Anyone else very sensitive to smells?

[deborah_r]

I am sitting here with a headache and can feel something (mucous?) building in my sinuses and draining down my throat. Also, my eyes are burning a little. This from helping DS1 with his homework while he used a grape-scented Smencil (it's a scented pencil). I have had to put away scented Softsoaps (I remember one was like Black Raspbery and vanilla or something) because I could smell it from rooms away if anyone used it , and would have those same symptoms. I bought a different kind of Burt's Bees lipbalm (Honey) and can not use it - the smell gives me an immediate reaction. Don't even get me started on certain perfumes.

Anyone else experience this? Any coping mechanisms to share?

[Reyadawnbringer]

This is me. I have no coping mechanisms :(
I actually hate working in cubicle offices because someone always thinks their perfume/scented lotion is the best and I end up with endless migraines because they can't take a hint.

I will be stalking this thread for suggestions.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i experience this, but mostly just when preggo and/or nursing. it's like i get instant migraines (i can literally feel my sinuses swelling) just from walking down the wrong aisle at Bed Bath and Beyond (i HATE how they have popourri samples and you can smell them from half the store).

the only thing that helps is to leave immediately and get some cold, fresh air (i know this is always possible though).

[deborah_r]

Forgot, I also have this reaction in the rug section at IKEA, but in that case my throat swells up as well.

[Smillow]

I know the feeling! I have given away soap, detergent, dishwashing liquid, candles, etc. because the smell drove me up a wall! Smencils? Really? That's too funny

[Tondi G]

I am super sensitive to scented soaps/lotions/candles etc.

I remember there being a fancy candle store in the mall near the place I worked and every time I walked past getting an itchy throat and feeling headachy. I could not understand how people actually worked in that place (standing around for hours in that strong perfume smell). I had a hard enough time just walking by the store.

[Edensmum]

Yes I don't use anything scented in our home. Those chemicals and fragrances are actually really bad for your bodies, so it's best just to avoid them. I never felt this way before and used to wear perfume, but since having my kids I can't stand to be around fragrance and I did some research. It's best just not to expose yourself as much as possible.

[blue]

Yes, I am. Unfortunately, it only gets worse as I get older. Some of the things that bother me the most are: perfumes, scented candles, baby powder (makes my throat close up), some lotions, etc etc. I also get the fun mucous, itchy eyes(that make me want to rip my eyeballs out of my head), head ache and what not.

I have no advice to give, except avoidance (when possible). I will be watching the tread too for any suggestions...You are defiantly not alone.

[amldaley]

Forgot, I also have this reaction in the rug section at IKEA, but in that case my throat swells up as well.

This one, most likely, is a typical allergy to unwashed wool and/or dust. I have this issue at Ikea, too but also lots of rug places. I am highly allergic to alpaca wools, too. A traditional daily allergy med like allegra or claratin should help with this one.

[amldaley]

My family has ceased to be amazed to what smells cause reactions for me b/c it *literally* alters how we live and what we do.

I have been allergy tested and the Dr said I have one of the strongest reactions to dust and dust mites he has ever seen. I am allergic to all molds, even the "rare" molds, trees, cats, dogs, rabbits. He also said I have "chemical sensitivities".

Bath & Body works products - I can't even be in the same office space when someone is using them.

Stores like Abercrombie & Fitch that actually scent their stores - I not only can not shop there, I actually have to walk the long way around to get past them at the mall.

I have random reactions to things that I have no idea what is getting me. Last weekend, I just randomly had a reaction on my right side, eye watering, nose running, lips got hot, facy got a red, prickly rash.

It sucks.

Coping tools -

I take a daily allergy med. I find Allergra works best for me, but I had to use Claratin when I was pregnant.

I wash my hands frequently to ensure I don't have anything on me.

I avoid places I know will be problematic, like the rug section at Ikea. I stopped attending church after I had to change seats 4 times due to people's colognes and perfumes at Christmas. I try to use natural cleasners in my home like Planet's coconut based products.

I stay well hydrated. My allergist said that if the tissues in our sinuses are even the slightest bit dry, they are more susceptible to reaction.

I am going to be trying a neti pot and the cold shower method soon, too (I keep a tracking journal, so don't want to start anything new at the same time).

And, I developed a 10 second, "I am so sorry, but I have severe allergies and chemical sensitivities and you are killing me" speech for the situations I really need the other person to change their habits, such as the girl who sat across from me and used B&BW hand lotion 8-10 times a day.

[3blackcats]

Not quite that sensitive, but definitely sensitivity. I can use scented products as long as they don't have a scent I can't tolerate. For example B&BW lemon is ok - Vanilla is not.

Cigarette smoke is an instant migraine inducer.

