How much better you can get depends on your:

• duration and intensity of exposure
• willingness to work at cleansing
• willingness to leave a toxic environment 

Of these factors, probably the last one is most important.   It is impossible to recover from an environmental illness as long as the exposure continues.  Unfortunately, the burden falls to the victims to make the economic decisions which extract them from a dangerous abode or occupation. The more rapidly this is done, the better.

Levels of Exposure

We consider limited exposures to be isolated or sporadic incidents, such as a homeowner going into the attic a few times without protection, and feeling ill afterward.   Moderate exposures are chronic but relatively short term, such as, living in a contaminated home for less than a year.   Heavy exposure would be more than a year in a badly contaminated home or more than a year of direct occupational exposure.

Seeking additional care

When seeking medical care, try to find physicians with experience in occupational medicine, particularly asbestos exposure. The more times they have seen various fiber-related exposures, the more likely they are to know how to deal with it.

Places to look for such doctors:

• Local universities that have occupational health programs.
• Committees on Occupational Safety and Health ( COSH groups)
• Public health services (may help you find COSH).
• Local union chapters, especially Heat and Frost and Asbestos Workers. WARNING: be cautious when dealing with unions which represent fiberglass factory workers, such as Glass Molders.

In addition, you may wish to work with alternative health practitioners.  Our philosophy for getting better is more likely aligned with a thoughtful alternative practitioner than with a "traditional" Western doctor.

Disclaimer!!!

The author of this paper is not a medical doctor of any kind. Individuals should follow a course of action which they believe will help them achieve comfort and long-term healing and consult with whatever advisors they deem proper.  Remember, different people may have totally different reactions to the exposures.  All courses of treatment must consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of the individual. Persons with multiple chemical exposures may expect more complicated and severe reactions, and more difficult paths to healing.

The healing techniques recommended in this article may cause a temporary increase in discomfort for some individuals.  The discomfort may or may not lead to long-term relief of symptoms. If the discomfort is too great, discontinue the program and seek other advice.

What you choose to do with this information is strictly up to you.  Use what works, adapt it to work better for you.  Share your improvements with us.

Philosophy

Victims of mineral fiber exposure should think in terms of cleansing, rather than medicating.

Your body naturally reacts to toxins by swelling, itching, erupting into rashes, and other manifestations called symptoms.   Western medicine employs powerful drugs to mask symptoms.   We suggest you heed your body's warnings, rather than covering up its unpleasant, but perfectly normal, reaction to infiltration by any toxin.

The most logical way to achieve lasting relief from toxin exposure is to remove as much of the offending material as possible from your body, and avoid future exposure to the toxin or anything like it.   For instance, since manufacturers coat fiberglass with formaldehyde-based resins, someone exposed to fiberglass may need to avoid all formaldehyde to remain totally symptom-free.

As luck would have it, formaldehyde can be found in many everyday situations, such as sitting in traffic or working in an office full of foam-filled furniture, fiberglass room dividers, and new carpets.

A s soon as fiberglass exposure occurs:

•  Disrobe as soon as possible after the exposure incident is completely ended, preferably before entering your vehicle or living area. Hose off outside when possible. Put on interim clothing before entering your home.
• Take special care to avoid touching your body anywhere, especially eyes, ears, neck, genitals or anus, until you clean you hands and fingers.
• Shower as quickly as possible after the exposure incident completely ends.   Use mild soap and tepid--not hot--water.
• Don't do anything to open your pores until all fibers are down the drain.
• Ensure towels and clothes are completely free of fibers.
• Rinse thoroughly first, then carefully wash ears, eyes, fingertips, etc.

Removing as many fibers as possible from your skin, your clothes and your environment as soon as possible after exposure immediately puts you on the road to recovery.

Target Organs

Fiberglass affects many organs, but the ones which are most often affected are the:

• skin
• airways and nose
• eyes
• sensitive areas

Fiberglass spreads easily on fingertips, hands, tools and clothes, resulting in painful secondary exposures in places which would not ordinarily be exposed.

Skin

Tiny fibers penetrating the outer layers of the skin become embedded and begin to break down, releasing their formaldehyde-based binding agents into the skin.

One reader writes that folks who are anticipating working with fiberglass should powder their skin before doing so.  The powder may help block some fibers from penetrating the skin, and could bind with some fibers to form large, relatively harmless, clumps.

