This environmental illness is called multiple chemical sensitivity
and is caused by repeated exposure to airborne chemicals reaching
the brain via the nose.

Over time the problem can become worse as scents that once were
tolerated or even enjoyed begin to cause problems. During the
winter months the problem is multiplied as cold weather dries out
nasal membranes allowing scents to more readily make their way
to the brain.

This illness can be triggered by such things as perfumes,
colognes, hand lotions, aftershaves, scented candles, poinsettias,
pine boughs, and the like. And because sensitivity increases over
time, the list of items causing this illness grows every year.

Since this disability is covered by the Americans with Disabilities
Act, we are responsible to eliminate this problem and ask your
cooperation in making your company/organization a scent-free work
environment.

Thank you,

Q: How do you become Environmentally Ill? EI is an acquired disorder. It is triggered by prolonged exposure to chemical and allergenic sources. Ordinary items like perfumes, household cleaners, photocopy machines, pesticides, and other ubiquitous sources of chemical exposure can all create severe reactions in those who are prone to enviromental sensitivity.

Even in people who are not severely environmentally ill, daily chemical exposure inevitably leads to heightened sensitivity to atmospheric pollutants. For example, most office environments are presently very energy efficient; this means that there is no fresh air circulation, even though workers are constantly exposed to hazards from photocopiers, synthetic furnishings, cleaning products, dust, mold, bacteria, perfume, and tobacco smoke. The end result: chronically unwell employees.

Q: How is EI most effectively treated? Since EI suffers are often misdiagnosed or dismissed by the established medical community, the majority of EI patients have turned to Evironmental Medicine. The difference between Environmental Medicine and ordinary medicine is that EM takes a tri-level approach to the healing process; initially removing and treating the immediate triggering influence; then determining the underlying deficiencies that are causing the patient’s illness; and later advising on lifestyle and diet alterations that will sustain the patient’s recovery. As well, Environmental Doctors may also refer patients to alternative therapists such as naturopaths, usana essentials, herbalists or dieticians, as a part of the holistic healing process.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Chemical-based products are all around: in the clothes we wear, in the food we eat and in the air we breathe. It is not possible to escape exposure. Many people have become sensitized to the chemicals around them. It is estimated that as much as 15% of the population has become sensitized to common household and commercial products.

For some people the sensitization is not too serious a problem. They may have what appears to be a minor “allergy” to one or more chemicals. Other people are much more seriously affected. Such people have a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS.

What is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?

MCS is a disorder triggered by exposures to chemicals in the environment. Individuals with MCS can have symptoms from chemical exposures at concentrations far below the levels tolerated by most people. Symptoms typically occur in more than one area in the body, such as the nervous system and the lungs. Exposure may be from the air, from food or water, or through skin contact. The symptoms may come and go with exposures, though some individuals may have delayed reactions. As MCS gets worse, reactions become more severe and increasingly chronic, often significantly affecting bodily functions.

In the early stages, repeated exposure to the substance or substances that caused the initial health effects provokes a reaction. After a time, it takes less exposure to cause symptoms. An increasing number of chemical products may trigger a reaction, including some unrelated to the initial exposure.

Most frequently, MCS affects an individual’s overall physical and emotional health. It typically impairs the nervous system. It may affect the digestive and respiratory systems as well. A chemically sensitive person may also have other pre-existing health conditions. Many affected people experience a number of symptoms with each chemical exposure.

Symptoms of MCS

asthma or other breathing problems
autoimmune disorders
behavioral problems
bloating or other intestinal problems
cardiovascular irregularities
chronic exhaustion
disorientation or becoming “lost”
dizziness
dystonia (paralysis)
ear, nose and throat problems
fatigue and depression
flu-like symptoms
food allergies and intolerances
genitourinary problems
MCS may result from a single massive exposure to one or more toxic substance or repeated exposures to low doses. Some people become chemically sensitive following a toxic chemical spill at work or in their community, or after exposure to pesticides. Or, individuals may develop this condition from spending time in a poorly ventilated building, where they breathe a combination of chemicals. MCS may be brought on by a wide array of chemicals found at home, at work, in hospitals, in parks, and at school.

