I went to a workshop on toxins Tuesday afternoon as part of Lesley University’s Eco-Week activities. The presentation was done as part of the Boston Self Help Center. I learned how toxins found in everyday products can lead to MCS or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. This was an eye-opening presentation. I thought I knew a little about people’s chemical sensitivities, but I now realize just how naïve I was on the subject and how so many more people are probably affected by it than I was even remotely aware of.
The number of chemicals that people have been exposed to in the name of making our lives “better” is staggering. There have been over 85,000 different types of chemicals in use today and only 3,000 have been tested for their relative safety for eye and skin irritations. The situation is becoming increasingly apparent to some people, but considering the fact that Rachel Carson alerted us to the dangers of chemicals in the early 60’s, progress toward improvements have come at a snail’s pace. The fact is that there has been an increase in the amount of chemicals used in the name of making our lives easier with: a widespread use pesticides and fertilizers, brighter and more wrinkle-free clothing, and shinier, more manageable hair to name just a few.
People can be affected from either high level exposures such as drastic doses all at once from an explosion of toxins from a furnace or the World Trade Center, or it can come from low level exposures such as a constant use of toxic weed-killing chemicals on the outside of buildings or within older buildings from asbestos. The affects can be very gradual and put down to asthma or the flu. Symptoms can be nausea, extreme fatigue, rashes, mood swings, problems with concentration and short term memory, as well as seizures.
One theory about what happens in chemical sensitivity is that it happens as a result of the chemicals going in through the sinus cavity into the brain and breaking down the natural protective barriers on the way. Without the natural barriers, subsequent exposures of toxic fumes will have more immediate negative effects on certain parts of the brain.
Once someone has MCS or extreme sensitivity, even the smallest exposures can set off reactions. Margaret Ricciardelli, who gave the talk, told us how she has become a virtual recluse. She meets her friends outside and walks first when they take a walk. The smell of someone’s scented shampoo if she walks behind them can make her nauseous and dizzy, and the last time she walked into a store she nearly passed out. She has no short-term memory anymore and has to take regular medications to keep from breaking out in rashes and having half of her body go numb from something as simple as open windows.
One of the issues is the fact that many people do not like to admit the fact that they have a problem and to have people treat them as if they are handicapped. The fact is that MCS is a type of handicap. According to their website, the Chemical Sensitivity Foundation states:
Federal laws–specifically the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act–prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. HUD considers multiple chemical sensitivity to be a disability under these laws. Despite this coverage, the Department continues to receive many telephone calls and correspondences from people with multiple chemical sensitivity who report that their landlords refuse to reasonably accommodate their disability. If you, or anyone you know, believes that they have suffered housing discrimination because of their disability, please contact the HUD office nearest you. Fair Housing is not an option. It’s the law.
There is quite a bit of information on MCS available on the internet. I have just touched the surface of this growing problem. Below are just a few of the sites you can check out for further information. The first website includes a good introductory video on MCS.
http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/
http://sites.google.com/site/bostonselfhelpcenter/news/secondhandscentaccommodatingpeoplewithmcs
http://www.lectlaw.com/filesh/csl01.htm
http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org
http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/bennie_howard-multiple-chemical-sensitivity.htm
As with most things there are two sides to every story. The following website disputes the validity of MCS and seems to suggest that is more of a psychosomatic illness without genuine validity. I cannot help but wonder if this reasoning is somehow backed by one of the chemical companies, or even by someone who uses some of the questionable ingredients to make products that seem to make money for some at the expense of others. Either way I am glad that I am becoming more aware of this problem that seems to effect many more people than I was formally aware of.
Wow, Nancy! Thanks for the info. This disease sounds horrible no matter what the cause.
ReplyDeleteIt made me think of the allergy test my mother just had. Apparently they test for several chemicals and she tested positive for a number of them.
I am glad that people are finally becoming aware to these issues.
Let me get this straight, people who are severely affected by all the chemicals and toxins that are prevalent in our daily existence are considered handicap? It seems pretty outrageous that because of someone's epidemiological reaction to our toxic world is more symptomatic than others that is cause for handicap status? If your body can't handle the chemicals that is now so commonplace, you will be treated differently. Unreal.
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