Skin naturally replaces itself all the time, a process called exfoliation.   Dead skin cells accumulate anywhere your skins spends a lot of time, which is why it's good to wash your clothes and bedsheets!   Many exposed individuals have reported actually seeing fibers come out of their bodies periodically. That is natural. Splinters, scabs and scars are removed the same way.

We suggest you gently encourage exfoliation by:

• A diligent program of dry skin brushing using specially made brushes.
• A regular program of steam baths and saunas.
• Application of natural preparations, such as Aloe Vera.
• Gently scrubbing with a loofah or other device using pure water, natural soaps and other concoctions
• Using muds and plasters to extract toxins.

Some or all of these healing tactics may be uncomfortable at first for people with more severe skin reactions.   Individuals with open sores or unusual growths should seek the care of a dermatologist or other specialists.

Dry skin brushing is unfamiliar to many cultures, but is extremely pleasant and does scrape away dead skin cells, hastening exfoliation.  Brushing should supplant the need to scratch. The goal of brushing is to speed up natural exfoliation, not to scrub the fibers out. 

Fibers not embedded too deep will eventually be brushed away, if you are patient.   Intensive scrubbing more likely will break fibers into smaller pieces and/or force them deeper into the skin.

Skin preparations

Generally, people with skin problems should be careful about smothering their skin and clogging their pores with gooey lotions, oily salves, or powerful medical cremes.   Skin needs to breath to exfoliate.

Several natural products may offer some relief; however, even natural products can be very strong.   Aloe Vera and Tea Tree Oil may help your symptoms. Of the two, Aloe Vera is milder.  At least one fiberglass victim has wrote that she experienced much relief using emu oil, which she says flushes the glass particles and infectious cells from her body.  

An attractive succulent related to lilies, aloe vera grows up to 24 inches in diameter.  Its thick, fleshy, rosette of leaves is filled with a gelatin-like goo widely used for burns, bites, scrapes and other wounds.   Aloe can be grown as a houseplant in any warm location.   Aloe turns brown in direct sun; frost kills many varieties, especially aloe barbadensis, the most common medicinal variety.

Aloe can grow fast enough to supply a gel on a regular basis, depending on how much is needed.   Simply cut a leaf from the bottom, slit it open, and apply to the affected area.  Or, you can buy aloe vera gel, already extracted from inside the leaf.   Commercial preparations tend to contain a very small amount of actual aloe, so be careful about what you buy.

Tea Tree Oil is made from the Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum).  This strongly scented oil has mild antiseptic properties and is frequently used on burns, funguses and other skin ailments.   Good quality tea tree oil is way too strong for direct application around eyes, rashes and on other sensitive areas.   Dilute it.

Airways

Airway therapies are most effective when done immediately after exposure, hopefully before any physical exertion at all.   Rapid breathing with lungs full of glassfiber only pulls the tiny fibers deeper into the lungs.

Once buried deep in your personal breathing apparatus, the fibers are surrounded and attacked by the body's defender cells, become attached to the landing zone, and are much more difficult to expel.  At this point, they may or may not dissolve. ( Fiberglass companies say the dissolution reduces the likelihood the fibers will cause lung cancer.  FIN is concerned about the potentially toxic end products of the dissolution, however.)

Airway cleansing tactics include:

• Chi-gung breathing exercises
• Steam therapy
• Cardiovascular exercise

Chi-gung

For thousands of years, Asian monks have practiced and perfected techniques collectively known as "chi-gung."   The Chinese word for life force energy is "chi" (sometimes written Qi).   By our definition, Chi gung are basically gentle exercises which build breathing strength.

When combined with deep meditation, chi-gung is claimed to have almost mystical powers. We do not discount this, but most "modern" citizens may be unwilling to put in the years of practice necessary to be a Taoist master.

At the very least, chi gung can help:

• Expel dust, fibers and other pollutants
• Increase lung capacity
• Increase oxygenation of the blood
• Strengthen and tone chest and abdominal muscles
• Assist the heart with pumping blood*
• Massage and stimulate internal organs
• Build energy and overall vigor 

*People with clogged arteries should be extremely careful when doing chi-gung exercizes.   If you think your arteries are plugged, see a doctor.

