Chemical Sensitivity (Also known as 20th Century Syndrome, environmental illness, toxic injury, sick building syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance, toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, chemical injury syndrome, ecological illness, total allergy syndrome)
MCS is not always a clearly recognized problem within much of the medical community. Some of our most recognized medical societies do not recognize MCS as a distinct physical disorder. These include the CDC, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Their reasons include:
Patients are not developing antibodies in response to the chemical exposure.
There is a lack of clinical evidence to support the disease.
There is a lack of evidence that this is not brought on by anxiety, depression, or other psychological disorders.
This is not a condition that is fixed with a pill or a shot. For most of those who are suffering with this problem, it is difficult to find someone who understands what they are feeling and how it affects their life. Chemical sensitivity is an individual problem that affects everyone. Each person has an individual response to specific chemicals in their environment. It is not surprising that our bodies are suffering under the strain of the new chemicals and toxins that have been introduced to our lives and our foods since WWII.
MCS can occur when a person’s immune system breaks down through a massive dose of a specific toxic chemical, as in a chemical spill, or long-term exposure to smaller amounts of toxic chemicals, as with contaminated water. After the immune system has been compromised, the person becomes hypersensitive to more and more chemicals in our environment, so that lower doses of the chemicals can cause a reaction.
The symptoms of MCS are varied, and include nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle aches, itching, congestion, mood changes, irritability, and memory problems. Some responses can be very mild, simply sneezing or coughing when an irritant is in your environment. Each negative response your body develops is letting you know your body does not want to be near certain smells, such as perfumes, detergents, or fabric softeners. Other negative responses could occur when you are sitting on new carpet or grass that has been freshly sprayed with pesticides.
Diagnosing MCS can be a lengthy process. Knowing when a reaction occurs and the response is very helpful to the healthcare provider. According to William Rea, M.D., and his associates, the following tests should be considered to diagnose MCS:
History and physical
Blood tests
Immune tests
Objective brain tests
Challenge tests: Oral, inhaled, or intradermal
Fat biopsies
Vitamin and intracellular mineral levels
Treatment of MCS will not only be an individual process, but it may also be a very difficult course to follow. Obviously, avoidance of any chemical trigger is one of the most effective means of treatment, but that would lead to isolation without any social interaction other than immediate family members. There is not enough information about MCS treatment, as so many healthcare agencies do not recognize the problem, yet there are some very basic ideas to help prevent and treat MCS.
The Healthy Green Institute recommends a complete indoor environmental and lifestyle assessment that will help identify the potential triggers that exacerbate the condition. The results from an assessment will provide suggestions to help reduce the exposure your environment and lifestyle have on a health condition.
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