Why do I get sick from smells? Is it in my head? Someone told me it's for attention. I can walk in a room and start to feel strange. The longer I stay in the room the more intense it becomes. Last night we got fresh flowers and plants in the house and I found myself starting to feel off. Today of course the intensity of the smell affects me even faster. I actually went around and smelled all the flowers to find out which one it was. After smelling about 7-8 different ones I came upon the culprit. So now I am avoiding the kitchen. I live with a group of folks and one of them said that I am finding excuses to not be well???????????
Q: Are allergies to smells made up for attention??????
Answers (5)
3/13/09 5:16pm
Hi Daelle,
I don't know you or anything about your health, so it's impossible for me to make any kind of a judgment call. However, I can tell you that it strong odors can be a trigger for both asthma and allergy symptoms. I don't know what you mean by feeling "off", but common symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, while common symptoms of allergies include sneezing, sniffling, congestion, and a runny nose. You might also have itching of the nose, mouth, throat, and eyes.
It think it is both harsh and unfair for someone to tell you it's all in your head and a cry for attention. My advice is to discuss your symptoms with someone who is an expert in this area... your doctor or even better, an allergist. That is likely the only way you'll get to the bottom of things.
To your health,
Kathi
9/13/09 8:04pm
To tell you the truth, it may not be an allergy to smells when it comes to flowers. It may be that you are actually allergic to the seeds in the flowers that pollenate. When a flower is in the ground, it pollenates, when picked it still has those seeds in the middle of the petals. So, therefore, it isn't the smell you are allergic to in essence. I have the same allergies so I DO KNOW what I am talking about.
11/11/09 2:09pm
My aunt is having a similar problem. Any faint or strong smell begins to irritate her and the longer she is around the smell, the worse it gets. It causes her throat to swell and she looses her voice. She can walk into any store with a smell or odor and immediately has to walk out. Her throat becomes dry.
Once she catches some fresh air it will take her approx. 20-30 minutes for her voice to come back. It also depends on how strong the smell is. She says her tongue get a tingle sensation and eating a peppermint often helps.
On one occasion a smell was so strong, perfume spayed next to her and she hyper ventilated.
She is seeking treatment, if anyone has heard of a treatment, Please respond!
thanks Kim
3/ 3/10 1:27pm
Allergies to smells now? Wow, we really have become a generation of attention-seeking, overprotected, wimps! Think about this, about half the people on this planet have to walk several miles or more just to get clean water. Millions more are starving. Let's get over ourselves already!
6/25/10 1:18am
It's sad that your ignorance makes you think that an allergic response to chemical(s) is a cry for attention. Yes, people in industrial nations that have clean running water & sanitation are not exposed to as many parasites, viruses, and bacteria as those who live in severe poverty. We are however, exposed to many different chemicals on a daily basis everywhere we work, eat , & sleep (i.e formaldahyde in pressed wood products and carpet, cleaning agents, paint fumes, car exhaust, tobacco smoke, plastic, etc.). These synthetic chemicals are irritants that can trigger a response in certain individuals and wreak havok on your immune system. Maybe you're just a troll who likes to say dumb things and get aggrevated responses because YOU need attention. Please inform yourself before saying such ridiculous things. Thank you.
11/14/11 2:55am
Shows how little you know. Smells most certainly can irritate people with athsma and allergic rhinitis. Your immune system can overreact to particles in the air when you breathe. I've had this issue practically since infancy. It's not a cry for attention, in fact, NO ONE wants attention to be drawn to them when all of a sudden, some asshole smoking near you makes your nose start running like crazy, makes your throat sore and swell, and you end up being unable to stop coughing. Trust me, having people staring at you when you're red-faced, red-nosed, and look ridiculous is NOT desirable. If it was a cry for attention, then people like me wouldnt avoid going out places just so that they dont end up miserable for a week. Or, at least for me, thats how long my reactions last. It really does amaze me that someone could possibly be as insensitive as you have shown yourself to be. Neither I nor other people I know who suffer from smell-induced allergic and/or athsmatic reactions ever compare our situation to people who suffer from starvation, or cancer, or any other horrible disease or situation. But the fact of the matter is, it can truly be quite miserable to constantly feel like you've got a cold from hell or a mild flu, just because some jackass can't be inconvenienced for 5 minutes to go outside to smoke.
2/18/11 6:33am
I am certain that I am allergic to smells. If no such allergy exists, then what would explain the following:
I react immediately to smells such as fragrances; all perfumes, aftershaves and collognes, air fresheners, and particularly car fresheners.
My symptoms include: Instant feeling of light headedness; muzzy head feeling; Severe headache, blurry vision, sudden dryness in throat. I have been known to faint in someone's car, when I didn't want to offend them by asking them to remove their car freshener.
These syptoms can occur one at a time - or all of them together.
Sometimes I feel the smell (with my symptoms) before I am even aware of then sensing the smell.
So what is this if not an allergy to fragrances please?
Regards Jane Morley
4/ 8/11 1:52pm
Hi, I'm married to a guy for the past 20 years who's highly allergic to smells. He's allergic to stasoft-, paint-, perfume-, flower-, and believe it or not, plastic smells etc. We've painted our house recently and he's suffering from red eyes, severe headaches and flu like symptoms like a runny nose and this obviously turns into bronchitis if not looked after. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF! We've proofed that it is the smells in the house, because he slept in our caravan for a week and got better. As soon as he sleeps in the house the symptoms comes back. I can assure you he's not looking for attention. He's suffering from allergies since he was a little boy. Al we can do is to hope the smells disappear soon. At the moment I don't use any perfume, no flowers are allowed in the house and obviously no plastic junk to try and make it comfortable for him. This helps, but you can't avoid these things when you visit family and friends. I really feel sorry for all you people who's suffering from allergies. I can't whish this on my worst enemy and I know it's real. Good luck!
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By daelle— Last Modified: 11/14/11, First Published: 03/12/09
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so true. there is a danger i think, of those of us coming from the wealthy minority world, to be very self focussed. interesting how those living daily with the reality of absolute poverty and deprivation don't seem to have allergies at all!