What does MCS feel like?
Different people experience MCS differently, so symptoms vary, but they often manifest as headache and visual disturbances, mental confusion and neurological dysfunction, weakness and nausea, rapid heart rate and dizziness, difficulty breathing, or even blacking out.
Is MCS real?
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is an acquired chronic dysfunction in which exposure to low levels of chemicals induces mild to severely disabling symptoms [1]. Symptoms are usually vague and nonspecific.
Is MCS considered a disability?
If you are suffering from a severe case of MCS, you may not be able to work. That’s when you need to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI.) Since MCS is not considered a disability on it’s own, you will have to prove your disability in other ways.
Is there a cure for MCS?
There are no reliable tests to diagnose multiple chemical sensitivity, and there are no effective or proven treatments. Some doctors prescribe antidepressants, including “SSRIs” (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), and paroxetine (Paxil).
How common is MCS?
Close to 13% of adults in the US have been diagnosed with MCS, which may sometimes be called multiple environmental chemical sensitivities, polyallergy, or environmental illness. Nearly 26% of the population reports chemical sensitivity.
Can chemical sensitivity go away?
Many people can become free of symptoms by avoiding chemicals they are sensitive to. A few people make a full recovery and are no longer affected by low levels of chemicals. MCS is worsened by continued exposure to toxic chemicals. Occasionally MCS is fatal.
What kind of doctor treats MCS?
A medical specialty known as clinical ecology has developed, in which doctors (primarily allergists) diagnose and treat this syndrome.
Is MCS genetic?
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is characterised by adverse effects due to exposure to low levels of chemical substances. Various genes, especially genes of importance to the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds, have been associated with MCS, but findings are inconsistent.
Does chemical sensitivity go away?
Is MCS an autoimmune disease?
Immunological. Researchers have studied immunity biomarkers in people with MCS to determine whether MCS could be an autoimmune disorder or allergic response, but the results have been inconclusive.
What supplements help sensitivity?
In addition, B vitamins (especially folate, B6, and B12) and magnesium may be recommended, because, as Dr. Arsenau notes, “If you have really low levels of certain nutrients, you’re not going to detoxify properly.
Is multiple chemical sensitivities real?
While certain chemicals like those above are known to cause toxicity or adverse reactions including allergies, some people have sensitivities to a wide spectrum of environmental agents. These people have been dubbed to have multiple chemical sensitivities or idiopathic environmental intolerance.