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Mulitple Chemical Sensitivities
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Category:
Health/Wellness
Publisher: Green Dragon Publishing
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 69
Copyright: May 28, 2016
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
If you're sensitive to perfumes, cleaning agents and soaps, you may have a condition called MCS. This guide will give you some insight on the problem and offer solutions for recovering.
When people suddenly develop severe adverse symptoms to common household items, fragrances or their work environments, they often don’t know where to turn. And most doctors don’t treat multiple chemical sensitivities, so they’re often left to solve their own problems. The author, who has suffered from MCS for more than 26 years, provides you with a background of this miserable condition and the steps he took to make marked improvements in his health. This information alone can save you thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars testing the myriad treatments and potions out there that don’t work.
So don’t just sit there and hope that your symptoms will somehow go away on their own, because they probably won’t. Use this guide to learn more about the causes and treatments for MCS and get yourself on the road to recovery.
Excerpt
Chapter 3: Diagnosing MCS
If you are just starting to experience symptoms, you may not need a diagnosis. Simply eliminating certain practices or using some of the subsequent remedies I recommend may help alleviate your symptoms. But if you’re like most people who seek help for MCS in books, you’ve probably had this condition awhile. And at this point, it’s best to get a professional’s opinion.
When seeking out help for MCS, there are really only three types of practitioners who can help you. The first is an allergist. The other two are natural doctors and alternative health professionals. I’ll explain some of the methods each of these practitioners use, then you can choose the one who’s best for your situation.
Allergy Doctors
Most allergy doctors only test you for inhalant allergies, which are those pertaining to pollen, grass, mold, dust mites and pets. When you have MCS, these allergists are not trained to help you. Instead, you must find someone who tests for chemical allergies. It’s also important to find someone who also tests for food allergies in case your condition is caused by your diet—like mine was.
Once you make an appointment, your allergist will give you a thorough examination. If he suspects that you’re suffering from food and chemical allergies, he’ll usually recommend testing.
Most testing for food and chemical sensitivities takes at least a half a day to complete, depending on the number of people who are getting tested with you. So make sure you can get time off work in advance for testing. You may also want to have someone like a spouse or parent go with you to the testing.
Food and especially chemical testing can make you nauseated and dizzy. And although the symptoms will probably wane before you leave, it’s safer to have someone drive you home in case you can’t.
Trained registered nurses often administer the tests, and they usually hand out packets of information in advance. One page will be a chart that she’ll fill out as you get tested.
Most testing begins with food allergies and ends with chemical allergies. And since glycerin is both a food ingredient and chemical, it’s often the one that is used to commence chemical allergy tests.
During food testing, the nurse will prick your arm with a needle just beneath the surface of your skin. She’ll then have you set a timer which provides ample time for any sensitivities to arise.
The next time you walk up to the testing station, she’ll measure the weal or rash on your skin. If it’s larger than the circle she drew after giving you the shot, it means you’re allergic to that particular food. She’ll continue testing the effects of that particular food through additional skin pricks.
When your reaction subsides, you are at tolerance level for that food. And that’s the dosage you’ll receive through immunotherapy. I’ll explain that in a moment. But let me discuss the chemical testing first.
Testing for chemicals is done sublingually or under the tongue, except for the glycerin. That is administered by skin prick, like all food testing.
I should mention here that throughout the testing, you’ll be instructed to write down all symptoms that occur after you receive the shots or chemical drops. That’s how the nurse will determine whether you’ve reached your maximum tolerance level.
When you test for your second chemical, after the glycerin, the nurse will ask you to tilt your head back so she can insert the drops under your tongue. You’ll then hold them under your tongue for ten seconds and swallow the substance.
I’ll warn you from the start that if you’re highly sensitive like me, you’ll start experiencing symptoms right away. And in addition to feeling sick and dizzy, you may get some intense headaches. Unfortunately, you won’t be permitted to use any analgesics because they can dilute the test results.
When you no longer have symptoms after the drops are administered, the testing for that chemical will end. Then you’ll continue to be tested for as many chemicals as your doctor prescribed.
In addition to glycerin, formaldehyde and phenol, most allergists test for tobacco smoke and chlorine. If you’re sensitive to everything, you basically have MCS.
Food and chemical allergies are usually treated with sublingual drops. That is, you can insert these drops under your tongue if you plan to eat certain foods or be around chemicals in which you have a sensitivity. The drops are expensive but they’re one way to cope with your sensitivities. But they’re in no way a cure.
For food allergies, allergists may also recommend a rotation diet. This allows you to remove the offending food from your diet for a few days before introducing it back.
Rotation diets have been known to cure people with mild food allergies, where they can once again enjoy their favorite breads or snacks. But those who have severe food allergies will need to avoid the foods in which they’re allergic.
Fortunately there are many substitutes on the market for breads, pastas and other foods that contain common food allergens like wheat, yeast, milk, egg and soy. But let’s get away from the food discussion and discuss some other diagnostic methods for chemical sensitivities.
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