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Welcome to The Environmental Illness Resource
The Environmental Illness Resource is an information resource and interactive community site for people suffering from a range of chronic illnesses which are poorly understood and for which there is currently very limited healthcare available. We have chosen to group these conditions under the title of 'Environmental Illnesses' and they include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and allergies.
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Irritable bowel syndrome result of low level inflammation of gut wall
Evidence of a physical cause for the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have long eluded medical science but now a team of researchers has identified signs of low level inflammation of the gut wall in sufferers.
The previous lack of any signs of physical disease has resulted in the medical profession being skeptical of the existence of IBS and patients have often found doctors to be dismissive of their symptoms, adding to their suffering. This new study is likely to go a long way to change all this while also pointing the way for future research and treatment.
The research was carried out by biologists, led by Professor Michael Schemann, at Germany's Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM). Schemann and his team in TUM's Department for Human Biology discovered low-level inflammation, referred to as "micro-inflammation", in the mucosa of the gut in IBS patients. The micro-inflammation is thought to result in sensitisation of the nervous system in the gut (the enteric nervous system) which leads to the symptoms experienced by sufferers.
Danish MCS Activists report about the situation for those with Chemical Sensitivity in their country
Provided by Chemical Sensitivity Network (CSN)
In January 2006, at the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment, a Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities was founded in Denmark. The Center was designed to offer treatments to those with MCS and research fragrance sensitivities in more detail. The initial hope that originally flowed through this center, funded by the Ministry, was to benefit MCS sufferers and to delve into medical science for those affected. Unfortunately this hope has been shattered by recent publications.
The EMM Blog will publish several articles reporting the consequences for MCS sufferers. Environmental health professionals and organizations must be well informed about the events in other countries and it appears that the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities is striving to clearly influence the international science of MCS.
Series is written by Danish MCS-Activists: “The Danish MCS Research Centre in the International Field of Vision”