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Chinese Drywall & Nerve Damage

That runny nose and sore throat you've had since you moved may not be allergies, but a toxic reaction to the walls of your home. Issues with drywall manufactured in China began surfacing in 2008 and is know linked to possible neurological damage.

  1. Chinese Drywall

    • According the Herald-Tribune, more than 550,000 million pounds of drywall was imported into the United States in 2006, most of which came through Florida, the center of the epidemic.

    Sulfur Gas

    • Testing reveals that Chinese drywall contains trace amounts of many chemicals. Individually they are not in sufficient amounts to be detrimental. However, researchers believe the combination, particularly the sulfur gases, may be the cause of illness in homeowners.

    Symptoms

    • Persons living in infected homes report a variety of symptoms including headache, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, sinus congestion, sore throat, nose bleeds and eye irritation.

    Nerve Damage

    • Some doctors believe that all of these symptoms can be explained by neurogenic inflammation due to exposure of sulfur gases. The trigeminal nerve, also known as the fifth cranial nerve, originates in the base of the brain and has terminal nerve endings in the nose and throat.

    Treatment

    • In 2009, the Consumer Produce Safety Commission recommended removal of suspected drywall. All symptoms cease once the subject in no longer exposed.

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