Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: An Overview

 Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is the name given to a syndrome in which a sufferer experiences multiple symptoms upon exposure to minute amounts of everyday chemicals. There is currently no officially recognized definition for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. This is due to the fact that very little is known about it, especially the mechanisms involved with the onset of symptoms. Leading theories suggest a possible role for a hypersensitive central nervous system, immune dysfunction and impaired detoxification by liver enzymes. Some medical professionals, and even organizations, continue to insist that the syndrome is psychological in origin, even in the face of a growing amount of evidence from studies that show clear abnormalities in people with MCS on exposure to normally safe levels of chemicals. Through 1999 there were a total of 618 scientific articles, editorials, books, book chapters and reports relating to MCS. Of these, 308 supported an organic/physiological basis for symptoms whereas only 137 supported a psychological interpretation. (Source: www.mcsrr.org).

Although there is no definition universally accepted by the established medical institutions, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity experts (Heuser et al) have come to a consensus on the criteria for diagnosis, and thus far these criteria remain unrefuted in the published literature. These criteria are as follows:

• The symptoms are reproducible with [repeated chemical] exposure.
• The condition is chronic.
• Low levels of exposure [lower than previously or commonly tolerated] result in manifestations of the syndrome.
• The symptoms improve or resolve when the incitants are removed.
• Responses occur to multiple chemically unrelated substances.
• Symptoms involve multiple organ systems [Added in 1999].

 It's reasonable to expect that these criteria will be officially adopted in a form very close to the above in the relatively near future.

To complicate matters, however, a number of influential medical institutions, such as the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), have renamed the illness as 'Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance' (IEI). They cite the reason for this to be the fact that no immune system involvement has been proven thus far and since "sensitivity" in medical jargon technically refers to an immune reaction, they deem MCS to be inaccurate. For the general population "sensitivity" and "intolerance" generally mean the same thing and MCS is so well known that most people are sticking with this name for now.

 Symptoms

 Many MCS sufferers can trace the start of their illness to an acute exposure to highly toxic chemicals (Gulf War veterans, and farmers using pesticides for example). For other sufferers the illness develops over a long period of time most likely involving chronic low level exposure to chemical substances. Although MCS can occur on its own, a large number of sufferers also suffer from CFS, Fibromyalgia and other related disorders. This obviously points to the possibility that all these illnesses are part of the same underlying process and likely have common causes.

 MCS is a chronic condition with the patient usually experiencing some level of unwellness all the time. However, patients have an acute reaction when exposed to minute amounts of the chemicals to which they are sensitive. Often the level of a chemical that triggers a reaction may be so low that the sufferer can't even smell it.

Common symptoms of MCS upon exposure:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Disorientation
• Dizziness and Faintness
• Flu-like symptoms
• Nausea
• Irregular or Rapid Heartbeat
• Muscle and Joint Pain
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Mood Disturbances - Depression/Anxiety/Irritability
• Short-term Memory Problems
• Asthma/Breathing Problems
• Rashes

 Most sufferers have a distinct reaction upon every exposure. It is common to first experience dizziness, disorientation, rapid heartbeat and mood changes followed by flu-like illness and muscle/joint aches. In severe cases, the flu-like illness and aching can persist for days.