Roxanne, 23, a legal secretary working in Kingston, likes wearing her perfumes and fragrances but notices that she experiences sneezing and itchy eyes when wearing stronger scents. This never used to happen. Roxanne asked whether she had developed an allergy to perfumes.

Sadly for Roxanne, this may be a reality! Intense smells such as perfumes can stimulate the respiratory system and cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, sneezing, runny eyes and nose. All scented products such as air fresheners, soaps, shampoos, and even deodorants, can trigger this response. Scented perfumes and other products contain chemicals which become trapped in hair and clothing and inhaled over and over.

Some of the chemicals contained in scents are even absorbed through the skin and can trigger an asthmatic attack as well as skin rashes.

Symptoms of headache, skin rash, runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing or shortness of breath after exposure to perfumes or colognes could mean the person is experiencing 'fragrance sensitivity'.

Allergic response

Perfumes and scents are more like irritants than allergens. They may not necessarily cause an immune allergic response, but often the chemical itself in the fragrance irritates mucosa, conjunctiva and skin in susceptible individual. Persons who already suffer from seasonal allergies are actually more sensitive to perfumes and more likely to experience fragrance sensitivity.

Significant relief can be obtained using steroidal nose drops or nasal sprays along with anti-histamine tablets.

Prevention is better than cure so it's best to avoid all fragrances and perfumes found to cause any respiratory or skin problem. In some people, all scents are problematic. In others, it is strong scents only. If the problem occurs frequently, it's best to avoid all scents when possible.

Write to:

Lifeline,

PO Box 1731,

KGN 8

AJM