There are days like these I've come to realize that there is nothing sacred when treading life with fibromyalgia.  Just when you think you've got a good handle on everything, something else pops out of the woodwork causing great need to re identify, reevaluate, and reconvene.  After all, what other luxuries of life make one feel so pampered than riding yourself of unwanted grey?

The other day I had my usually scheduled visit with my hair dresser of 10 years.  No new dye was added; instead I thought the best coverup would be to stick to the previous docket.  I enjoyed that cut and color receiving many compliments. 

My hair dresser began to place the usual highlights then doused my scalp with low lights to hide the impending gray.  I did note she completed my entire head this time instead of just the front with these lowlights, and I was excited anticipating a gray-free experience for the next couple of months.

Once doused with the pigment I was set under the dryer to let the colors imprint.  Under the dryer about 30 minutes later I began to feel light headed.  Af first II thought it may be the fumes from my slathered head  leaking from the plastic cap.  I got up, took a trip to the bathroom, hoping to eleviate and reconstruct my senses.  Upon sitting down again, I noticed more lightheadedness and now an increasing heart rate.  At first I thought it was my mind over reacting to an event that was causing anxiety.  After all, I've done this for MANY years.  Within a few short minutes, thereafter, my heart was racing at full speed, actually knocking in my chest wall, and I was ready to place the call for 911.  I ran to the sink and motioned staff to rinse my head as quickly as possible.  It took several minutes of rinsing to get my heart back to normal and I was sickened, achy, and anxious after the whole ordeal.  What could have caused this?

What Causes an Allergic Reaction to Hair Dyes?

A rare sensitivity to certain chemicals, particularly a substance called p-phenylenediamine (PPD), can cause an individual to have an allergic reaction to hair dye. Often, the allergic reaction  is fairly mild, producing signs like burning, itching, and redness. In very rare instances, a hair dye allergy can bring on a life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis, which can be recognized by symptoms like swelling of the throat and face, hives, rapid heartbeat, disorientation, and discoloration of the skin. Those who wish to
color their hair may be able to avoid an allergic reaction to hair dye by always testing a product on a small area of the skin.

Many medical experts believe that a sensitivity to the compound PPD, contained in many cosmetic dyes, is responsible for causing a small number of individuals to have an allergic reaction to hair dye. For many of these individuals, this reaction produces unpleasant but mild signs, such as itching, burning, and
redness on and around the scalp. In many cases, the symptoms of a mild allergic reaction  will diminish within hours or days. Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine may provide relief from symptoms until the reaction comes to an end. -http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-signs-of-an-allergic-reaction-to-hair-dye.htm

How Does Anaphylaxis Happen?

Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you're allergic to, such as a peanut or the venom from a bee sting.
The flood of chemicals released by your immune system during anaphylaxis can cause you to go into shock; your blood pressure drops suddenly and your airways narrow, blocking normal breathing. Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include a rapid, weak pulse, a skin rash, and nausea and vomiting. Common
triggers of anaphylaxis include certain foods, some medications, insect venom and latex.

Anaphylaxis requires an immediate trip to the emergency department and an injection of epinephrine. If anaphylaxis isn't treated right away, it can lead to unconsciousness or even death.

Your immune system produces antibodies that defend against foreign substances. This is good when a foreign substance is harmful (such as certain bacteria or viruses). But some people's immune systems overreact to substances that shouldn't cause an allergic reaction. When this occurs, the immune system
sets off a chemical chain reaction, leading to allergy symptoms. Normally, allergy symptoms aren't life-threatening. But some people have a severe allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylaxis. Even if you or your child has had only a mild anaphylactic reaction in the past, there's still a risk of more severe
anaphylaxis.  - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009

Normally a body's natural defense in combating an uninvited foreign substance is to send out histamines.  Histamines signal the body to send blood to the affected area, which causes swelling from edema and inflammation.  However, for reasons that are not totally understood, in some individuals the histamine response is triggered by substances that are not inherently harmful to the human body or a normal histamine response is atypically aggressive, causing the normal symptoms associated with a histamine response to be somewhat more severe.  Hence in this case, rapid, uncontrollable heartbeat. 

I am fully aware that the miniscule use of the dye on previous visits caused no reactions, yet, when my whole head was lathered, my body triggered an autoimmune response feeling it was under attack.  I must also share that many articles state any initial reaction to PPD will be experienced again in the future.  Hence, I am warned to keep the hair dye directly off my scalp in future visits and lean on the art of foils instead.

