Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) is an acquired condition in which the sufferer becomes sensitised or abnormally reactive to volatile chemicals following prolonged, recurrent or high dose exposure to volatile chemicals. The most distinctive symptom is "cacosmia", or a heightened sensitivity and lowered threshold to odours that most of the population find inoffensive or would not notice.

Multiple chemical sensitivities is a condition that primarily affects the nervous system, particularly the brain, and most often has characteristic symptoms, including:

* decreased short term memory,
* poor concentration,
* weakness,
* fatigue
,
* dizziness, and
* altered emotional states (emotional lability, often oscillating between anxiety and depression).

Recent published studies demonstrate alterations of SPECT brain scans, central evoked responses (especially visual and auditory), and altered autonomic nervous system function. The mechanisms of such damage remain unclear at present, but direct neurotoxicity is regarded as the most likely cause. There is no current evidence that the condition is reversible, and MCS appears to represent a form of subtle toxic brain damage
with the potential for lifelong disability

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