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US EPA facts on MCS (2007)
What is "multiple chemical sensitivity" or "total allergy"?
http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/pubs/hpguide.html#faq1
The diagnostic label of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) -- also referred to as "chemical hypersensitivity" or "environmental illness" -- is being applied increasingly, although definition of the phenomenon is elusive and its pathogenesis as a distinct entity is not confirmed. Multiple chemical sensitivity has become more widely known and increasingly controversial as more patients receive the label (63).
Persons with the diagnostic label of multiple chemical sensitivity are said to suffer multi-system illness as a result of contact with, or proximity to, a spectrum of substances, including airborne agents. These may include both recognized pollutants discussed earlier (such as tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, et al.) and other pollutants ordinarily considered innocuous. Some who espouse the concept of MCS believe that it may explain such chronic conditions as some forms of arthritis and colitis, in addition to generally recognized types of hypersensitivity reactions.
Some practitioners believe that the condition has a purely psychological basis. One study (63) reported a 65 percent incidence of current or past clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or somatoform disorders in subjects with this diagnosis compared with 28 percent in controls. Others, however, counter that the disorder itself may cause such problems (64), since those affected are no longer able to lead a normal life, or that these conditions stem from effects on the nervous system65.
The current consensus is that in cases of claimed or suspected MCS, complaints should not be dismissed as psychogenic, and a thorough workup is essential. Primary care givers should determine that the individual does not have an underlying physiological problem and should consider the value of consultation with allergists and other specialists.
63. Black, D.W. Rathe, Ann and Goldstein, Rise B. "Environmental Illness: A Controlled Study of 26 Subjects With '20th Century Disease." Journal of the American Medical Association 1990; 264:3166-70.
64. Fiedler, N., Maccia, C., Mpen, H. "Evaluation of Chemically Sensitive Patients". Journal of Occupational Medicine. 1992. 34:529-538.
SMH Note: The above references are very outdated. since MCS can be caused by mold, and mold exposures, in 2007 have been proven to be linked with depression, it is not surprising that those with MCS or mold-related illnesses are depressed, with a physiological link now found. |
