The invisible invaders

From flulike symptoms caused by a "sick building" to Gulf War Syndrome, an estimated 2.5 million Americans suffer from some form of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. In extreme cases, MCS can be totally disabling, forcing sufferers to move to isolated communities or live in porcelain "clean rooms". But many other people live with less debilitating environmental allergies, often without knowing it. And the number of sufferers is rising.Now, in this first-ever report from the MCS front lines, Peter Radetsky examines the history, causes, and spread of this new disease -- and probes the medical controversies that still surround it. He introduces the pioneers at the forefront of MCS research, and he interviews skeptics in the medical establishment who dismiss the disease as hypochondria. He traces the rise of allergies to common chemical products -- detergents, cosmetics, pesticides, glues -- and reveals the truth about Gulf War Syndrome. Filled with chilling case histories and up-to-the-minute science, Allergic to the Twentieth Century is essential reading for MCS sufferers and anyone concerned about the medical consequences of our daily contact with chemicals.