People Diagnosed with MCS

Studies have found that many people diagnosed with MCS were:

industrial workers
teachers, students, office and health care workers in sealed buildings
chemical accident survivors
people living near toxic waste sites
people whose air or water is highly polluted
people exposed to various chemicals in consumer products, food, and pharmaceuticals
Gulf War and Vietnam Conflict veterans
Not all people with MCS fit into these categories. For example, some have experienced a toxic exposure from flea and roach sprays, or from foam insulation (urea formaldehyde) in their home. Other people with MCS cannot readily identify situations where they have been exposed to chemical products.

People with MCS may become partially or totally disabled for several years or for life. They must make fundamental changes in lifestyle and at home. Their marriages and other relationships may end from the stress of coping with this disabling condition. They may drag themselves to work only to return home sicker and more exhausted each day. They may be forced to leave their jobs and deal with the devastating loss of income and health insurance. Some people eventually recover, but few return to complete health.

What Can Cause MCS?

No one knows for sure what causes MCS. However, in non-industrial workplaces, a number of common products and processes have been identified as contributing to the onset of MCS. Some exposures that have been linked to this condition are:

Agent Orange for Vietnam Veterans
antibiotics and other medication
carbonless paper, inks, copying machine and laser printer toner
cleaning supplies
DEET – an insect repellant which may have been a significant trigger for Gulf War Veterans
formaldehyde in new clothes, books, and other products
gas stoves
house paints
insecticides, synergists, piperonal butoxide
new building materials and furnishings
off gassing of new carpets (styrene butadiene latex in flooring adhesives and carpet backing)
pesticides and wood preservatives
second-hand tobacco smoke
toxic chemicals used in art, photography, printing, etc.
vehicle exhaust fumes
These substances contribute to indoor air pollution and are often contaminants in our air and water. Many of the chemicals which trigger MCS symptoms are known to be irritants or to be toxic to the nervous system. One especially harmful group of chemicals, known as “volatile organics,” readily evaporates into the air at room temperature. Even low airborne levels of such contaminants can make ordinary people sick. The impact on health of long-term, low level exposure to most chemicals found in consumer products remains untested. The products and other chemicals that cause problems varies among affected individuals.

Commonly reported triggers include:

anesthesia
artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in foods, drinks, and drugs
detergents and other cleaners
electromagnetic fields
fluorescent lights
perfumes and fragrances
prescribed medications
smoke from

What is Environmental Illness?
“The Ecology Guide” by Dr. Jozef Krop,
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

“EI” is an abnormal state of health where intense and adverse responses occur to minute components of a person’s environment, whether it be food, water, air, chemicals or physical properties.

Environmental Illness has had many names: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Chemical or Environmental Hypersensitivity, Chemical Injury and Environmental Sensitivity Disorder.

EI is an acquired disorder characterized by recurrent symptoms, referable to multiple organ systems, occurring in response to demonstrable exposure to many chemically unrelated compounds at doses far below those established in the general population to cause harmful effects.

The multiplicity of names for the same entity reflects both the multiple facets of the illness and the relative infancy of the field of Environmental Medicine.

There are four categories of environmental factors which can trigger ill health:

Chemical Factors
Physical Factors
Biological Factors
Psychological Factors

Symptoms of Environmental Illness are chronic and relapsing and multi-organ system in nature:

hyper after meals or a birthday party
tired and sleepy 30 minutes after eating
muscle pain, bruising, extreme fatigue or feeling “flu-like” after exposure to pesticides/chemicals
irritation of the eyes, throat, breathing problems, head fogginess after new carpets or furnishings
recurrent urinary problems
recurrent upper respiratory tract or ear infections
depression

Recognizing the signs of EI is the first step toward maintaining good health. Whenever possible, triggering factors should be avoided or exposures minimized.

