What is that perfume?… It's going to kill me with an allergy attack! Scented candles and air fresheners, which are so pleasant for some, can be very annoying and irritating for others as they sometimes trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Here we tell you more details about this topic, so that you can avoid an uncomfortable situation with your guests, clients and co-workers.
Aromas and perfumes help create a cozy and pleasant atmosphere. That is why candles and air fresheners have become an important part of home and even office decoration. But although everyone likes to live and work surrounded by a pleasant smell, the effect is not always positive when it comes to allergic-type reactions.
Luciana, for example, had her apartment full of air fresheners and aromatic candles to set the mood for each occasion. He liked oriental aromas to relax and floral aromas to receive visitors. Everything was going well until he invited Santiago to a romantic evening. He carefully prepared everything: from the slow songs they would listen to and the wine they would drink to the dishes for a special dinner. But at the best moment of the night, Santiago suffered a violent allergic attack, which he still remembers, because it ruined a date prepared with such care.
Like Santiago, many people who suffer from allergies and/or asthma must deprive themselves of these types of products that for the rest of the people are totally harmless but that for them can be extremely annoying and even dangerous.
Love was stronger in this couple and when they finally shared a home, Luciana had to abandon her small pleasures and forget not only about the air fresheners, but also about the futon and the feather pillows, about using nail polish remover near Santiago or throwing any kind of insecticide, the possibility of having a cat and shaking the carpet to remove the dust. Little by little, he had to learn how to make his house allergy-proof.
Asthma is a lung condition that often occurs in response to an allergic reaction to different invisible particles that are in the air without most people noticing: dust, plant pollen, mites and humidity, among other factors.
Allergies to everyday products, meanwhile, can cause sneezing, itchy nose, coughing, headaches and other discomforts. Allergy specialists or allergists have noticed that along with the increase in the use of flavoring products, complaints from patients about their reactions to them have also increased.
If you have experienced this type of reaction, you already know why it is. To avoid them, you have to eliminate those products that affect you from your environment. And if you are in Luciana's place and you have friends or co-workers who complain about your air fresheners, the next time they do it, take them seriously, they are not asking you because they are intolerant or to bother you.
Studies have been carried out that prove that these reactions are real. For example, a survey carried out in 2009 among more than two thousand adults in the United States, the results of which were published in the Journal of Environmental Health, recorded that around 11 percent of the participants stated that they had hypersensitivity to common products. to wash clothes, while 31 percent said they had an “adverse reaction” to scented products used by other people and almost 19 percent said air fresheners caused them breathing problems, headaches or other air-related discomforts. health. According to this study, the people who had the most reactions were asthmatics.
Why do scented candles, air fresheners and other household products cause allergies or harmful effects? Because they emit chemical substances such as formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, limonene, alcohol and esters, which in high concentrations can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, headaches, dizziness and are even capable of affecting memory.
In this regard, another study published in 2008 in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review found that many laundry detergents and various air fresheners emitted these potentially dangerous substances. For example, an electric air freshener was estimated to emit more than 20 different pollutants, seven of which were classified as toxic or hazardous under federal law.
Now you know, the next time you want to receive someone or create a warm and pleasant atmosphere, be careful with candles and air fresheners. Turn them off at the first sneeze!
