Imagine for a moment that you are allergic to virtually everything in the air you breathe. This is the case for many people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a debilitating condition whereby exposure to minute amounts of everyday chemicals – at levels totally undetectable by the average person – can cause an acute allergic reaction.
MCS is far from being understood, but the onset of the condition is usually caused by a single gross exposure (e.g., chemical spill) or chronic smaller exposures (e.g., in the work place) to one or more chemicals/irritants. Once sensitized, exposure to even a tiny amount of the irritant can trigger an allergic reaction that in extreme cases, includes difficulty breathing, short-term memory loss and even muscle paralysis. But what baffles researchers, and makes MCS really challenging to live with, is that the same reaction is then generalized to all manner of chemicals, toxicants, solvents and odours, making it impossible for MCS sufferers to function normally or work in a public place.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for MCS. For most sufferers, avoidance and effective reduction of airborne pollutants, toxicants and chemicals in their home and workplace is recommended. This is, of course, easier said than done. Where it is too difficult or costly to completely eradicate irritants from the home, the next best thing is to create several clean rooms in the house (for example, in the bedroom and living room). For the chemically injured, the ability to retreat to an “oasis” of clean air offers both physical and psychological benefits, as well as a much-needed respite from a toxic world.
Imagine for a moment that you are allergic to virtually everything in the air you breathe. This is the case for many people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a debilitating condition whereby exposure to minute amounts of everyday chemicals – at levels totally undetectable by the average person – can cause an acute allergic reaction.
MCS is far from being understood, but the onset of the condition is usually caused by a single gross exposure (e.g., chemical spill) or chronic smaller exposures (e.g., in the work place) to one or more chemicals/irritants. Once sensitized, exposure to even a tiny amount of the irritant can trigger an allergic reaction that in extreme cases, includes difficulty breathing, short-term memory loss and even muscle paralysis. But what baffles researchers, and makes MCS really challenging to live with, is that the same reaction is then generalized to all manner of chemicals, toxicants, solvents and odours, making it impossible for MCS sufferers to function normally or work in a public place.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for MCS. For most sufferers, avoidance and effective reduction of airborne pollutants, toxicants and chemicals in their home and workplace is recommended. This is, of course, easier said than done. Where it is too difficult or costly to completely eradicate irritants from the home, the next best thing is to create several clean rooms in the house (for example, in the bedroom and living room). For the chemically injured, the ability to retreat to an “oasis” of clean air offers both physical and psychological benefits, as well as a much-needed respite from a toxic world.