User:Joneal122689

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Intro

A perfume allergy occurs when the body has a hypersensitivity reaction to certain chemicals within a perfume or fragrance. Perfume and fragrances are not just found in colognes, they can also be in numerous household products such as cosmetics, soup, and deodorants. Everyone’s bodies react differently, due to this there is no way of knowing how one’s body will react to certain perfumes or fragrances. Certain people with the allergy receive various rashes or skin irritations, whereas others can develop much more severe symptoms such as anaphylactic shock. The treatments differ depending on the reaction. Some may only need a simple medicated lotion to calm down the rash, whereas others may need to be hospitalized and given medication to cure their symptoms .

Avoiding this allergy can be very difficult because even if someone doesn’t put on the perfume on themselves, they can still have a reaction by walking by someone or something that has perfume on. It is also a tricky process to find out what it is exactly that a particular individual is allergic too. All perfumes are made with different chemicals, as well as different combinations of chemicals which can make it tough when trying to pin point the allergy. Some common chemicals to look out for are acetone, cinnamyl alcohol, and benzyl.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on how bad one’s allergy actually is, as well as how one’s particular body reacts. Symptoms include:

• Itchy eyes, runny nose
• Headaches, and/or muscle joint pain
• Tingling of the lips and/or skin
• Wheezing or coughing, loss of breathe or voice
• Nausea
• Respiratory irritation for people that have asthma
• Contact dermatitis, Eczema, Hives (This group includes skin conditions associated with the allergy)
• Anaphylactic Shock

Common Chemicals

The most common chemicals that cause fragrance reactions are:

• Cinnamic alcohol
• Cinnamaldehyde
• Eugenol
• Geraniol
• Hydroxynitrilase

Scented products that cause the most fragrance reactions are:

• Acetone
• alpha-pinene
• Alpha- terpineol
• Benzyl acetate
• Benzyl alcohol
• Benzaldehyde
• Camphor
• Viynl Alcohol
• Ethyl acetate
• G-Terpinene
• Limonene
• Linalool

Common Products

One can suffer from a perfume allergy even if the individual does not spray on the perfume. Perfume and fragrances come in many other common products. Some common household products that contain these common reaction chemicals are:

• Laundry detergents
• Soap
• Shampoo/ Conditioner
• Deodorant
• Lotion
• Cosmetics
• Toothpaste/ Mouthwash
• Insecticides
• Tissues
• Incense/ Candles

Diagnoses

Perfume allergies can be extremely hard to diagnose because there are so many common products that contain so many different chemicals and chemical combinations. To find out what is causing a specific allergic reaction, a physician would first and foremost have to figure out what product is causing the reaction. Then the physician would need to pinpoint the chemical or chemical combination in that product that is triggering the allergy. Pinpointing one chemical can be nearly close to impossible because one product or perfume can contain hundreds of chemicals. One option when trying to discover the source or combination of chemicals of the allergy is skin patch testing.

Skin patch testing can help determine if the substance or chemical is causing irritant contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis. The patch test is done by placing the substance or chemical on a piece or adhesive tape, and sticking the tape to the skin. It stays on the skin for a total of forty-eight hours, and then is examined by a physician forty-eight hours after the tape is removed.

Prevention

As stated earlier, this allergy is incredibly difficult to avoid. Most people don’t even know what it is they are allergic too, let alone trying to avoid it their everyday life. If someone believes they are suffering from a perfume allergy, one should try to avoid any products that contain artificial scenting. Even products that are marked unscented may actually still contain a masking fragrance that can just as easily cause a reaction. To steer clear from fragrances always look for products that are marked as fragrance or perfume free. Most organic products are perfume and fragrant free.

A reaction can also occur if one walks by someone or some place that has a fragrance. The only prevention for this is to avoid these people or areas. If someone is having this problem in the work place one should talk to the person wearing the perfume, or ask to be moved to a different location if at all possible. If this fails, one could also wear an air mask.

Treatment

The best treatment for a perfume allergy is to avoid it all together. However, anyone who has a reaction should consult a physician immediately. The treatment will depend on the particular reaction and the symptoms presented. When consulting with a physician one should describe any allergic symptoms. The physician will perform a physical examination, and take note of any rashes or abnormal respiratory symptoms. The physician will then either perform a skin patch test for more information, or will discharge you with some medication. If the symptoms continue to worsen, one should seek immediate medical help.