idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI)

Introduction

Includes disorders attributed to:

• allergies to foods & food additives
• air pollutants
• toxins produced by infectious agents
• sick building syndrome
• electromagnetic radiation
• multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome
• candidiasis hypersensitivity syndrome

Etiology

• sleep disturbance
• psychiatric disorder
• idiopathic

Clinical manifestations

• headache
• abdominal discomfort with diarrhea or constipation or both
• weakness
• muscle pain & tenderness
• nasal congestion
• forgetfulness
• fatigue
• physical examination is generally unremarkable

Laboratory

nondiagnostic

Management

• avoid excessive diagnostic testing, especially testing that places patient at risk

More general terms

• syndrome

More specific terms

• candidiasis hypersensitivity syndrome
• multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCSS)
• sick building syndrome