All these scents are even worse if I already have a touch of a headache.

LOL and PP who mentioned Abercrombie and Fitch - I hate walking past that store I have to hold my breath.

To cope:
-Get fresh air asap -- the colder the better
-Try to regulate my own body temp, if I am at all hot it makes it even worse

Ugh, the people who wear too much perfume/cologne and think it is the best smell in the world. I've had to change seats in movie theatres b/c of this.

[daisymommy]

Oh heck yeah! I can't even walk down the isle of laundry detergents without holding my breath or else I get a headache. I use unscented everything here at home.

The funny thing is I used to love scented everything. I went crazy with scents around the house. But when I started becoming more green and natural and took all that stuff out, now I can't tolerate it. It's like my body is on alert saying "that's not good for you! don't breathe it in!".

[KHF]

I'm super-sensitive to smells as well. Some are worse than others. I'm very allergic to the pollen in all kinds of lilies, so I've FINALLY talked our office manager into not getting lilies in flower arrangements for the office. There are 2 other people in the office sensitive to smells, so we've banded together. One of them is the finance person in charge of payroll, so the manager listened when she talked :)

My sensitivities got worse during pregnancy, but didn't go back to normal afterwards. Thankfully, I work in a cube at the end on a corner next to a window, so I only have one close neighbor. And she is sensitive to smells also. So I have it pretty good where I am at work.

[o_mom]

Oh heck yeah! I can't even walk down the isle of laundry detergents without holding my breath or else I get a headache. I use unscented everything here at home.

The funny thing is I used to love scented everything. I went crazy with scents around the house. But when I started becoming more green and natural and took all that stuff out, now I can't tolerate it. It's like my body is on alert saying "that's not good for you! don't breathe it in!".

:yeahthat:

I used to be fine with it, but after eliminating most fragrances the last few years, the slightest bit gives me a headache. I had to use a regular bottle of cleaner the other day (not at home) and I had a headache in minutes. The Smencils I can't stand. I tried to discourage them, but they used their own money for them, so I let them get one. Natural fragrance doesn't seem to have that effect on me, though, so things like TTO or lavender in shampoo are OK.

[hillview]

Yes my family calls me "the nose" or "the nose knows" I can smell a bottom that has not been wiped well enough across the room, I cannot have strong smelling cleaning supplies in the house, no scented candles or soaps etc. I can smell when someone has not had a shower that day, or when DH was drinking (not his breath but his skin, I can sometimes tell when someone has their period (gross I know).

Interestingly I also get migraines -- I have often wondered if the 2 are connected (strong sense of smell and mirgarine).

Yes my dad says I should have gone into a career that would have used my smelling ability.
/hillary

[Corie]

Definitely!!! There are certain smells that just don't agree with me
and they can make me quite nauseous/migraine.

I've bought many a candle only to burn it once and then turn around
and give it to a friend. (I'm always trying new candles though because
I LOVE them!!)

I remember asking my math teacher in high school if she could
move my seat. The girl in front of me wore some rose perfume
and she literally made me sick every day. It was a breath of fresh
air to move away from her. I don't think people realize how much
their cologne/perfume negatively affect A LOT of people!

[Corie]

Stores like Abercrombie & Fitch that actually scent their stores - I not only can not shop there, I actually have to walk the long way around to get past them at the mall.




I really hate this store for this very reason. Our Abercrombie & Fitch
is located right next to the Lego store.

[lizzywednesday]

...

Cigarette smoke is an instant migraine inducer.
...

Ugh, the people who wear too much perfume/cologne and think it is the best smell in the world. I've had to change seats in movie theatres b/c of this.

I get the headache and have trouble breathing.

The biggest triggers for me are AquaNet hairspray, perfumes, cigarette smoke (2nd and 3rd hand) and a lot of shampoos/conditioners.

While I was pregnant, my DH's deodorant, body wash, hair gel, T-Gel knockoff (Target's is very perfumey), anything vanilla or mint, bleach, mayonnaise and smoke were HUGE nausea triggers. I had to change my shampoo, soap and conditioner several times to avoid throwing up in the morning ... and I no longer use those products because they make me sneeze.

Scented candles make me cough, I can't go through the perfume counter at a department store without wincing, I can still smell smokers from several feet away and have to avoid one woman I work with because she uses such a heavy scent on a regular basis.

Once, one of my coworkers sent me into an asthma-like attack when she sprayed some sort of who-knows-what INSIDE HER CUBE which shared a wall with mine. (Um, really? You thought it was appropriate to spritz some crap into the recirculated air? Then again, she wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you catch my drift, so it probably hadn't occurred to her.)

