Can Perfume Cause Allergy?
By: AlbrightTotal Views: 464, Word Count: 536,
A mixture of fragrances composed together to form an aesthetic whole is known as a perfume. The fragrance ingredients used to make a perfume are volatile in nature. It is made up of different chemicals and natural extracts. Due to presence of such ingredients, one may have a query as to “can perfume cause allergy”.
The answer to this question is yes, perfumes do cause allergic reactions in people. Perfumes are used in many common products that we use in our daily life. Some of these products include soap, deodorant, detergent, cosmetics, insecticides, toothpaste and even candles.
Chemicals and Fragrances causing Allergy
The list of chemicals and fragrances causing allergy are numerous. It depends on an individual’s immune system as to how it is going to react to a fragrance. However, the list includes citra, benzyle alcohol, benzyle benzonate, isoeugenol, geraniol, cinnamal, cinnamal aldehyde, coumarin, farnesol, anise alcohol, citronellol, and oak moss substitute.
Signs and Symptoms of Perfume Allergy
The symptom of perfume allergy varies depending on how the body reacts to the fragrance. Some of these symptoms are headache, muscle or joint pain, runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing or wheezing, loss of breath or voice, nausea, and tingling of skin. Some people may show severe signs like eczema, contact dermatitis, respiratory irritation in people having asthma, hives, and sometimes anaphylactic shock.
Diagnosis of Perfume Allergy
It is extremely difficult to diagnose perfume allergy because of the utilization of so many common products that contain different chemicals and its combinations. To diagnose an allergic reaction, the physician first needs to find out the product that is causing the reaction. Pointing out one chemical from the ocean of products used by a person is quite impossible.
One possible way of diagnosis is doing a skin patch test. This test helps to determine the chemical causing allergic reactions or irritant contact dermatitis. The chemical or the substance is kept on an adhesive tape and it is then pasted on the skin. It is kept like that for forty eight hours and is then examined by the physician. The tape is removed after completion of forty eight hours.
Prevention of Perfume Allergy
It is quite difficult to avoid perfume allergy. Many people even don’t know that they are allergic to certain perfumes or what is the exact substance that is causing allergic reactions in their body. The best way to avoid such an allergy is by restricting oneself from the use of artificial scenting products. Try to use products that are marked as perfume or fragrance free. There are many organic products that are perfume or fragrance free.
Perfume allergy occurs if someone comes in contact with the particular fragrance he/she is allergic to. It may happen that although you are not using the product, but you come in contact with a person or place having the same fragrance, an allergy may result. The best solution is to avoid such places and people.
It can be said that prevention is the best treatment for perfume allergy. So a detailed answer to the question “can perfume cause allergy” is given here.
About the Author
Allergist Paul Fryatt, M.D. has been in this profession from last 24 years. He made great achievements in his profession. He made an initiative to open a Family Allergy Clinic in 1985 to help his patients who were not reacting to traditional allergy treatment programs. Moreover he has explored the treatment to overcome allergy symptoms to reclaim quality of life through his convenient, no-shots therapy.
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