What Are “Mailing Lists”?
Mailing lists are automated e-mail services that forward a single message to everyone who has subscribed to that list. Some lists are moderated in that the all messages are screened by a moderator for appropriateness. Others are completely open allowing all subscribers to submit or post messages that are forwarded to the entire mailing list.

These lists can provided support and valuable information on very specific topics. However, one must be cautious when viewing postings from unmoderated groups. Some groups also have very high volume. You could receive 10 to 100 messages per day. Some lists allow you to subscribe to a digest format which combines multiple postings into a single e-mail message. With these caveats in mind, the following lists may be of interest to those seeking information on Environmental Illness.

Healthvisions On-line MCS Support Group A friendly, supportive online discussion group about mcs
and allied illnesses based on mutual respect and the premise we can get well. Anyone who wants to subscribe can do so easily by merely addressing an email to mcs-healthvisions-subscribe@egroups.com. Nothing needs to be written on the subject line or body of the message. Acknowledgement will be returned and instructions for posting, etc. To get off the list, all a person has to do it look at any message and she or he will find on the bottom instructions for unsubscribing.
On-line MCS support group for Canadians My name is Brenda and suffer with severe multiple chemical sensitivity {MCS} and allergies. I have started this group because of my own frustration at not being able to access Canadian sources. I am ashamed to say Canada falls far behind the US in the treatment and care of MCS people. According to the Enviromental Illness Society of Canada, in 1999 the US had 1200 EI drs, Canada 25….Yes only 25. Trying to find products to aid in the coping and healing of our illness that can be purchased in Canada such as maple syrup, without having to pay a huge US exchange rate, duty, and enormous shipping costs have been next to impossible. So, I am asking Canadians ill with MCS-EI to share with others if they know of sources for good organic food that ships,cosmetics and personal products, organic clothing, sheets, filtration systems…anything you can think of that may lesson the costs for other fellow Canadian MCS sufferers. If you have a MCS aware dentist or GP. that you feel really has a good understanding of this illness, maybe you may be able to help someone in your province connect with them. Please join me at MCS-CanadianSources
Contact: Brenda Barclay Smith
Website: http://www.egroups.com/group/MCS-CanadianSources
Western ExposurePlus WesternExposuresPlus is a discussion list for adults who are experiencing chronic illness – either their own or someone’s they are close to- who want to actively engage in intelligent, informed POSSIBILITY THINKING with other adults in similar circumstances.

Living with chronic illness is a major challenge often sparking very real depression that needs a medical solution. This list is NOT medically based. Nor do we condone denial. Pollyanna never suffered CFIDS, FM, MCS, MS….

But we do. This list encourages the exploration of what the mind-body connection and beyond might hold for us.

(If you are not a OneList member, you will need to sign-up).

http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/WesternExposuresPlus

MCS-Chemical Injury MCS-CI-exile is an unmoderated discussion forum for MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) , EI (environmental illness), CI (chemically injured).

Information is exchanged by those wanting to move forward, and is for the benefit of sufferers hoping to acquire help in learning to understand, cope and adjust to MCS, EI, CI as they relate to their own individual and personal health concerns, as well as the much broader impacts on reciprocal relationships including, but not limited to, visalus shakes, familial, social, global, medical/ scientific research/ health care, economic, workplace, educational, political, environmental, advocacy, legal, accommodation/ access, lifestyle and governmental realms.

Send a blank message to subscribe:
MCS-CI-exile-subscribe@egroups.com

Or go to:

http://www.onelist.com/group/MCS-CI-exile/

Immune Immune is for people (and their SO’s, family, friends, and medical care workers) with various immune-system related ailments such as: chronic fatigue syndrome, candida, lupus, fibromyalgia, Epstein-Barr, multiple allergies, environmental illness, chemical sensitivity, etc., and the symptoms that result from any of the above, including learning disabilities, migraines, asthma, hypoglycemia, etc. Go to for subscription instructions:

http://www.best.com/~immune/subscribe.html

MCS-IMMUNE-NEURO MCS-IMMUNE-NEURO is a discussion group for people with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities)/Chemical Injury, Desert Storm illness, Agent Orange exposures, silicone injuries, porphyria and other autoimmune diseases and nervous system disorders that may be the result of or exacerbated by chemical injury/exposures.