My quickest fix if I have breathing difficulty is drinking half a cup of black regular coffee for the stimulant effect of the caffeine. (Though, should it happen before DD is weaned, I don't know what I'll do - I've sworn off caffeine because of her heart defect.) Getting fresh air is a plus as well.

As for allergy meds, well ... Allegra makes me spacey, so I've used Zyrtec (or its much-cheaper generic) since it was a prescription drug.

I carry water with me at all times and had taken to keeping a large plastic tumbler in my desk drawer at work so I'd never be without something to drink. (I need to bring that back.)

I haven't figured out a nice way to tell someone to remove their offending chemicals, though, because if I'm having an attack, I get really snippy.

[DietCokeLover]

I was not sensitive to smells until I became pregnant the first time. It never left me and I am still sensitive.
DH can no longer wear cologne or I will get a migraine and immediately nauseated. Other perfumes/ lotions/ candle smells, etc are also triggers. However, the one that is actually the worst for me is the smell of coffee. I've never liked the smell, but it didn't make me sick. Now, it is torture for me and DH LOVES coffee!!!! I also have had to move seats in church several times because our church has a coffee bar in the lobby and allows people to bring coffee/ cappucino into the sanctuary (HUGE soapbox issue for me that I will not get into here).

[wimama]

I have been sensitive to scents since childhood. I remember the incense used in mass giving me instant headache and making me start coughing. I also remember perfumes and colognes starting to bother me around junior high age. I have always automatically sought out fragrance free everything. When I married DH he would spray "air fresheners" and I would get a headache. He really didn't believe me and kept spraying the stuff. We had a few arguments about it.;)

I just ordered some soy based candles scented with essential oils. I am hoping it is just artificial scents I am sensitive to. Regular scented candles have been giving me a headache lately. So, I am testing out my theory with the essential oil based scents.

The funny part is I don't even think I have a very good sense of smell. I often have a stuffy nose from my seasonal allergies. But, the scents still manage to bother me.

[lmh2402]

i'm extremely sensitive to smell. always have been.

my parents always told me it was b/c my eyesight is so incredibly poor...that my sense of smell is making up for it

i don't get migraines. but i go out of my way to avoid certain places that i know will give me a bad headache and/or make me feel nauseous

but mostly, i just hate that i seem to be bothered by things that stink no matter in a regular every day setting

like this past weekend, when we popped into a local diner for breakfast. and i could not stop smelling the stink left on the table by the cloth that wiped it down...you know that kind of not-really-clean-cloth smell? like mildew-y?

i made DH put his nose down to the table to sniff different spots but he was insisting he couldn't smell it

we left b/c i was too grossed out to eat there. :shrug:

[carolinamama]

Certain scents/smells are a huge migraine trigger for me. I have to avoid them if possible. I am very careful about what we use in our house but you can only be so selective in other domains. Vanilla scented body lotions are a big trigger for me and one of our secretaries at work likes to wear that scent. I mentioned one time to her that I wasn't avoiding her, but I was feeling especially susceptible to a migraine that day and would be steering clear. She herself suffers from migraines and understood completely to the point that she doesn't wear that scent to work anymore.

[twowhat?]

YES though maybe not to the extent of some. I cannot walk by those potpurri/perfume/lotion stores at the mall. If I do, I get nauseated to the point of having to go outside and sit down. I hate it when people wear too much perfume or cologne - I can't stand the smell of any of them really! The only scents that don't seem to bother me (as long as it's only a TINY amount of scent) are the herbal/natural ones like lemongrass, lavendar, citrus, etc.

Anything in larger amounts makes me nauseous.

[ThreeofUs]

Yes my family calls me "the nose" or "the nose knows" I can smell a bottom that has not been wiped well enough across the room, I cannot have strong smelling cleaning supplies in the house, no scented candles or soaps etc. I can smell when someone has not had a shower that day, or when DH was drinking (not his breath but his skin, I can sometimes tell when someone has their period (gross I know).

Interestingly I also get migraines -- I have often wondered if the 2 are connected (strong sense of smell and mirgarine).



Oh heck yeah! I can't even walk down the isle of laundry detergents without holding my breath or else I get a headache. I use unscented everything here at home.

:yeahthat:

DH says I can smell scents better than most dogs. (I certainly always knew exactly what my dogs were smelling, lol.) I can tell, just by standing next to a person, what they've eaten and drunk as well as waaaayyy too many other things about them, their lifestyle, and their clothes.

I use a neti pot and it really helps a lot, but some stores (BBB and Joann come horribly to mind) and perfume, cleaner and laundry aisles are instant total-body-revolt. If someone is spraying mens' perfumes in a store, I might as well shoot myself in the head if I go near.

I'm okay with natural scents - except when I have a migraine and my sense of smell is maxxed out. Oh, yeah, I get migraines and they are firmly linked to smells.