Have you ever walked into a room or passed at a particular place with a certain scent maybe of perfume, detergents or flowers and suddenly you start sneezing or feeling dizzy? If this is the case, then you might be suffering from fragrance allergy. This is a condition where people are allergic to a certain scent which could be the environment itself, beauty products or the day to day products that we come across.
Content
- Fragrance allergy
- Symptoms
- Avoiding all types of fragrance
- Severe or moderate fragrance allergy
- Unscented detergents
- Coping with fragrance allergies
Description
There are many different types of fragrances that are in use today, but fortunately, only a small number are common sensitizers and cause allergy in sensitive individuals. In most cases, products are labeled to contain fragrance, but we are not told the chemicals that are used to make the fragrance hence it is good to know which scent you are allergic to and avoid it for the sake of good health.
It is hard to imagine that what smells nice to you or the smell that you love most, can be allergic to another person and cause severe symptoms. Expert argues that the way our bodies react towards different fragrance is dependent on individual physiological makeup. Some people can smell things at a lower level than others because of the difference in the internal geometry of the nose including the olfactory receptors that are different within individuals. Women are known to have the ability to detect any scent quickly as compared to men, and hence they become sensitive to repeated exposures.
In some situations, it was difficult to determine whether the fragrance is the cause of the allergy or just one part of a mix of chemicals used to create the real scents that we smell. Thus, because the fragrance is what we smell when we have an onset of certain symptoms, we blame the fragrance forgetting that it is possible that the reaction that we get might be as a result of the chemicals used in the formulation of the fragrance. Some of the products that we use might unscented but contains some chemicals that cause allergy to the body. It is also good to know that some scents might have severe symptoms that will require treatment while others are just moderate and do not last a long time.
Symptoms
In some cases, the skin is affected where there might be rashes on your body or redness on the skin, itchiness, or blistering of the face and skin as a result of daily or one-time usage of a product. Sneezing is a common symptom experienced by many people once they smell certain scents, they start sneezing till they come out of places with that smell. Some people face difficulties in breathing due to the respiratory problems brought by the fragrance. Headaches are also associated with fragrance allergy which can last for several hours depending on the body systems of the individuals.
Runny and stuffy nose is most common especially when the scent is coming from body sprays or detergents used in homes to do the cleaning. Some people experience asthma symptoms when they smell some scents which react dangerously with their body systems. I have just listed the most common symptoms that people experience though there are also other symptoms like wheezing, chest pains, and many others.
Avoiding all types of fragrances
If you know that you are allergic to fragrance, it is crucial to know which type of fragrance affects you so that you can avoid that type of scent. If your body reacts with the use of certain scented beauty products, then it is good you avoid those products and try to use the unscented once for the sake of your health. The use of detergents and perfume that have strong scent should be minimized especially in public places because there is a mingling of all types of people and some are allergic to scents.
It is also advisable to avoid passing in the environment that has scents which react with your immune system. This is more likely to happen with the smell coming from different plants, flowers or even fruits found in the environment. Industries and factories that produce scented products should have alternatives where they produce even the unscented products so the issue of fragrance allergy can reduce.
Severe or moderate allergies
Health effects of fragrance can be severe or moderate depending on the individual’s immune system. Some of the symptoms of individual suffering from fragrance allergy are asthmatic which requires doctors attention immediately if the person does not have an inhaler to assist in breathing.
Most of the scent allergies are moderate, and the person is only affected for a short time then the system goes back to normal. In addition to your friends and family ensure that they so that they can avoid using them.
Unscented detergents
One of the most efficient ways to solve fragrance allergies brought by the use of scented detergents is to produce products that are both scented and the unscented so that people can buy what causes no harm to them.
It is also good to make sure that if you are allergic to detergents, you avoid public toilets where detergent must be used for cleaning. There is no known cure for the allergies hence the good thing to do is to avoid the scents.
Coping with fragrance allergy
There are several things that you can do to cope with smells that are all over the world. One way is to know what kind of scent irritates you if the scent is a perfume or detergent so that you can avoid that product in the future. You can also try to minimize your exposure as much as possible. This means that by keeping your exposure low, you also lower the chances of being affected.
Invest in an air purifier, which may help to get rid of the unwanted scents from your home and see if the symptoms will reduce. It is also advisable to seek doctors’ advice so that you can explain all your problems to him/her and see if you can get any help because there are medicines which are given to cure some allergies. You can also create awareness to other people about scent sensitivity because some people use different products that are allergic to them, but they don’t know that. Thus, it is good to educate your family members, co-workers and also friends on scent sensitivity. You can also ask people in a polite way to minimize the use of certain products especially if you live or work with them.
