Breast implant illness is a real entity. With the recent Allergan recall of over 30 breast implants because of a suspicious link to a type of cancer, why is it such a stretch to think implants can make women ill in other ways? Symptoms are variable and might include fatigue, joint pain, chronic pain, autoimmune issues, headaches, rashes, brain fog, mood issues, anxiety, hair loss and many others. The problem is traditional testing for the majority of these symptoms are often normal so these get diagnosed as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, a non-specific autoimmune issue or even worse… “this is all in your head”.
READ ON to learn about 5 potential causes of breast implant issues…
First a few basic facts.
Breast implants are all made of silicone on the outside.
The inside can be silicone or saline.
The outside of the implant can be smooth or textured. Many of the textured ones have been recalled because of a suspicious link to a specific type of cancer.
Many women have been linking their symptoms to their breast implants while traditional medicine turns their back on their concerns mainly because there really isn’t a specific test that can tell us if the implants are the culprit. Just because there is not a test does not mean the implants may not be the reason. Some women have their implants removed and continue to have the same symptoms. Just because you put a match out that started a forest fire doesn’t mean the fire will be put out, too! You still have to fight the fire. There are many possible reasons why someone might have an issue with an implants. I am going to be exploring these in much more detail at my seminar but here are 5 potential areas that need to be considered:
- Infection – low grade infections with fungi/mold have been reported in the literature and are usually only discovered when removed. Even with the implant removed if the mold is not treated symptoms can persist.
- Sensitivity – sensitivities to the silicone itself have been reported. Silicone can migrate out of the implant so sensitivities can persist even after removal.
- Autoimmune – implants of any kind can trigger an autoimmune response. There are many factors that go into this response and many different layers need to be addressed to help in this area. Studies have indicated an increased link of autoimmune issues and women with breast implants especially with Sjogrens, Scleroderma and Sarcoid.
- Heavy metals- implants are made of many different heavy metals and are cured with metals also. People can have a sensitivity/toxicity to any of these metals.
- Genetics – some people may be prone to autoimmune issues based on their genetic makeup. Something seems to trigger the autoimmune response and implants are suspect as being a trigger. Maybe someday we will be able to screen for these genetic links and be able to advise women to not have implants but we are a long way from that right now.
If you know of anyone who has implants that suspects it may be the root cause of their issues please let them know about my upcoming seminar. March 31, 2020. Join us as we will be discussing all the potential ways implants can cause problems and ways to evaluate & treat them in much more depth. Whether you still have your implants or have had them removed and are still having symptoms this talk is for you!
To your health,
Laura
