Multiple chemical sensitivity
Please direct discussion of NPOV to this topic's discussion page at .According to some, MCS is not a 'real' illness, but a psychosomatic disorder. To others, it is a real, possibly lifethreatening illness. The division is notably between scientific medicine and alternative medicine. It should however be noted that a psychosomatic disorder is as real an illness as any, it is just difficult to convince people that suffer from it that they have it, mostly because they are afraid of the stigma often attached to people with a mental illness. Readers are advised to follow the external links mentioned and read more on the subject if they wish to make up their mind.
Multiple chemical sensitivity (also known as MCS, also known as "20th Century Syndrome", "Environmental illness", "Sick Building Syndrome", 'Carpet Chemical Allergy' and a host of other names) is a non-standard medical diagnosis for people with unexplained allergy-like symptoms who believe that traces of several modern industrial or household chemicals are responsible. Conventional medicine does not recognize this diagnosis, because there is no definitive test, no plausible scientific mechanism, no reliable studies have demonstrated its claims, and because the symptoms are explainable by other means such as more conventional allergies, infectious disease, or psychological reaction to stress. There isn't even a meaningfull description of the disease, making diagnosis practically impossible. Typically, people who show vague symptoms which resemble allergic reactions are diagnosed with it. This looks a lot like sympathetic magic, e.g. something is similar because is looks similar.
There is strong evidence that MCS is a purely psychosomatic disease. In tests of dozens of people who where diagnosed (by alternative health practioners) as having MCS, none of them showed any reaction to suspected substances when exposed to them without their knowledge, though they did show allergic reactions when they knew they were being exposed. They also showed allergic reactions to injections of (biologically inert) salty water or exposure to purified air when they were falsely told they were being exposed to suspect substances. In short, there was no correlation between actual exposure and reaction, only between percieved exposure and reaction.
It should be noted that illnesses such as asthma and (normal) allergies where also once considered to be psychosomatic. The difference between MCS and these others however is that symptoms of MCS vary wildly and are not repeatable in blind tests.
Allergist Theron G. Randolph (1906-1995) is generally seen as the 'inventor' of the term and introducing this condition to the public. It was he who first speculated that exposure to modern synthetic chemicals was the cause. Allergic reactions to minute traces of chemicals goes against what is known about the correlation between dose and effect. Randolph however theorized that the human body is like a barrel filling up with small or even minute doses of chemicals untill it is full. Any further exposure will then cause allergic reactions, like the straw that broke the camels' back. Science recognizes that there are chemicals that build up in the body (such as mercury), but these do not cause allergic reactions, but mostly organ failure, such as failure of the liver or kidneys, since these are the organs involved in filtering out or storing (the liver) these chemicals. Some chemicals are also stored in bodyfat. These effects have never been found in MCS-patients, either suggesting that they actually do not suffer from the effects of chemicals or that there is another mechanism (possibly the one Randolph proposed) to blame for their symptoms. People who treat MCS generally identify themselves as "clinical ecologists", and many belong to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, which Randolph founded in 1965 as the Society for Clinical Ecology. Clinical Ecology is not a recognised field of medical science.
People diagnosed with MCS suffer widely assorted symptoms blamed on exposure to trace levels of environmental chemicals. No two MCS patients will experience exactly the same symptoms.
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2 Commonly suspect chemicals 3 Further reading 4 External links |
Common symptoms of MCS
MCS patients often suffer from depression, anxiety and other psychological problems, leading most experts to believe that MCS is a physical manifestation of psychological disturbance (a psychosomatic illness) which should be treated with psychotherapy and anti-depressants. It is however difficult to judge cause and effect. People can get anxious or depressed because of their illness, or their anxiety or depression can be the underlying cause. The use of anti-depressants with a number of patients has shown dramatic improvement, with disappearance of MCS symptoms, though it would be non-sequitur reasoning to conclude that this will work for all patients.
Treatments, unvariably offered by practioners of alternative medicine, usually revolve around avoiding exposure to suspect substances, which can have a severe impact on peoples lives. Enclosed air-conditioned buildings with a recycled air supply such as shopping centres, malls or large office buildings are deemed particularly bad environments for the chemically-sensitive, who may feel forced to avoid public gatherings entirely to avoid their perceived illness being triggered. Patients avoid certains type of fabric for their clothing, hang printed paper outside for days (or avoid it all together), use only untreated wooden furniture, take only organic food etc. Some avoid contact with the outside world all together.
Because of the impact this sort of treatment can have on people's lives, be it a 'real' or psychosomatic disorder, MCS should be taken seriously. Most importantly, people suffering from it (again, regardless wether it is a 'real' or psychosomatic problem) should not be treated with disdain or labeled fakers because they suffer from real problems. The debate on MCS is about the cause and not about the effects.
The list is actually endless. Since the basic belief is that buildup of trace-levels of chemicals is the cause of MCS, almost any substance is suspect, since just about every substance has adverse effects on people if the dose is high enough. The minerals in mineral water for instance will kill a human if he is able to consume about 7200 liters of it within the hour. This is of course physically impossible, but with a buildup up over time of substances, causing traces of substances to be able to trigger effects, as claimed by Clinical Ecologists, it is obvious that any substance becomes suspect.
Many people with MCS also avoid exposure to inks, laser printers,
and other potentially offgassing substances such as new furniture and plastic items.
See also Gulf War syndrome.Commonly suspect chemicals
In particular, offgassing chemicals (some odorless, some not) are suspect. Solvents are very suspect, because there is no debate in medical science that these can cause permanent braindamage after long exposure. The associated illness is popularly known as painters' syndrome, since (professional) painters are exposed to paint-thinner fumes on a daily basis for many years. For this reason, many countries have banned thinner-based paints and replaced them with water-based paints. There is however no evidence thinner causes damage to people only occasionally exposed to them.