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Fragrances and Asthma / Allergies
I wanted to increase awareness about the dangers of fragrances to those of us with breathing difficulties, and those who are affected by fragrances that are all around us. In my own home, I use cleaning products without fragrances and run a HEPA filter with activated carbon that absorbs chemicals from the air so my home is a safe place to breathe. We built a home with building products that didn't have formaldehyde and without carpet because it triggers my asthma. Going out in public is a problem because I'll be bombarded with all kinds of chemicals. My lungs react quickly and I've started carrying a respirator so when I'm in the car and pass something that bothers me, I can get the respirator on to try to avoid problems. I did use the respirator at a play holding it over my face with a cloth over it so no one could see what it was and it worked, and I put it away after the lights came back on. There were people right near me with heavy fragrances that would have caused an asthma attack. As I understand this, it is the chemicals that help distribute the fragrances that are the big offenders... things like phalates. While traveling this weekend, I was happy to see a sign at a rest area that the soap in the washroom was fragrance free because of allergies to fragrances. That is a step in the right direction. It's my hope that people reading this might consider not wearing personal fragrances in public. Workers in health care often do this to help their patients. I hope that sometime in the future, there is some kind of regulation in the fragrance industry. Ingredients are not disclosed and those of us who are affected can have serious reactions. This is a medical problem. I thank those people who are fragrance free in support of those who are like me.
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When I was 4-5 yrd old my parents took me all over western Pa to doctors to determine why I often had a little 'throat hitch' in breathing.
After a few years they found a doctor about 7 miles away who tested (I don't remember exactly how) me and found that I had severe allergies to 1) Dust 2)feathers 3) molds and 4) ORRIS ROOT.
Orris root as I was told, is the foundation for nearly all scented items - from perfumes, to after shaves, hair sprays, etc...etc. Later I developed a serious allergy for VOC's as well as most foam substances that most always 'de-gas' the components from which they are made and they are as bad or worse on my breathing as anything else All such items had and have the same effect on me tho in different initial degree but all came to the same intense level of negative effect quickly.
I have often thot to write my own prolonged history on this forum re: the above as I remember perfectly from a very young age how what and where things affected me, including different geographic areas where I have lived, but it would be quite long so I refrained from doing so.
But just a proximity to any scented items, still gives me a reaction that quickly affects my breathing.
Everyone is an individual and is different but the 'rare' xtra-sensitive people can never compare themselves to the 'averagely' sensitive who have or often appear to have all the answers for all others.
I'd also like to report how a known dangerous antibiotic can give some people A-fib, but will refrain from that as well as I have another severe sensitivity to some antibiotics and would not be looking for advice or debate, but simply offering experience that might make sense to one or two others.
Still, you might want to seek out an older allergist. The last one I visited 7-8 yrs ago paid so little attention to what I told him, he ended up giving me a nasal spray that gave me glaucoma. BION. (And a very highly respected ophthalmologist confirmed as much.)
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3 ReactionsYes, peroxide is quite safe. It breaks down into oxygen and water. Zero toxicity.
It can burn the skin a bit though, so a bit of caution re its use, if some spills on you.
Checking and improving your indoor air quality
Never hurts to remove strong cleaning chemicals like ammonia and bleach.
Can pretty much do everything without them, except in maybe extreme issues.
Do you need to improve your indoor air quality? What do you smell when you walk in your front door? Do you smell air fresheners, dryer sheets? Who knows what chemicals are in these products and how many are harmful to your health?
Who knows what they do when they accumulate in your body? Or what their synergistic effects might be? [“Synergistic” means that 2 + 2 = 5, that when two or more are added together, their total effects might be worse than the sum of either separately.]
https://www.createyourhealthyhome.com/improve-your-indoor-air-quality/index.htmlsorry about the difficulties. You are certainly not alone. Many folks have these issues.
Here is the website of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.
That is the organization of the physicians who treat these illnesses:
https://www.aaemonline.org/They treat the Ground Zero workers, survivors of burn pits, Agent Orange, all type of chemical injury.
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The Environmental Health Clinic in Dallas is one of, if not the leading clinic treating these illnesses:
https://www.ehcd.com/++++