What is MCS

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What is MCS?

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) is a medical condition

characterized by debilitating chemical sensitivities. People who are

chemically sensitive are made sick by exposures to chemicals found in

many common products such as pesticides, perfumes, tobacco smoke, new

carpets, air " fresheners, " new paint and building materials, and many

cleaning and laundry products. Most of these chemicals will make

everyone sick at high levels, but for chemically sensitive people

exposures to even small amounts of these substances can cause

symptoms. Some chemically sensitive people are only mildly affected

while others have the more severe form of the illness called MCS.

Who Gets MCS?

MCS is a serious and growing public health problem that affects

people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. A 1997 survey

conducted by the New Mexico Department of Health found that 16

percent of the state's respondents reported being unusually sensitive

to everyday chemicals, like household cleaning products, paints,

perfumes and insect sprays, and 2 percent reported they had been

diagnosed with MCS.

What are the Symptoms of MCS?

Symptoms experienced by people with MCS range from mild to life-

threatening and include headache, trouble concentrating, nausea,

diarrhea, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, dizziness, difficulty

breathing, irregular heartbeat, and seizures. MCS symptoms in

children include red cheeks and ears, dark circles under the eyes,

hyperactivity, and behavior or learning problems. After an exposure,

symptoms may occur immediately or be delayed for up to a few days.

Reactions may last from a few seconds to weeks or months. People with

MCS often react to a variety of foods, drugs, molds, and pollen, as

well as chemicals.

What Causes MCS?

Many people have developed MCS after being exposed to chemicals in a

newly built home, recently remodeled office, or following a pesticide

or solvent exposure. Others slowly become ill over a period of years.

Creating a Healthier Environment

Reducing exposures to chemicals improves the health of those with

MCS. Better air quality also helps promote the health of everyone.

The following are ways to create a healthier environment:

Avoid pesticides, use least toxic integrated pest management (IPM).

Avoid newly built or remodeled buildings, or build with less toxic

materials.

Avoid new paint and solvent-based stains and transparent finishes.

Avoid new carpets.

Avoid gasoline, solvent, dry-cleaning, and tar fumes.

Avoid tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust.

Use least toxic, natural, and unscented cleaning, laundry, and

sanitizing products.

Avoid perfume, cologne, and scented personal care products.

Avoid air " freshener " sprays, incense, and fragrance-emitting devices.

Use electric utilities or radiant heat.

Open windows, ventilate buildings with clean fresh air and/or use

portable room air filters.

How Is MCS Diagnosed?

Physicians diagnose MCS by taking a history, performing a physical

examination, and determining whether a person's symptoms come and go

in response to chemical exposures. The physical examination may be

normal or reveal the presence of rashes, yellowish skin color, ankle

swelling, wheezing, irregular heartbeat, trouble speaking and

communicating, swollen lymph nodes, poor coordination, or tremors.

Lab tests that are frequently abnormal in people with MCS include

SPECT brains scans, immune studies, quantitative

electroencephalograms (qEEG), porphyria tests, and neuropsychological

evaluations. These abnormalities indicate there is damage to a

person's central nervous system, enzyme functioning, and/or immune

system.

How Is MCS Treated?

People with MCS report that the most helpful treatment is to avoid

exposures to chemicals, foods, and drugs that trigger symptoms. A

good place to start is to create a " safe " room in one's home that is

as free of triggering substances as possible. There are a variety of

other treatments available, such as nutritional supplementation and

detoxification and desensitization therapies. Treatment options

should be discussed with a physician who is knowledgeable about MCS

to decide which may be appropriate for you.

MCS and Disability

MCS is recognized as a potentially disabling condition by the Social

Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD). It is covered under the Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) on a case-by-case basis. This means that

employers, schools, hospitals, stores, hotels, and other public

places must provide reasonable accommodations to people with MCS who

qualify as having a disability under the ADA.

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This article was originally published in FMOnline. This free online

newsletter is only available to registered members.

Heidi