This prompts a further look into my diet and other factors that are absorbed on the skin.  I have often noted a rapid heartbeat ensues when something I ingest or absorb does not agree with me.  Further more, shortly thereafter, I notice the added symptoms of increased pain, shooting electirical impulses, disorentation, and lethargy.  And, sadly, sometimes laced with a feeling of being drugged.  I am now on the alert to try small patches before applying skin emollients and taste testing foods before ingesting the plate.  When doing so, wait 10-15 min. for reactions.

I once read in a book "Living with Fibromyalgia prompts the afflicted to acquire a Fast-Paced medical degree in hopes of shedding some light on their illness where others fail."  No such rings more true!  I am an avid reader of all materials that offer hope for this debilitating disease.  And only reading material that exhibits the greatest insight and helpfulness will be mentioned here.

This book, Wheat Belly by William Davis, was by far one of the best editions published that defined many former symptoms that may have led to my fibromyalgia.  Dr. Davis offers the medical introspective that sheds light on several symptoms many fibromyalgia patients suffer.  Although this book is not intended assurance for fibro suffers, it does offer hope for those that give up wheat and are gluten sensitive.

I became emotionally distraught reading  the symptoms that prerequisted my inital fibromyalgia flare-up.  Many of the initial wheat sensitivites in this book touched my memory reminding me of nuances in years past. Couple that with the fact I made wheat gluten stews for over year, and I can now see on a celluar level how that wrecked havoc on my overall health.  I did mention in past blogs that I felt immediate relief once I removed it from my diet.  No other such elimination can wave such relieft for gluten suffers.  This book made me question the fact, how many other fibro patients are diagnosed due to unnannouced wheat sensitivity?  And, could wheat sensitivity that left uncared for, will exhibit such symptoms as fibromyalgia?

Do get this book and read it from cover to cover.  Dr. Davis' light hearted humor will keep you spell bound as you leaf through each page.

A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can  prevent fat storage,
shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.
 
Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100
million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls “wheat
bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or  too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

  After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the
disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat -free llifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who
have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat
Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient. -amazon.com

If your on the move creating a pesticide, preservative free enviornment for your body then the next step is to take it one step further by eating organic lettuce.  After all if you're following the plan, and eating the Fibromyalgia Salad each day, then it could be quite counterproductive eating lettuce that is tarnished from our major food monopolies.

I have gone beyond the prepackaged types, trying to get closer to Mother Earth by preparing my own lettuce from now on.  I am finding the more I learn to prepare my own foods and not rely on mechanical preparations, the better I feel!

Now I did have to get past that gritty counterpart of soil that resides on any newly picked lettuce and decided to purchase a Salad Spinner.  This contraption was a delightful surprise!  All I had to do is cut my lettuces into two inch pieces, place in salad spinner, fill with water, agitate a bit by hand to remove the dirt, and then pick up the basket and drain.  Once done, I placed my salad back into the spinner and gave it a few turns to dry out my lettuce completely!  It easily stores back in my refrigerator with easy pickin's for the next few days. 

Organic Benefits of Produce

According to the USDA, organic fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, may not be treated with 
fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides that contain synthetic substances or sewage sludge. According to the Mayo Clinic, organic farmers use natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, and beneficial insects and birds and other natural methods to reduce pests and disease. To manage weeds, organic farmers rotate and hand till crops instead of using chemical herbicides. Allison  Pennell from babble.com, a parenting website, writes that ongoing exposure to  pesticides makes children more susceptible to health problems, with
a risk of  nuero-developmental damage in particular. According to the journal Environmental  Health Perspectives, kids who consume conventional produce and juice tested  positive for the presence of several kinds of pesticides in their systems. When  these foods were replaced with organics, the pesticides in their
systems  disappeared. According to Weber, some conventional farmers spray fields with  treatments containing waste products from CAFOs, which may contain E. Coli,  bacteria, which can lead to crop contaminations, such as those affecting spinach  and lettuce in 2006. - Livestrong.com

Container Gardening

If your partial to cost, on a limited budge, or simply trying to get back to your grass roots  try container gardening.  After all by eating a good size salad each day, you could save money and wear and tear on your system by forfeiting additives from local merchants by installing some container gardens on your front porch of various lettuces.  Do be careful if you are a fibro sufferer to esnure you purchase lettuces that you are accustomed to making sure you prohibit  flare ups.  You can purchase a delicious lettuce mix, or simply various lettuce types such as romaine,  red leaf, green leaf, or a delightful heirloom mescaline mix.