Hydrocarbon and chemical sensitivity always go hand in hand with food sensitivities. In some patients, the chemical and hydrocarbon sensitivity is more dominant than food sensitivities. In other cases food sensitivities are more important. To date it has been possible to sort out the majority of ecological problems concentrating on foods alone. Sadly this situation is slowly changing and it is becoming necessary to take on the much more difficult task of unravelling patient’s hydrocarbon and chemical exposure in order to achieve a reasonable clinical result. The outlook for the future is bleak, as there are no signs that hydrocarbon, pesticide, insecticide, food preservative, food additive and aerosol propellant pollution is on the decrease; if anything, it is very much on the increase. By far the most important sensitivity in this group is that of hydrocarbon

What are hydrocarbons? Hydrocarbons contain only the elements of hydrogen and carbon. They occur naturally in petroleum and gas and are used in the manufacture of plastics, solvents, synthetic fibers and synthetic rubbers. Commercial petroleum products, such as petrol, kerosene, aviation fuel and lubricating oils, are derived from mixtures of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are also contained in the gases manufactured from coal and petroleum.

People with hydrocarbon sensitivity will usually feel ill or very tired when exposed to gas, petrol or diesel fumes. They are usually very sensitive to the smell of these fumes, whereas other people would not notice them. Another common symptom is the syndrome termed by American ecologists as ‘brain fag’. The person’s intellect becomes dulled, his memory is severely affected and often his speech becomes slurred.

Obviously, the hydrocarbon problem is of extreme concern in a world which is so reliant on motor vehicle transportation. However, with care and good management, this problem can be minimized by the sufferer. The obvious things, such as keeping clear of heavy diesel trucks, avoiding self-serve petrol stations and not walking or running near busy roads, can go a long way towards assisting a person, with hydrocarbon sensitivities, to lead a normal life. Because this sensitivity always goes hand in hand with food allergies, often the diagnosis and removal of food allergens will greatly assist the overloaded immune system to cope more efficiently with the remaining chemical/hydrocarbon allergies.

Another major form of hydrocarbon allergy is caused by heating and cooking gas. This can be the most serious of all hydrocarbon problems due to gas appliances, such as fires and cookers, being used in continuous close proximity to the sufferer. Leading American allergist, Dr Theron Randolph, has slated the gas stove as a ‘pernicious device’. In the past twenty-five years, he has made three thousand susceptible families switch to something less potentially allergenic. In the case of very sensitive gas allergies, it is necessary to remove completely all gas appliances, pipes and materials regularly exposed to gas, from the home. The obvious choice for these people is electric cooking and heating. The main hydrocarbon derivatives, which cause people problems are paints, varnishes, solvents, cleaning fluids, lighter fluids, aerosol propellants, sponge rubber, plastics, coal tar soaps, detergents, polishes, wax candles, coal fires, air fresheners, deodorants, disinfectants, substances containing phenol and all tinned foods (as the insides of tin cans are coated with phenol), and cosmetics and perfumes.