Allergies to Perfumes and Fragrance

Posted on February 3, 2008 in Latest News

Fragrance attracts anyone with its inherent property of good smell. But not everyone can take it easy. The ‘feel good’ factor of fragrances to some may cause irritation to others. Let’s find out how.

Fragrances are found in a wide variety of different products including perfume, cologne, soap, candles, cosmetics, skin lotions and foods. The chemicals in fragrances can initiate or cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive people.

Controlling the amount of fragrance intake for those sensitive to perfumes is easy when at home, but when embarking out into the public, it can be extremely risky for those who are sensitive. Some of the common allergenic fragrances include chemicals such as amylcinnamic alcohol, anisyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, and natural products such as clove oil, nutmeg oil, odor of rose, and cinnamon oil. Allergenic fragrances result in rashes or swelling on surfaces of hands, arms and face.

Symptoms of perfume allergy include to headaches, nausea, difficulty breathing, hoarse voice or even loss of voice, tingling of the lips and skip, muscle and joint pain and even difficulty in concentrating.

Once a person has developed fragrance irritation it is likely that the sensitivity will grow over time and with repeated exposure. Certain chemicals may be sensitizers at high levels of exposure and can result in sensitivity to the chemical at much lower levels after initial exposure.

Fragrance irritation potentially affects not only the person wearing the fragrance, but anyone who comes into contact with that person and is exposed to the substance. Consulting a physician will help identify the type of reaction experienced and may provide information on how to relieve symptoms or avoid exposure to the product.

Comments

3 Responses to “Allergies to Perfumes and Fragrance”

  1. salma Says:

    why do perfumes gives us allergies

  2. salma Says:

    i want to know about perfumes allergies

  3. Administrator Says:

    Dear Salma,
    Perfume allergy can arise on account of direct contact with allergens present in products like toiletries, etc or due to exposure to allergens present in the air and also due to direct exposure to airborne perfume particles.

    For further information refer to the links below:

    http://allergies.ygoy.com/2008/07/21/why-perfumes-cause-allergies/
    http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/fragrance-irritation-allergies.html
    http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=23&cont=329
    http://www.fpinva.org/FragranceReview.htm
    http://www.exitallergy.com/allergy-articles/allergy-and-deodorant.php

    We hope the information provided can completely meet your queries.

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