Christina Hall questions if her health issues 'could be breast implant related'
The TV star further shared that she dissolved her under-eye filler because "it was causing an inflammatory reaction."
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Christina Hall is wondering whether her breast implants could be affecting her health.
On Saturday, the HGTV star penned a "self-care Saturday" Instagram post that explained she has felt tired over the past few days. Additionally, Hall revealed that over the years, she's been dealing with several other health issues she thinks "could be breast implant related."
In the video, the 39-year-old was seen lying on a bed receiving LED light therapy on her face while listening to a mediation.
"Josh and I tag teaming 3 sick kids last night, this is a much-needed energy restore," she wrote to her 1.8 million followers. "Been super exhausted lately so on a kick to get back into my body."
"I've had some unexplained health stuff for years, and now I'm considering the thought that this could be breast implant related," Hall continued, adding that she's experiences autoimmune issues, inflammation, skin rashes, muscle pain, GI issues, acid reflux and more.
The "Christina on the Coast" star further shared that she dissolved her under-eye filler because "it was causing an inflammatory reaction." She also said she's tested positive for antinuclear antibodies despite being "gluten-free and mostly dairy-free."
Despite this, Hall revealed she's "working on detoxing" and having a "positive mindset."
Both Hall and her fans have suggested she may be suffering from breast implant illness, other celebs have opened up about this condition — including former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
In November 2014, the 40-year-old originally had breast implants so she could "have it all."
However, she began to experience physical symptoms in 2018, which intensified in 2020 when the "wheels came off."
"I had cycle irregularity, gained more weight, my hair wasn’t looking healthy at all and my face was a different shape (weird I know)," she said, adding that she went down a "rabbit hole" to try to figure out what the issue was. "I did every test that could be done."
In October, Patrick took to Instagram to discuss her struggle with breast implant illness alongside Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a brain disorder specialist and founder of Amen Clinics.
When speaking with Amen, Patrick said that she never considered her implants to be the source of her discomfort.
"I had bloodwork done and my thyroid was low. I though I would get this magic pill and everything would be fine. I ended up having severe heavy metal toxicity, especially mercury, and an array of other things like leaky gut," she explained. "One of the big things I eliminated from the equation was breast implants because nothing else was working. I had them for seven and a half years and I found immediate relief with that."
Amen echoed that breast implant illness is a "real thing" and needs more attention devoted to it.
So, what is breast implant illness and what are the signs and symptoms? Read on to learn more about the condition, its risks and treatment options.
What is breast implant illness?
Breast implant illness is a term used by doctors and women to “refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants.” Symptoms can occur with various types of implants, including silicone filled and saline filled.
Breast implant illness is not currently an official medical diagnosis, and some experts describe it as a “diagnosis by exclusion.”
“Diagnosis by exclusion means that there is no test for it, but there are tests for other things that have the same symptoms or similar symptoms,” Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research tells ABC News. “If there is no other reason for this array symptoms, then there are doctors who will call it breast implant illness.”
Breast implant illness is much more recognized than it used to be, but there are still stories online of women with medical issues going to see their doctors and having their symptoms dismissed.
Nicolaidis tells Yahoo Canada that he has colleagues who are surprised that he believes in breast implant illness. However, in his experience, patients who have their implants removed "come back saying they feel better."
Doctors agree that social media is a huge part of the awareness and also offers support to women who are experiencing similar health problems.
One of the largest Facebook groups, Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole, was created several years ago by a woman who says she also suffered from breast implant illness. It now has more than 160,000 members.
Patrick herself turned to the internet throughout her medical ordeal, saying she watched over 100 stories on YouTube.
All of this attention has led to more discussions in the medical community.
“It’s recognized enough that the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] now talks about it,” Nicolaidis says.
In October 2021, the FDA updated its safety requirements regarding breast implants, including new label warnings added on implant packaging and making a patient decision checklist for patients so they can understand the risks before the surgery.
What are the signs and symptoms of breast implant illness?
Symptoms may vary for each person. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists the more common ones as the following:
Fatigue
Muscle and joint pain
Memory and concentration problems
Hair thinning/loss
Skin rashes
Depression
Migraines
As for when someone will experience these symptoms, that also depends on the person.
“I’ve had patients come and ask me, it breaks my heart because it’s literally two months after their augmentation, and they’re feeling so sick they want them out,” Nicolaidis says. “That’s the quickest within a month or two.”
However, Nicolaidis adds that majority of patients won’t experience symptoms for at least a couple of years, if not longer.
Who is at risk of breast implant illness?
Nicolaidis estimates that one to 10 per cent of breast implant patients will suffer from breast implant illness.
When asked who exactly is at risk of getting sick, the Canadian specialist says that is “not 100 per cent clear.”
Generally, doctors say women have a greater risk of developing breast implant illness if they have a personal or family history of autoimmune disease, suffer from a chronic condition like fibromyalgia, have multiple allergies, or have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.
Nicolaidis was performing breast augmentation surgeries up until a year ago because he says he wanted to learn more about risk factors that cause the illness.
“Then I started seeing patients who had no risk factors and still developed breast implant illness,” he explains. “That’s when I decided OK forget it, I’m not implanting anymore.”
What does treatment look like?
A common treatment option for people suffering from breast implant illness is having both implants and the surrounding scar tissue removed.
Patrick says she felt better almost immediately after surgery, noting her face “had more colour and less dark circles,” her face started producing oil again, she could take deeper breaths and she had more energy.
While some effects are felt much quicker, other issues may take longer to resolve.
“[Patients] who have developed full blown autoimmune illnesses from their implants, those ones are slower to get better,” Nicolaidis explains. “They often require not just removal of the implants and the capsule, but they also require medical care in order to improve.”
When it comes to advice he offers his patients, Nicolaidis believes the risks of breast implant surgery should not be downplayed and says the decision should not be made “light-heartedly.”
“There are many complications that can arise,” he advises. “For patients who have enough breast tissue you’re better off probably having a lift than an augmentation cause then you have your own tissue, you’re not going to have to have other surgeries.”
As for Patrick, she says she will continue to share her progress as she goes along.
“If this post helps just one get to the root of their issues, it did its job,” she says.
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