Let's Talk MCS
| The Many Names of MCS |
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Silencing the Skeptics
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or MCS, is a term used to describe a condition of heightened response to common substances found in everyday life. Some physicians argue that the diagnosis of MCS is spurious and incorrect, and a mostly psychosomatic response to a few physical responses (Barrett). Ask a person with this condition, and you will see a clearly different reality: The symptoms are absolutely real, carrying with them a fear of being exposed to a smell or situation that is inescapable.Feeling the Pain
One MCS sufferer writes this about her daily experience: “One of the huge challenges for MCS people are the bathrooms or lavatories with their chemical based air fresheners and their strong soaps. Now the antibacterial products are also a problem. Laundry detergents and dryer sheets that are loaded with chemicals are also terrible. Staying in a hotel is almost out of the question as they use such strong cleaning materials and are now not only spraying chemical air fresheners in the room and hallways but also have them permanently installed in the halls so that they spray every few minutes!”
It's Very Real
Is MCS real? Yes, but modern medicine has a hard time diagnosing and treating it (WebMD, p. 2). Is there a scientific way to tell which substances cause reactions in those suffering from it? Perhaps not all the time—but an MCS sufferer will cite in no uncertain terms many events and difficulties in their lives that have come from sensitivity to fragrances and other chemicals.
Citations
(1) Barrett, Stephen, M.D. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Spurious
Diagnosis. Quackwatch.com.
(2) Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity. WebMD.com, 2009