Immune system multiple chemical sensitivity

What has become an even greater concern in recent years is the phenomenon known as multiple chemical sensitivity disorder triggered by exposures to many chemicals in the environment. Synthetic chemicals are all around us. They are in the products we use, in the clothes we wear, in the food we eat, in the air we breathe at work. Because chemicals are everywhere in the environment, it is not possible to escape exposure. For this reason many people have become sensitized to the chemicals around them. In fact, it is estimated that 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. They may feel tired all the time, and suffer from mental confusion, breathing problems, sore muscles, and a weakened immune system. Such people suffer from a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). 

I didn t put any of this together until a friend came over and told me my gas stove made her sick. She said she was chemically sensitive. Her symptoms sounded so much like mine that I went to her doctor, a clinical ecologist. Test results showed I had abnormal levels of chemical substances in my blood. Somehow these chemicals got inside me and were now affecting my immune system. That s when I was told I had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and now, like so many others, my lifestyle was to completely change. Thus began my long journey. 

Patients allegedly suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities complain of depression, excessive fatigue, sleep disorders, irritability, headaches, and symptoms, such as rhinitis, similar to those associated with allergies. Although immune system disorders are hypothesized as the most frequent underlying cause. 

Perhaps the environmental chemical most studied with regard to effects on the immune system has been 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, which is also known as TCDD or dioxin . While it appears that dioxin may affect multiple cell types, it is apparent that the B cell is an especially sensitive target. The mechanism of action for the immunotoxic effects of dioxin remains poorly understood. It is well established that many of the actions of dioxin, including inhibition of the primary antibody response, are mediated by a specific cytosolic receptor, termed the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR exhibits a profile of activity similar to steroid receptors in that the ligand-activated receptor undergoes a nuclear... 

Different chemicals can cause different injuries at different parts of the fetus s development that is, different parts are sensitive at different stages of development A given neurotoxic agent can cause multiple effects, and neurodevelopmental consequences of exposure may vary, since different areas of the brain develop at different times and since dose and timing lead to different outcomes [30, 34, 36], The nervous, immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems are extensively interconnected and interference with any one of these can have profound effects on any or all of these systans [37]. 

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