Multiple chemical sensitivity
A challenge for occupational health
Keywords:
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITYAbstract
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is an acquired disorder of chronic evolution characterized by the presence of symptoms that vary greatly and appear upon exposure to low levels of chemical substances, involving several organs or systems. The trigger may be the mere exposure to high doses or the repeated and multiple exposures to one or more substances. When the condition debuts, the most frequently described exposure includes pesticides and organic solvents.
The study presents two clinical cases of patients diagnosed with MCS related to occupational exposures. Co-morbility and the chronic evolution affecting the quality of life are described, as it is revealed by applying the QEESI Questionnaire QEESI (Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory). As it happens in most cases, exposure to these substances in the work sites is difficult to control, even when a job relocation is possible, since they still evidence symptoms with low levels of contamination that are well tolerated by other workers.
Last, if the MCS results from exposure at work, it meets the definition of professional disease, provided for the national legislation. The challenge lies in the dissemination of information that contributes to it being diagnosed and recognized as a professional disease.
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