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Allergy to odors

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
 
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Allergy to odors can be provoked by polluting, chemical substances, pollen of flowering plants. The reasons that influence the possible occurrence of allergies are: structural changes of the infectious disease itself, deteriorating environmental conditions, hereditary factors.

What is an allergy to smells?

Among the patients, the most common complaints are: allergy to the smell of paint, an allergy to pungent smells and even an allergy to the smell of fish. According to medical experts, it is necessary to understand the term "hypersensitivity", which can be worn: 

  • allergic nature - the basis of immunological mechanisms; 
  • non-allergic - without immunological mechanisms.

It is also necessary to distinguish between hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity, which is a violent response to any stimulus. Allergy is a hypersensitive reaction that develops under the influence of immunological mechanisms. Both options - hypersensitivity and hyper-responsiveness - can occur with food, drug intolerance. Intolerance to this or that smell excludes immunological hypersensitivity, therefore the allergy to smells - concept not applicable.

The fact that the body's immune system is fixed substances, whose molecular mass is not less than five thousand daltons, is proved. Molecular mass of volatile substances with a smell varies from 17 to 300 daltons, so the olfactory tract simply does not catch them.

Particles of air falling into the human respiratory organs have a different mass and cause olfactory intolerance or allergy. After all, allergens of house dust, pollen of plants have their specific smell. Allergy to odors is a reaction to a certain type of allergen that occurs when you feel any odor. Very often a person blames an aroma, not thinking about the true causes of the allergy that has appeared.

The concept of "allergy to odors" leads to obvious conclusions: 

  • intolerance of odors has nothing to do with the immune system and it is not entirely correct to call it an allergy; 
  • immunological mechanisms are not included when you smell, therefore, such life-threatening conditions as Quincke's edema, anaphylaxis can not be manifested; 
  • at the course of allergic reactions with complaints of patients for intolerance of odors, it is necessary to conduct specific immunotherapy and seek counseling from a psychotherapist, aromapsychologist.

Symptoms of an allergy to odors

Allergy to odors has a number of symptoms - rashes on the skin, itching, nasal congestion, sometimes choking.

Allergies cause perfume aromas, flowering plants - rose, bird cherry, lilac, jasmine. Allergy to the smell of paint, varnish, freshly-mixed mortars is a common phenomenon. If you go out into the air, the symptoms stop worrying. Residents of large cities are most vulnerable. It is believed that the slagged air of megacities increases the possibility of damaging the bronchial mucosa.

Factors predisposing to allergy include: functional disorders of the nervous, endocrine system, brain injury, excessive negative response to the external environment (psychological factor). The growth of human society leads to the emergence of new allergens, so it is necessary to develop the body's resistance to aggressive environmental factors.

Allergy to harsh odors

Allergic to pungent smells. What is it really? There are people whose body reacts violently to a strong odor. There is lacrimation, discharge from the nose, respiration worsens.

Otolaryngologists say that such symptoms are inherent in vasomotor rhinitis, rather than allergic. Signs of nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea are provoked by saturated smells, rather than chemical compounds. Such a process takes place in the cholinergic part of the autonomic nervous system. Vasoconstrictor drops in this case are not recommended, as they can cause chronic nasal congestion. For relief of unpleasant symptoms it is better to use sprays - "atrovent", "kromogeksal", "kromoglin".

An allergy to pungent odors is more often a vasomotor rhinitis, which is treated by the course of intranasal blockades with the use of "dicinone" and through laser therapy. Applied hydrocortisone ointment during phonophoresis procedures.

Allergy to onion odor and fish allergy is related to individual intolerance of the product. It is very important to correctly identify the symptomatology and remember that if the product is intolerant, the immune system's mechanisms are not included and this is not an allergy.

Fish itself is an allergen, so it is not surprising that even its odor can provoke allergy symptoms. Fish odor can be dangerous for people with allergies to it.

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Treatment of allergy to odors

Allergy to odors should be treated with complex methods. At the first stage, the cause of the allergy is eliminated. Next, you should direct your efforts to strengthen immunity, cleanse the body of toxins. It is important to observe a hypoallergenic diet.

The choice of a medicinal product is carried out by an experimental method or consulted with an allergist. Among the homeopathic remedies, allergosan is isolated. The course of the medication is started in advance of the flowering period in the amount of 3-5 capsules twice a day. Then take a break in 1-2 days after a week of taking. In the case of acute exacerbation due to an external stimulus (odor, dust) take 3-4 times from 1 to 3 balls.

Treatment of allergy to odors is prescribed: 

  • when reactions to perfumes need to protect the skin from the source of irritation, take "suprastin", "erius", etc .; 
  • if you are addicted to an allergic reaction, you should always bring with you a medicine that has been selected by a specialist; 
  • when allergic to cosmetics - immediately stop using them; 
  • after consultation of the allergist, it is possible to use methods of treatment by alternative means.

Treatment of allergy to odors with alternative recipes

  • infusion of shredded herb marsh grass tea - 1 ч.л. Funds are poured in 400 ml. Boiling water. The aged solution is taken three times a day for 70 ml; 
  • it is recommended to chew honey honeycombs twice a day for 10 minutes. Chew the honeycomb to 5 times a day can be with severe allergic reactions. The used chewing gum is discarded; 
  • well-proven solution of a tablespoon honeycomb, diluted in 200 ml. Water. They drink at night; 
  • to prevent the development of exacerbations, you need two weeks to eat apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp. Which is dissolved in 100 ml. Water. Take in the morning and at night; 
  • prepare infusion from 20 g. Dry celandine, which is poured into 200 ml. Cool water, bring to a boil, stand an hour and use it 3 times a tablespoon; 
  • helps also the infusion from the seeds of crushed hemp, the method of preparation corresponds to the previous point.

Allergy to odors itself is a rare phenomenon that is confused with the intolerance of this or that product. It should be remembered that a real allergy triggers immunological processes in the body. Allergy to odors can be purely psychological. It is necessary to distinguish between true allergies to substances contained in the air except smells, and allergy to odors. If this were the same, physicians could easily identify the "smelling" allergen by affecting the olfactory receptors.

Some people subconsciously develop a syndrome of fear of allergy to smells, which leads to a connection at the level of reflexes: a more saturated smell poses a greater threat to me. Aromas can excite, relax, exacerbate a feeling, etc. If there is a relaxing odor in the room, and the situation requires a reverse reaction, then there may be a so-called allergy to odors. Therefore, one should take seriously the selection of aromatic products that correspond to the psychoemotional state at a given moment in time.

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