This personal view of multiple chemical sensitivity and environmental illness is supported by research. In a question-and-answer format, the effects of exposure to perfume, smoke, air fresheners, cleaning products, exhaust, and other air contaminants are examined and linked to symptoms such as headaches, allergies, asthma, and fatigue. The book contains additional testimony and reports from 37 sufferers, as well as listings of resources and related scientific articles.

Els Valkenburg wrote the first Dutch book on multiple chemical sensitivity, and this is the English-language edition. She operates the resource Web site www.the-abc-of-mcs.com. She lives in the Netherlands.

Els Valkenburg

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 224
Bibliographic Info: 7 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4443-4
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5715-1
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Health Topics

Acknowledgments      ix
Foreword by Kim Schoppink      1
Preface      3
Introduction      5

Part I: What Is MCS?      9
1. MCS: General      11
2. MCS: Treatment and Strategies for Relief      21
3. MCS: Scientific      28
4. In Conclusion      35

Part II: The Personal Situation      39
5. About MCS Itself      41
6. About Relationships      47
7. About Social Life      54
8. About Protective Measures      56
9. Happy in Isolation?      59

Part III: The Voices of Others      67
10. Owners of International Organizations and Websites      69
11. The Voices of MCS Patients from the Netherlands      86
12. In Memory of Deceased MCS Patients      104
13. Links to Websites with More Testimonies      108

Part IV: The ABCs of MCS: Tips and Advice in Alphabetical Order      109

Part V: Films, Books and Other Resources      167
14. Films      169
15. A Few Books About MCS      173
16. Art and Music      176
17. Spiritual Nourishment      178

Part VI: Further Resources      181
18. Articles      183
19. Websites      186

Part VII: Providing Information to Others      201

MCS Handout      203
Bibliography      205
Index      209

“very well-written…this book is well-researched, moving, extremely interesting and useful for anyone who wants to know about MCS…an absolute necessity not only for MCS patients, but their relatives, friends, physicians, therapists, medical personnel, and the general public”—American Chronicle.