As you likely know, fibromyalgia ends up having a lot of different issues associated with it. One of the most common syndromes that end up being linked with fibromyalgia is known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome and what it is, and look at the links between this disorder and fibromyalgia.
What is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome?
Many people don’t know the name, but Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is actually a quite common issue among people. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is known by a number of names, including idiopathic environmental intolerance.
Like other issues, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is considered to be a sensitivity syndrome, which is where the nervous system starts to overreact when certain stimuli are brought into the environment that you are in. In the case of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome, it happens when certain chemicals are in the air. Then, your body reacts negatively by giving you a headache or making you suffer from nausea.
How does it work? Let’s say that someone is out shopping at the mall or another shopping center. You would come into contact with a number of different stimuli throughout the day. Say that you go into a store that has scented candles and other products that have strong scents.
Most people can walk into those stores, take note of the strong scent, and continue shopping. But, with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome, a person would walk into one of those stores and make them feel as if they are incredibly ill, either with a headache or because of other problems.
There are other chemicals that can cause a reaction as a result of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome. They include smoke, chemicals from industrial structures, paint, gasoline, cleaning products, hygiene products (perfumes and cologne), and even any chemicals that are used to clean up tap water. That being said, people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome may also struggle with different scents.
One person may struggle with strong fragrances, whereas someone else will only be sensitive to the smell of gasoline, and others may not even struggle unless they ingest a medication or something else that has a large number of chemicals.
What are the Links Between Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?
So where does this come from? Like with many sensitivity syndromes, no one really knows what the cause of the issue is. Fibromyalgia is also considered to be a sensitivity syndrome, so that may be one of the first connections that you may want to look at and consider when you’re looking at the issues that can be caused by Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.
That being said, all of these have one thing in common – for some reason, the nervous system just goes absolutely nuts when it is stimulated in particular ways. And, because of that, it’s important to realize that we have to be careful when it comes to any sort of stimuli that is going on.
Fibromyalgia, as you likely know, is a sensitivity to pain. The pain sensors in the body are overreacting to the stimuli that indicate pain, and it causes us to feel pain all of the time – even when we wouldn’t have felt pain anyway. Your body is already going to be overreacting to everything, and because of that, you may not be able to tell very easily as to whether or not you’re just having a fibromyalgia flare-up or if you have another sensitivity disorder that goes along with the disorder. Nausea, headache, stress, and other symptoms that are frequently part of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia can also be symptoms of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome and other similar disorders and diseases.
So how do doctors diagnose Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome? Since there is so much overlap between the two, you have to pay a lot of attention to what is going on in your body. If there is a new symptom that hasn’t been around before, then you may be dealing with a symptom of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome instead of your fibromyalgia. Some specialists suggest that you keep an eye out for what is known as “symptom clusters.”
As you may have guessed from the name, symptom clusters are groups of symptoms. And even though they may come up when you are dealing with your fibromyalgia, you may notice new symptom clusters if something like Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is starting to happen in your body as well. On top of that, you may also notice that there are single symptoms that you didn’t have to fight off as part of your fibromyalgia as well – it’s better to be safe than sorry.
This is a pretty good rule of thumb for fibromyalgia in general, and not only if you are concerned about getting Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome alongside it. Our bodies change over time, and there are a variety of different disorders that we can end up having because of our weakened immune systems and the other problems that we have from fibromyalgia. So always make sure that you are keeping track of your symptoms. Keep a journal with any new symptoms and keep track of things, discussing them with your doctor every time that you have an appointment scheduled.
Now that we understand the links between these two issues, it’s important for us to know how to treat them. If you aren’t sure how to take care of it or you need help finding suggestions in order to help you out, you will want to make sure that you talk to your medical professional that helps you with your fibromyalgia symptoms.
They can help you figure out a treatment plan and give you advice as to what may help reduce the symptoms of either or both of these disorders. Always talk to your doctor before changing your treatment plan and if you have any questions about your treatment.
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