Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic medical condition characterized by symptoms that the affected person attributes to low-level chemical exposure. Commonly accused substances include smoke, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products, and paint fumes. Symptoms are usually vague and non-specific, such as nausea, fatigue, and headaches.
MCS is a controversial diagnosis and is not recognized as an organic, chemical-caused illness by the American Medical Association or other authorities. Blinded clinical trials have shown MCS patients react as often and as strongly to placebos, including clean air, as they do to the chemicals they say harm them. This has led some experts to believe MCS symptoms are due to odor hypersensitivity or are mainly psychological. Regardless of the etiology, some people with severe symptoms are disabled as a result, and many government agencies recognize that people claiming MCS are disabled.
MCS has been given many different names by proponents, including toxic injury (TI), chemical sensitivity (CS), chemical injury syndrome (CI), 20th century syndrome, environmental illness (EI), sick building syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI), and toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT). These names generally are intended to name the cause favored by the proponent or to emphasize the severity of symptoms.
Read more about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Definition, Clinical Trials, Symptoms, Chemical Triggers, Diagnosis, Treatment, History, Epidemiology, In Media
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