Chi-gung sounds complicated, and there are many different styles and millions of subtle nuances.  But the basic concept is simple: deep, rhythmic, consciously-controlled breathing.  Many people perform chi-gung exercises when they meditate, but it is not necessary to master meditation techniques to benefit from breathing exercises.

Keep in mind that every fiber purged from your airway is one which can no longer irritate your sensitive lung lining cells, get sucked even deeper into the lungs, or possibly even turn into a cancer.

You may need to find a local martial arts, tai chi or meditation instructor to help you learn breathing techniques.   If you cannot find one in your town, you can also learn the basic techniques by reading the " Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity " by Daniel P. Reid.   Either of these books will tell you anything you want to know about how to right the wrongs done to your body.

The fiberglass victim should learn three basic techniques:

• the cleansing breath
• the snort
• the deep breath

Use the cleansing breath before the deep breath.  Do not use the deep breath after exposure to fiberglass until a full regimen of cleansing breaths is performed.  Do not use the deep breath in a fiber-contaminated areas.

The cleansing breath features a brief inhale followed by a complete, forceful exhale. Start with an exhale: tighten all of the abdominal muscles and collapse the chest toward the knees to compress all of the air out of the lungs, through the mouth.  Then relax the muscles and bring the chest to normal sitting position, allowing the lungs to refill on their own, slowly, through the nose   Repeat for several minutes.

The snort is a variation on the cleansing breath, except this time inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose.

Start a deep breath by slowly inhaling through the nose, with the tongue pressed gently on the roof of the mouth. Expand the lower lungs, mostly down, not out.   Push the diaphragm downward. Allow the breath to rise through the chest to the shoulders, filling the lungs as far as is comfortable.   Raising the arms and shoulders can help the rib cage expand, and can be part of a rhythmic, circular motion.

Once the lungs are full, lower the rib cage and tense the muscles of the stomach, crotch and anus.   Use the air pocket along with the tensed abdominal muscles to gently squeeze the internal organs.   Retain the breath for an instant, then very slowly, quietly exhale through the nose or mouth. Pause for an instant and repeat.

Breathing exercizes should be pleasant and relaxing therapy. They should help you calm your mind and regain control of your thoughts.   If they make you short of breath, then change your technique.   For a more detailed discussion of breathing, see Sustainable Enterprises.  

Nose

When fibers get buried in the passageways and sinuses, they cause the sensitive nasal linings to produce snot, clogging the tiny passageways and filling the sinuses. The resulting pressure can be quite painful, and when prolonged, can be debilitating, infuriating and depressing all at the same time.

Fiberglass-related sinus conditions mimic common allergies, causing doctors to mistake one for the other.  Unfortunately, fiberglass-based sinus conditions do not respond to "Western" allergy treatments, which use powerful steroid-like drugs to suppress the inflammation.

Cleansing tactics for the nose include

• Chi-gung
• Steam therapy
• Nasal douche

Chi-gung breaths can be routed to exhale through the nose. This can be very powerful when the mucous is melted by steam.   Don't blow too hard out your nose, as you can seriously injure your inner ear.

In "The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity," Dan Reid describes a "nasal douche" which can be used to flush the nose and sinuses.  All that is needed is a long-spouted teapot, warm water, and calm nerves. Its use could enhance efforts to flush out sinuses and nasal passageways, and is especially useful immediately after exposure, before mucous has formed.  The nasal douche would be impossible to use on a completely clogged nose. 

On rare occasions fiberglass victims have resorted to having non-reversible surgical procedures, such as turbinectomies, which remove important nasal apparatus. This extreme step did not bring complete relief, and shows not only the absurdity of Western medicine, but the desperation of people trapped in an endless cycle of sleepless nights, miserable days, trips to the doctor and expensive prescriptions.

Eyes

Fibers may be visible on the eyeball, under the lid, or in the socket.  Resist the temptation to pluck them out. Rather, gently flush the eye with pure water or eyewash.

Pull up the eyelid, and use a steady, but gentle stream of water to cleanse the back of the eyelid.   Repeat this procedure going under and around the sides of the eye, to the greatest extent possible.

If, during this procedure, the assistant notices large numbers of embedded in the eyeball or surrounding tissues, seek professional help. Do not ever stick brushes, tweezers or blades into the eye. 

As long as the cornea is not scratched, there should be no permanent damage.

Sensitive Areas

• eyes
• ears
• lips
• face
• neck
• genitals
• asshole