Perfume Allergy

If you think it is impossible to develop an allergic reaction to perfume, well, you are in for a surprise. This is because there are indeed many people afflicted with perfume allergy.

There are popular misconceptions about perfume allergy going around nowadays. For one thing, a lot of people assume that only women are affected with this type of allergy. This is wrong because there are also men who suffer from this condition as well. Another misconception is that this condition only affects the person wearing the perfume. This is still wrong because people in his or her immediate environment can very well be affected, that is, if they do suffer from this type of allergy. Moreover, many people think perfume is the only scent that can trigger an allergic reaction. This is still not true because even household cleansers, fabric softeners, air fresheners, potpourri, scented candles, hair spray, and even shampoo can trigger an allergic reaction. The symptoms of the typical perfume allergy are pretty minor, such as a rash or a headache. However, the more severe cases can bring about serious asthma attacks. Thus, it is still better to pay due attention to this type of allergy.

The typical symptoms that come with a perfume allergy include itchy eyes, wheezing, runny nose, and cough. If you notice these symptoms whenever you wear a particular scent or whenever you come across a particular scent worn by a person close to you, then chances are, you experiencing an allergic reaction to that particular scent.

Imagine how frustrating it would be to go to your office and the perfume of your colleague triggers an allergic reaction in your system. What makes it even more frustrating is that the typical office is a confined space, so there really is no way of escaping the substance itself. The only thing that you can do here is to politely ask your colleague if it is possible for him or her to change scents, since the present one causes distress on your part. Hopefully, your colleague will have the heart to change scents for your sake right away. Or, you could also request for your work station to be moved as far away as possible from that person. The worst case scenario here would be to change jobs, which is something that is unavoidable at times.

The good thing about having a perfume allergy, though, is that not all fragrances can trigger an allergic reaction on the afflicted person. The important thing then lies in determining which particular scent does bring about the manifestation of your symptoms. Keeping a record of your attacks and the scents associated with these can be helpful here.