Multiple Chemical Sensitivity/Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Management

Patients with multiple chemical sensitivity, now called idiopathic environmental intolerance, frequently present to clinical immunologists and allergists for diagnosis and treatment. Patients report a plethora of respiratory and multisystem problems attributed to a wide variety of unrelated, otherwise non-noxious, triggers. They may go to extreme, often seemingly bizarre lengths to avoid contact with everyday exposures and may become housebound, unable to work or function socially. Often beginning with exposure to odors, triggers can multiply to involve foods, clothing, medications, and even electromagnetic radiation. The condition cannot be explained by IgE-mediated or other immune processes, and clinical immunologists and allergists may feel unprepared to care for such patients. In this article, a paradigm to understand the probable mechanisms underlying this condition and a practical approach to diagnosis and management will be presented.