Stephen Barrett is co-author of "Chemical Sensitivity: the Truth
about Environmental Illness." The book is an attempt to convince
mankind that Chemical Sensitivity is merely a matter of mental ill-
ness. In his relentless campaign, which has shown itself to have
been solely a money making venture, Barrett repeatedly cited a
1999 position statement issued by the American Academy of Al-
lergy Asthma & Immunology. The position statement is titled
"Idiopathic Environmental Intolerances."
Abbreviated IEI, Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance replaced
the name, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, in meeting rooms where
position statements are drafted. However, IEI did not replace
MCS at Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, Yale, and Harvard.
Perhaps Barrett Should Have Read
the Entire Text Before Citing It
The irony to Barrett's citing of the 1999 text, in order to strength-
en his assertion, consists in the fact that the 1999 position state-
ment expressly recognizes the existence of:
"true environmentally caused diseases."
Within that same published text appears examples of such true
environmental illnesses. The examples in the text include:
1) "hypersensitivity pneumonitis,"
2) "sick building syndome,"
3) "reactive airways dysfunction syndrome."
[The aforementioned diseases appear by name at the
section nearest to the Summary. That section is titled,
"Comparison with Other Illnesses."]
In as much:
1) Stephen Barrett called Sick Building Syndrome "a fad diag-
nosis." The AAAAI did not do so.
2) Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) is regard-
ed by the AMA as "a subset of Irritant-induced Asthma." It's
a chemical sensitivity disease and a form of environmental ill-
ness. Yet, has Barrett ever acknowledged the existence of
that particular chemical sensitivity disease in his writings?
3) Furthermore, a subset of Hypersenstivitiy Pneumonitis is
"Chemical Worker's Lung." Now, the Stephen Barrett who
has zero experience in internal medicine, zero experience in
dermatology, zero experience in cytopathology, zero experi-
ence in immunology, and zero experience in biochemistry has
mocked "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" by name. But has he
ever acknowledged that there exists Chemical Worker's Lung?
The Chemical-bearing Agents that MCS patients Avoid
Are the Same Ones that the AMA, AAAAI, and ALA
Recognize as Triggers of Asthma and Rhinitis
4) The 1999 position statement acknowledged the following:
"Certain environmental irritants, including some of
those mentioned above, are recognized as triggers
for patients with asthma and rhinitis."
[The above-cited quote appears at the section titled,
"Clinical Description of IEI."]
The environmental irritants mentioned in the same section of
the AAAAI's 1999 position statement are:
- "perfumes and scented products, pesticides, domes-
tic and industrial solvents, new carpets, car exhaust,
gasoline, diesel fumes, urban air pollution, cigarette
smoke, plastics, and formaldehyde."
- "certain foods, food additives, and drugs"
- two things not claimed to trigger asthma and/or rhinitis.
In order to confirm that the above-mentioned things are recog-
nized as asthma triggers by mainstream medical science, see:
Cleaning Supplies and Household Chemicals
http://www.lungusa.org/healthy-air/home/resources/cleaning-supplies.html
Understanding Asthma - American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/asthma/about-asthma/understanding-asthma.html
Chemical Asthma Triggers and Irritants
http://asthma.about.com/od/asthmatriggers/qt/chemictriggers.htm
Asthma Triggers: Gain Control (EPA site)
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/chemical_irritants.html
The above-cited web addresses are those of the American Lung
Association, the AMA, and the same AAAAI Barrett elected to
use in his campaign to convince mankind that Chemical Sensi-
tivity is nothing more than a psychological illness. In as much,
count the number of chemical-bearing agents that the three main-
stream associations regard as asthma triggers.
The AAAAI's public education material
on the subject of Occupational Asthma
Concerning the AAAAI that Barrett cited in his campaign to
convince mankind that Environmental Illness is merely a mat-
ter of mental illness, it published an instructional website about
Occupational Asthma. The AAAAI has already acknowledged
that Occupational Asthma can be caused by a number of chem-
icals at nontoxic/ambient levels, afflicting a number of workers
employed in a number of industries.
Acrylates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adhesive handlers
Amines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shellac & lacquar handlers
Anhydrides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plastic, epoxy resin users
Chloramine-T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janitors, cleaning staff
Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Textile workers
Fluxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic workers
Formaldehyde/glutaraldehyde . . . Hospital staff
Isocyanates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spray painters, Insulation
installers; plastic, rubber,
foam manufactory workers.
Persulfate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hairdressers
The same public education material of the AAAAI states:
"The cause may be allergic or nonallergic in nature,
and the disease may last for a lengthy period in some
workers, even if they are no longer exposed to
the agents that caused their symptoms."
"Inhalation of some substances in aerosol form can di-
rectly lead to the accumulation of naturally occurring
chemicals in the body, such as histamine or acetylcho-
line within the lung, which in turn lead to asthma."
"For example, insecticides, used in agricultural work,
can cause a buildup of acetylcholine, which causes
airway muscles to contract, thereby constricting air-
ways."
"Allergic occupational asthma can occur in workers
in the plastic, rubber or resin industries following re-
peated exposure to small chemical molecules in the
air."
"If occupational asthma is not correctly diagnosed early,
and the worker protected or removed from the expo-
sure, permanent lung changes may occur and asthma
symptoms may persist even without exposure."
"Up to 15% of asthma cases in the United States may
have job-related factors."
"Isocyanates are chemicals that are widely used in many
industries, including spray painting, insulation installa-
tion, and in manufacturing plastics, rubber and foam.
These chemicals can cause asthma in up to 10% of
exposed workers."
The aforementioned illustrates that Chemical Sensitivity, as it
applies to asthma and rhinitis, is acknowledged as valid and
authentic by the same AAAAI that Barrett elected to use, in
order to support his assertion that chemical sensitivity is mere-
ly a psychological illness.
Conclusion
Stephen Barrett can mock the diagnostic title, Multiple Chem-
ical Sensitivity, all that he wants to. It will not take away the
fact is that chemical sensitivity has already been recognized
in case specific form. And it will not take away the fact that
the sufferers of those case-specific forms of chemical sensi-
tivity need to avoid the chemicals which exacerbate their
medical conditions.
Avoidance and AMA (CSA) Report 4 (A-98)
Avoidance is not 'detrimental.' Nor is it nonsense. Avoidance
is a medical necessity. And as it applies to asthma, the AMA
has stated:
"Regardless of the efficiency of clinician assessment
and patient self-monitoring, if the patient's exposure
to irritants or allergens to which he or she is sensitive
is not reduced or eliminated, symptom control and
exacerbation rate may not improve. Formerly titled
"Environmental Control," the key points in this area
logically include efforts by clinicians to pinpoint caus-
ative agents and to provide specific advice on how
to avoid or reduce exposures to environmental or
dietary triggers and drugs that may provoke or ex-
acerbate symptoms." [AMA Report 4, Council on
Scientific Affairs (A-98)]
