Scent and Odour Allergies - Nothing to Sneeze at

Scent and Odour Allergies - The Invisible Disability Many Still Fail to Accommodate

Some people report various degrees of sensitivities to a specific odour or scent following initial direct contact or secondary exposures. Such scent exposures can trigger various symptoms for those allergic to the scent's allergens which ranges in intensity and duration for the affected individual. 

Equally significant is the finding that similar to a peanut allergy, a person's allergic response to a particular scent allergen increases over time in severity following each subsequent exposure with even the smallest exposure level. 

Scent sensitivities can be moderate to debilitating for the suffer and can progress to including Anaphylaxis which if not attended to with immediate medical intervention can result in serious medical distress, critical injury including death.

Many also fail to realize that exposures to particular scents is not merely limited to direct contact to a scent or odor. Rather secondary exposures to the scent's allergens in the form of residue remaining in the air or left behind on various surface areas that the person may inadvertently come into contact with by inhaling or touching poses equal risks for an allergic reaction to be triggered.

For example:

Spraying an air freshener or perfume or a scented chemical agent in the individual's immediate presence who is sensitive to the product will bring on the allergic reaction from inhalation of the airborne particles or from making direct contact with the agent through the skin. The membrane of the eyes is also a point of contact many fail to recognize as the membrane of the eye is permeable and absorbs the allergens present. This is the reason that an affected person experiences their eye lids to swell, their eyes start to burn, the whites of their eyes become bloodshot and eyes start to tear up during and following the exposure incident. Air born allergens also enter the person's various body cavities such as the nasal passage and through the mouth which explains the swelling and constriction of the breathing passage as well as profound swelling of the lips and tongue following exposure. 

A secondary exposure is when a person comes into contact with allergens after the scent chemical or spray has been previously released where the residue of the agent remain in the air or settled on surface areas that the person comes into contact with later on.

Many without scientific background fail to recognize how such secondary exposures can happen and continue to pose an equal if not greater risk to the health and safety of the individual who holds a scent sensitivity. Hence, offering a person a hepa filter being placed at their place of work or residence is hardly a reasonable accommodation solution to prevent another allergic reaction from happening if the allergens continue to be sprayed or are used in areas that the person comes into contact. 

To help identify the manner in which primary and secondary exposures happen let's examine the transference cycle of a scented chemical agent and how the residue continues to trigger an allergic response with debilitating and harmful effects on the person's health and safety. 

For example:

Direct Exposure:

A deodorizing chemical solvent (e.g., odour eater or air freshener) is sprayed into the air at an office building and in or around the office space in the presence of the person. The individual with the scent sensitivity is directly exposed to the spray's chemical agents by inhaling the particles from the air and also absorbing the allergens through their skin, eyes, mouth, throat as particles settle on and around the person and on their personal effects. The person also continues to touch and use surface areas that are covered with the residue typically non-visible to the naked eye. Even after leaving the contaminated area with scents appears to be a wise solution is not sufficient to mitigate against continued exposure as the residue and the allergens of the chemical scents continue to be on and around the person resulting in further re-exposures referred to secondary re-exposures. 

Secondary Exposure:

Separate from secondary re-exposure is also secondary exposure where chemical scents sprayed near or on surface areas in the person's absence still continue to pose a significant real risk of an allergic reaction to the individual at a later time who returns to the site and is exposed to the residue remaining in the air and also on surface areas.

The residue and its allergens continue to be breathed in and absorbed by the skin until the person removes themselves from the area and also washes the residue off their skin and hair including off their clothing, shoes and other personal effects that were exposed to the molecular scent particles that continue to prevail as airborne and surface allergens. 

For this reason to accommodate a person with particular scent and odour allergies the only effective and sure mode to avoid them from suffering another allergic reaction is to avoid use of such scents and chemical agents. 

It is also a misconception to rely on the regulatory standards that claim a particular solvent or chemical agent are safe to use based on rigorous health and safety standards. While a chemical agent in a scent might be manufactured according to specific guidelines and proportionality that does not constitute safe exposure to those who hold an allergy to that scent or odour where even the smallest exposure deemed safe for the general public still exposes them to suffer severe allergic symptoms that are debilitating and prevent them from having unrestricted access to areas that are treated with said chemical scents. 

Allergic symptoms typically reported by the individual following exposure to a scent or odor that they hold a sensitivity towards include: 

• headaches 
• dizziness, light headedness 
• nausea 
• fatigue 
• weakness 
• insomnia 
• malaise 
• confusion 
• loss of appetite 
• depression 
• anxiety 
• numbness 
• upper respiratory symptoms 
• shortness of breath 
• difficulty with concentration 
• skin irritation 

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS) and various medical journals an individual who holds environmental sensitivities (ES) is defined to hold valid medical restriction. Hence, under the Human Rights Code such individuals are entitled to equal access and reasonable accommodations at public, commercial, residential places including workplace because otherwise they are forced to give up their "normal" activities and right to fair and equal access by having to avoid future re-exposures to the scents and their allergens. 

Environmental Sensitivities (ES) include according to the Women's College Hospital:

"Environmental sensitivities (ES) describes a chronic condition whereby a person has symptoms when exposed to certain chemicals or other environmental agents at low levels tolerated by most people. The symptoms may range in severity from mild to debilitating.

ES has also been called multiple chemical sensitivity, chemical intolerance, environmental hypersensitivity, environmental illness, toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, and idiopathic environmental intolerance."

To read more about Scent Allergies and Environmental Sensitivities please refer to:

Public Service Commission of Canada: 

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission.html

Canada Centre for Occupational Health and Safety:

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/scent_free.html

Health Canada: 

Regulatory Directive DIR2013-02, Notification/Non-notification. Health Canada

For those looking for assistance with their accommodation needs for their environmental sensitivities and medical restrictions at their building residence, their workplace or a public space, please email us directly at: info@remedyblox.com