Chemical and electrical sensitivity sufferers need better health care
Op-Ed
A Swedish study looking at use of conventional health care services by those affected by multiple chemical sensitivity and electrical sensitivity finds these patients are more comparable to the general population rather than patients with a diagnosed and treatable condition such as hypertension. But is this because the environmentally ill are less sick or because traditional health care has nothing to offer them?
The research conducted by scientists at Lund University, Sweden, was intended to ascertain the degree to which those with sensitivities to chemicals and electricity place a burden on traditional health care services. A secondary aim was to seek their opinions of such services.
Researchers sent out postal questionnaires to local residents to assess the prevalence of symptoms related to electrical and chemical factors. They received 13,604 completed responses. The questionnaire asked “Did you during the past 14 days experience annoyance that you associate with (1) fluorescent tube lighting (2) visual display units (3) other electrical equipment (4) breathing air that smells of chemicals (5) other smells and if so, how much annoyance did that cause you?” Possible responses were “No,” “Yes, some” or “Yes, very much”. The investigators then chose to focus on 315 individuals who reported annoyance from both any electrical factor and chemicals or smells, with at least one of the factors rated as "yes, very much" annoying.