Do you often clear your throat, have a slightly hoarse voice, or an occasional cough? Do you have frequent headaches, memory loss, joint aches? How about flu-like symptoms, nausea, or rashes? Can you connect any of these symptoms with being around perfume or cologne, new carpeting, or using pesticides? Do you sometimes experience any of these after a few hours of shopping, or being stuck in a traffic jam? These are only a few of the possible symptoms of an injury caused by exposure to a toxic substance.
Some people refer to their chemical sensitivities as an allergy. This seems easier for others to accept. Actually they have suffered an injury caused by exposure to a toxic chemical. It can affect many bodily systems, including but not limited to respiratory, digestive, neurological, musculoskeletal, and immunological. In many cases, one day you are fine and the next you are sensitive to perfume, new carpets, household cleaners, or another substance.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) has also been known as Environmental Illness (EI), Chemical Injury (CI), Twentieth Century Disease, and other names.
Anyone can get MCS. It appears to be fairly equally distributed among ages, marital status, employment and geographic location. It does appear that more women are susceptible. This may be because our bodies are smaller and therefore cannot metabolize the same level of 'toxic loads'.
People with MCS may also have other allergies which complicate their life, such as pollens, or molds. The body can tolerate only so many exposures and stressses before it starts to 'fill up' and exact a heavy toll. The daily level of sensitvity may fluctuate depending on how many exposures already have been endured on any given day. Avoidance of chemical substances can become a major focus in the life of an MCS survivor. To be totally well, you must lower your body's total load of chemicals and avoid further exposures.
A very controversial subject, many doctors feel it is a psychological problem. Yep, your're crazy. Even the mention of MCS in some hospitals will bring laughter and derision. But according to recent studies, approximately 4 percent of the US population may be affected with MCS. That is roughly 11 million people having moderate to severe reactions. If so many people are affected, how can this be considered psychological?
Thankfully, other doctors consider it a very serious problem with the number of people who are affected rising rapidly. Most treatments have concentrated on detoxifying the body of chemicals thru diet and sauna treatments and avoidance of further exposures.
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