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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity - What Is It? Part 1
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) no longer is an enigma in our society.
Unfortunately, more and more people have it in some form or another as many in the health
care industry are accepting it as a concrete diagnosis. What is it? MCS is defined as a
multi-system disorder usually brought on by toxic exposure to a chemical or chemicals. The
exposure can be acute, i.e. a large amount of a toxin over a short period (hours to days)
or it can be long-term, a low-level exposure over a period of weeks, months or years.
An example of an acute exposure is a chemical spill and an example of a long-term exposure
is a person living in a house that has been tented to kill termites and gets progressively
sick.
MCS over the long haul depletes an individual’s nutritional stores and causes
problems in many different systems and organs in the body. Hence the term multi-system
disorder. The person becomes sensitized to the particular chemical. With repeated
exposure, the sensitivity increases.
Also, there is what is called a spreading effect where the individual is bothered by many
more different chemicals. As this happens, more body systems become involved. MCS almost
always effects the Central Nervous System.
According to the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) the
diagnosis, treatment, and etiologic assessment of MCS had remained a troublesome medical
and social concern for individuals, physicians, government and organizations. Also,
according to the ACOEM, the condition was first described in 1952 and has since amassed
over 20 different names, including “environmental illness”, “total allergy
syndrome”, “20th Century disease” and “Chemical Aids”. My
personal favorite is 20th Century disease.
In my mind, this name is totally appropriate since our society’s quest to preserve
everything from food to building materials has created this mess.
ACEOM recognizes that there is a lack of scientific research about MCS. However, they
support tentative conclusions about MCS. These conclusions are: 1) that there is no
immunologic basis for MCS. 2) that there is an overlap between MCS, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other historic non-specific condition.
An article by Japanese physicians from the University of Tokyo School of Medicine is
pretty much in agreement with the statement of the ACOEM. Baisky AJ,Borus from the
Division of Psychiatry at Birgham and Womens Hospital in Boston Massachusetts in an
article titled Functional Somatic Syndrome which is another way of saying MCS states that
even though physical causes may ultimately be found in patients with MCS, the suffering of
these patients is exacerbated by a self perpetuating, self-validating cycle in which
common endemic, somatic symptoms are incorrectly attributed to serious abnormality
reinforcing the persons belief that he/she has a serious illness. In other words, although
there may be just medical cause for this condition, much of the symptoms are
psychological. I am in total disagreement with this statement as I believe and will try to
prove to all that MCS is a toxic reaction to chemicals that creates abnormal physiological
function in the body.
In 1999, consensus criteria for the definition of MCS were formulated because even though
there continues to be a lack of objective physical evidence that support the diagnosis of
MCS, government studies in the U.S., U.K. and Canada revealed 2-4 times as many cases of
chemical sensitivity among Gulf War Veterans than soldiers who weren’t deployed to
the region.
Also, state health department surveys of civilians in New Mexico and California showed
that 2-6% respectively, have been diagnosed with MCS and that 16% of civilians reported
and “unusual sensitivity to common everyday chemicals. Those criteria are as follows:
1) chronic condition. 2) symptoms that occur reproducibly. 3) symptoms that respond to low
levels of exposure. 4) symptoms to multiple unrelated chemicals. 5) symptoms that
disappear or are reduced when the chemical is removed. 6) symptoms that occur in multiple
organs.
In my opinion, the best thing that is happening with regards to MCS is awareness. Today,
there are more governmental agencies and health care providers who acknowledge MCS. Next
month, I’ll write about the physiological aspects of MCS.
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