Multiple Chemical Sensitivities can force sufferers into poverty as well as ill health

Environmentalists usually think about chemical toxicity as either a dramatic local crisis, the simmering concern of those far away or far in the future. But for people suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, the chemical crisis is already here. Indeed, thanks to industrialization, it is already everywhere. And, like so many environment-related health issues, it disproportionately affects the poor -- and, moreover, drives many once financially stable people into poverty.

As a disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities doesn't have an official case definition yet, but rather refers to a broad range of adverse symptoms brought on by an even more broad array of everyday chemicals. These symptoms are often provoked at exposure levels far below those that seem to affect the rest of the population -- levels virtually always present in our homes, workplaces, and social venues. They commonly include severe headaches, food intolerances, difficulty breathing, nausea, irritation of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, and skin, and disorientation or confusion, but there are many more.