reaction. The sooner we eliminate exposure to the metals, the better we can manage the allergies in the future. ANY nickel allergy can become a more severe condition if continues to be irritated.
Nickel Allergy Side Effects and Warnings (from Clark's Nutrition)
- Nickel exposures may result from cigarette smoke, airborne particles from combustion of fossil fuels, and contact with stainless steel kitchen utensils, stainless steel and nickel-plated articles, and inexpensive jewelry. People working in or living near industries and facilities that manufacture and use nickel may have higher than average exposure. Nickel impurities may be introduced during the manufacturing of food, drugs, and dietary supplements. Nickel alloys are often used in dental and medical procedures. Certain foods contain high nickel levels.
- The level of nickel toxicity depends on its chemical form. Insoluble nickel compounds (metallic nickel, nickel sulfides, and nickel oxides) are associated with a higher risk of cancer than water-soluble nickel salts (chloride, nitrate, sulfate). Nickel carbonyl is the most toxic form of nickel. Inhalation of nickel carbonyl over time may cause cancer of the lung and nose. Taking it by mouth may lead to serious complications, including death.
- Long-term exposure to nickel compounds is associated with lung and nasal cancer in humans, and it induces tumors in experimental animals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified nickel compounds as carcinogenic to humans.
- Skin contact may lead to nickel-induced contact dermatitis. In rare cases, skin reactions may occur at a site on the body other than the point of nickel contact, and asthma may occur. Exposure to nickel-containing dust may cause heart and lung diseases. Nickel exposure may cause variable degrees of kidney and cardiovascular system poisoning. Ingestion of high levels of nickel sulfate has been associated with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision, dizziness, coma, and kidney poisoning.
- Use cautiously in patients with diabetes, blood sugar disorders, cancer, heart rate abnormalities, liver disorders, kidney disorders, or immune or autoimmune disorders; in patients taking agents for any of these conditions; and in patients taking blood vessel-widening or -constricting agents, or agents metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes.
- Use cautiously during radiotherapy, or in combination with cis-platinum, trans-platinum, and mitomycin C, as nickel may enhance their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity.
- Avoid excess nickel exposure or consumption.
- Children should avoid excess nickel exposure, as early-life exposure to nickel may induce malformations and late-onset diseases. Body piercing should be done using nickel-free studs, especially in children, to prevent nickel hypersensitization.
- Pregnant and lactating women should avoid excessive exposure to nickel, because it can cross the placenta and has been demonstrated to be harmful to the fetus, and it may cause spontaneous abortion.
- Long-term skin contact with nickel should be avoided, due to the risk of developing contact dermatitis. Gloves should be worn by workers that handle nickel objects.
- Patients that are highly sensitive to nickel are advised to strictly avoid nickel exposure, including nickel-containing foods and dental material. Patients with a known allergy to other metals, especially palladium, cobalt, and aluminum, should also limit nickel exposures.
- Breathing nickel fumes or dusts should be avoided due to the risk of cancers of the lung, nose, larynx, and prostate, and cardiopulmonary diseases.
- Avoid in combination with disulfiram therapy in patients with nickel dermatitis, due to the risk of liver toxicity.
Whew! When I found this list, it was a bit frightening! There is more at risk than simple rashes and skin irritation. The words kidney poisoning, cancer and carcinogenic are very serious health risks connected with nickel exposure. Those of us with nickel allergies honestly must pay careful attention to the early and subtle warning signs.
Limit exposure to the heavy metals that you are allergic to, so you can reduce the chances of experiencing hypersensitization.
