Environmental Health Center

EnvironMinute Health Scripts

Does perfume give you a headache? Do your eyes water in the detergent aisle of the grocery store? Should you see a doctor? Two sides of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity on today's EnvironMinute. [:11]

Do you have allergies? Pollen in late summer or pet hair? That's pretty normal. Some people, though, feel they have allergic reactions to too many things — perfumes, carpets, glue, and garbage bags. For these people much of the modern world seems toxic. A few doctors agree. They suspect chemicals may overwhelm their patients' immune systems. They call this Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS and advise special diets and avoiding chemicals. Other doctors think stress or fear — not chemicals — may be the real culprit. Most doctors and scientists are not convinced that MCS is real. The jury is still out, but evidence suggests psychotherapy may be the best cure for MCS.[:37]

The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]

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