Fragrances and Asthma / Allergies

Bravo! Mayo Clinic.
Today, I checked my patient portal about my upcoming appointment schedule, and I sa new feature that I want to share. Each each appoinment (so far) has a red exclamation mark and the words, "Important Instructions -
Perfumes: Do not wear scented products (for example: perfume,hair spray, aftershave, powder,lotion) to this appointment. These products can cause breathing problems for some patients."

Has anybody else seen this or something similar anywhere?

I have not seen that information posted in the Allergy & Asthma Center where I go in Fort Wayne, Indiana but the staff does not wear fragrance, and there are no room fresheners. I have been there a couple of times when other patients come in the office wearing heavy fragrance and wonder WHY? Being an asthmatic and also having an asthmatic Cat, we don' use fragrance in our home, not even cut flowers and I am a gardener.

Here is a website that talks about non toxic house cleaning with safer common ingredients like dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, etc. We don't really need special cleaning products full of chemicals.

@colleenyoung Thank you Colleen for your comments. I am grateful that Mayo recognizes the problems of fragrance sensitivities to people with lung problems and includes a recommendation in their patient appointment information that asks patients and visitors not to wear fragrances in the pulmonary exam and waiting areas because it will cause problems for sensitive patients. Many medical providers also are not wearing fragrances at their patient appointments and everyone at Mayo who saw me as a patient in multiple departments had no fragrances. Lung problems can start after an illness or exposure to something, and that person may become sensitive to exposure to chemicals, fragrances or smoke. If you have some respiratory infections or pneumonia, you can develop asthma after that which has no cure, but is managed instead. Sometimes it can be an impaired ability to detox from the exposures in the everyday world that makes a person sensitive to chemicals including environmental exposure to chemicals. This is a disability, and may not improve even with medical expertise, and if it were possible to choose, no one would want this disability. Lungs are fragile and easily damaged. It can happen to anyone and be very debilitating, and no one knows how many people are affected. It used to be that people were allowed to smoke in public buildings, at work, and at bars and restaurants. That has changed because of awareness, and because of an understanding of the health problems that are caused by smoke exposure. Even having allergies can change a person's lungs over the years causing permanent resistance to breathing. I have seen signs at other doctors offices asking people not to enter if they are wearing fragrances or scented lotions and that helps everyone. Even if you feel well, the body has to work harder to detox all this extra stuff in addition to the detoxing required from living and processing the food we eat. The question is.... how long will a person be able to do this detoxing effectively and how and why does it change over time? It can happen to anyone.

You are so right about the fragrance problem. I do not have allergies but I do have a hyper sensitividy to fragrances. Ever as I walk daily thru our neighborhood, the fragrance from the scented drier sheets can be smelled outside. Due to scents, I have had to move from church seats, restaurants and some stores in the mall. A few doctors' post no fragrance signs.
Thank you for bringing up this subject. Perhaps, those who wear scents will be advised how it affects those with allerigies and those without allergies.

@shaneilya I notice the dryer sheet fragrances outside too in the neighborhood. I am glad for the doctors who post and enforce no fragrances policies. I have been at hospitals before (not Mayo) where a nurse comes in to check on the admitted patient and in with her comes a cloud of fragrance that lingers long after she is gone. Frustrating if medical personnel don't recognize it. I think once a person becomes hyper-sensitized to fragrances, they don't have a choice to stop that from happening. I do have HEPA air filters that also have activated carbon to absorb VOCs from the air.

I realize it's my problem and I don't expect the world to change for me. I just wish there was a little more compassion and a desire to understand something they don't. No one gets it until they see what their fragrances do to me. I hope I am making a difference and helping others one asthma attack at a time.

Hi Msabu,

Why not expect the world to change for those of us that experience fragrance like cigarette smoke? Fragrance is the new secondhand smoke and is another environmental assault among many every day. Companies do not have to disclose the chemicals they use in creating fragrances or as the label says, "perfume or parfum" because it's considered proprietary information.

I've had people say in a very smug way, well, it doesn't bother ME. I tell them, it may not now but don't count on that forever. Your body and what it can tolerate changes.

We need to become a force for change just the way nonsmokers became a force for change. Let's get people educated so that we can help prevent more generations of more people with lung dis-eases.

I have this issue. Natural products with scent are often okay. Manufactured scents are devastating. Makes life difficult. Just have to do the best I can. Thanks for sharing. Good to know that I'm not alone.

@mjo4094 Welcome to Connect. Manufactured fragrances have chemicals in them to enhance the dispersal into the air like phthalates. This link has some information on their use in cologne and if you scroll down you can see amounts listed in parts per million. These are only some of the chemicals used in personal products.

Our lungs get hit by everything all the time; smoke from wildfires, pollution, pollens, dust, mold spores and manufactured chemicals. I also have trouble in a store with bagged lawn chemicals and fertilizers. I often hold my breath and try to escape when there is something I know will trigger my asthma.