GOALS:

To provide an exchange of information (medical and scientific studies);
To provide a friendly forum for discussions regarding symptoms, medical tests/treatments and lifestyle changes;
To offer a caring and supportive *stress free* environment in order that health may be regained and lives may be changed for the better;
To show there is hope for recovery. There is not (as of yet) a cure but there IS life beyond chronic illness and especially so with MCS/Chemical Injury.

Join the MCS-IMMUNE-NEURO list by emailing to:

listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

and in the BODY write:
subscribe mcs-immune-neuro
The list offers a digest version and keyword searchable archives which can accessed via email and through a website interface.

Owner/Moderator: Ginny Kloth
bijou@blrg.tds.net
Allergy The Allergy mailing list discusses all types of human allergies – how allergies influence our health and lifestyles, treatments for
allergies from the consumer perspective and experience, self-help prevention of allergy symptoms, allergy self-care, and support
systems. Families and friends of the allergic are also welcome!

Related topics also include hives, sinusitis, asthma, itchiness, rashes, puffiness, nasal and respiratory difficulties, etc. These topics
are fair game, especially as they relate to people dealing with allergies in their everyday lives.

For subscription Information go to:

http://www.Immune.Com/allergy/

EPD List For more information on the Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization mailing list go to

http://dmapub.dma.org/~rohrers/allergy/epd_faq.htm#2.1

CHEMICAL-ILLNET list Chemical-Illnet is an Internet community where the chemically ill, their
friends, family and loved ones can come to gather information, support, and
learn how they can become pro-actively involved in advocating for
accommodation and acceptance of this illness. Members include activists,
medical professionals, scientists, and the general public. The vast majority
of our members are chemically ill or injured and deal with varying degrees of
disability on a daily basis.

To subscribe – CHEMICAL-ILLNET list

Additional Information

If you would like further information or a reading video/audio list about Environmental Illness contact the Society and ask for
a Practical Allergy Relief Foundation catalogue;
the Society’s reading list or
the Environmental Health Foundation catalogue of American products (the latter costs $4 & $1 postage).

If you wish to watch a video about an adult who develops EI, rent the movie Safe, from your favourite video store.

Ontarians watch out for No Scents is Good Sense, a Ryerson Polytechnical University production, on TV Ontario this.

If you are interested in having your class join our newly formed: Future Is Now (FIN) group consider taking a Junior Friend of the EISC membership as well.

We have a 30 day teaching module, The Environment-Health Connection: An Information and Activity Resource for Educators, developed by a teacher for K-OAC level students and will be available November 1997 @$15 (tax & postage included)

The Society developed a Be An Environmental Advocate program is outlined in The Environment-Health Connection and provides opportunities for students to undertake projects which involve effecting changes in classes, schools, homes and/or communities. It also hails the second permanent competition of the Environmental Illness Society of Canada. Students create class or school projects and establish the desired outcomes. They implement the plan and evaluate the project’s achievements.

The projects will be described by written (maximum 4 pages) and should be accompanied by a visual report. Submissions must be postmarked by December 31 of each year. Projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges and there will be an award for the winning national project, to be announced on Earth Day the following April.

Thank You

The Environmental Illness Society of Canada

“The problem of environmental illness needs addressing rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people in the industrialized and developing world are having their lives ruined. Because its effects are often slow acting and its causes hard to prove, it doesn’t generate a lot of noise. I am very pleased that the EISC are taking up the fight. I am certainly aware of the dangers, and I am part of the Reebok Human Rights Award Committee, which recently gave an award to Angela Elizabeth Brown, who is working directly in this area”

Peter Gabriel
Real World Records, UK