Poor Air Quality and Parotid Fatigue

Posted by Dr. Della Parker     on February 18, 2016

Poor Air Quality and Parotid Fatigue

Earlier this month the state announced the finding of alarmingly high levels of carcinogens floating around in the air we breathe. This particular case was an incidental finding of high cadmium and arsenic in the air in SE Portland. The cause has been linked to a glass manufacturing company in the area. The scary thing is, that there are no laws in place to prevent this or other companies from continuing to pollute the air we breathe. I have attached the article from the Portland Mercury here for your review.

This news is interesting given the high amount of metals and chemicals such as these I identify in the bodies of my patients all day long. These toxins, once in your body can attach to any organ system and create a domino effect of dysfunction. Thyroid, lungs, liver, spleen, these are all very common areas of the body to find excess heavy metals and other chemicals just hanging out to disrupt proper organ function.

We are exposed to crazy things like this all the time, so let’s discuss how our bodies are designed to handle heavy metals that enter the body. Whether we are talking about mercury from your dental fillings or arsenic from the air in SE Portland, you have a gland that should help your body cope with these exposures. These glands are called parotid glands.

What are parotid glands?

They live under your cheeks and create enzymes in your saliva. These enzymes tag heavy metals and chemicals for excretion from the body. These are the same glands that tingle a little when you eat something sour. See, our bodies are super smart! We have a mechanism to identify these invaders. The parotid glands slap an enzymatic kick me sign on their back so they get picked on rather than befriended by organs, all the way out of the body.

How do metals and chemicals create problems in the body?

It’s a little something I like to call parotid fatigue. I made that up… I think. So here is an example; I talk about adrenal fatigue all day long, right? Your adrenal glands are overburdened with stress and become so worn out that they are no longer able to mount a proper response to it. Same thing goes for your parotid glands. They are constantly having to create more enzymatic kick me signs, the more metals and chemicals that we are exposed to. Given the world we live in, they are getting fatigued and are now doing a half assed job. This allows these substances to find a friendly organ and set up shop to create dysfunction.

Where are we getting exposure to metals and chemicals?

Well, I’m a mom, a doctor, and a blogger. Not a researcher, so these are just off the top of my head.
Obviously the air we breathe is jacked! Not much we can do about it. Even if we take away all the glass manufacturers and other companies that do their part to ruin our air quality, we still have a growing population of people that need to get places. So since horse and buggies are no longer all the rave, we are breathing more crap.

Water supply… I will just leave it at that.

Next up… Food! I know, you eat organic food, so do I. Aren’t we just so superior!? Well, not really. Of course this country has found a way to ruin even things labeled organic. See, foods that are grown organic are labeled as such. Sounds good right? Well, unfortunately unless it is grown in your own backyard, the food had to be sent to the place you purchase it. So they basically spray your organic food with the equivalent of dry cleaning fluid to keep it fresh in transit. Lucky us! The food supply in the US is chemical laden no matter how you look at it. Some products are better than others, but rarely is it perfect.

I have to add this next one because it is my personal nemesis. Fragrances! Yucky yucky chemicals! You are giving your body a real chemical bath every time you slather on that bath and body works, walk through a cloud of expensive perfume, relax in a bath surrounded by scented candles, or drive around with your Christmas tree air freshener hanging on the rear view mirror. These over exposures of fragrance chemicals take a toll on parotid gland function as well.

So how do you deal with parotid fatigue?

Call 503… 908…0881! That’s me! There are several herbs and nutritional supplements to help those fatigued parotid glands beef up function. We can also identify exactly which metals or chemicals are hanging out in which organs. Your body needs to be at a certain level of health before it is even willing to address and release these toxins. So we can help you get to that place too. Pretty cool right? I know, I love my job!

These nasty metals and chemicals are the real deal! They are all around us and can contribute to any ailment in the body, from headaches to cancers. Don’t you want your body to start eliminating them properly? I thought so! See you soon!

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