Smells!
Good Lord, I dread going out because the *in thing* is those awful plug in the wall , let's make the room smell good thingies. I'm in a migraine fog, so the words escape me. When you walk in our church the smell hits you in the face! When I started work at the funeral home 9 years ago I was forced to stand there while people smelled like cigarette smoke, cigars, heavy perfume and a host of bad stuff. Even incense during a funeral Mass would set me off, so I would have to take a pill before walking in. And the older I get (I'm 63), the more sensitive I am. I used to love having vanilla candles burning, but no more. I have scent free soaps, laundry detergent, dryer sheets etc. And my pet peeve is having to run the gauntlet of cigarette smoke in front of stores. I make a huge production of holding my nose and running past them, so maybe they get the message. I have complained more than once to management that I WILL throw up from cigarette smoke, so how about have your employees smoke out back?
Hi redsox72,
I hear you!! As I age, I'm also getting more sensitive to odors. Perfume, smoke, air fresheners, you name it, I can't stand it!
I carry a small handheld diffuser that helps eliminate offending odors. If I can find a photo of it I'll share it with you. We have some information on this topic that may help here; https://migraine.com/blog/osmophobia/
https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-sensitivity-odors/And this link may be helpful for work;https://migraine.com/migraine-basics/ada-accommodations-the-workplace/
Let me know what you think,
NancyI hate perfume smells, I worked in an office once where my colleague kept topping up
UGH! That's so frustrating. Why do people insist on bathing in perfume/cologne?? I completely get it. I was at the grocery store yesterday and a women walked past me reeking of patchouli. And wouldn't you know, BAM a migraine attack. Thankfully sumatriptan nasal spray did the trick!
Thank you for sharing this, you're definitely not alone. Hoping today is a good day, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator
Hi Nancy, I typed more than I can see above, I must have done something wrong😏😏
Oh no! I hate it when that happens! Feel free to share more!
Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator
I was just going on to say that I spoke to her about it and she was very understanding and wasn't offended, in fact we got along great. The funny thing is my mother used the exact same perfume and whenever we went shopping (before the pandemic) her perfume filled my car so I had to tell her too. She wasn't very happy about it.😏Our journeys are few and far between these days because of the pandemic in any case, she's afraid to go out so she sprays herself at home lol.
Good for you for advocating for yourself on this front. It can sometimes be difficult to speak up about this as sometimes people are quick to feel offended. Sounds like you handled it really well. We have a fellow community member for whom perfumes are the devil: https://migraine.com/stories/perfumes-are-the-devil
I'll tag her here in case she'd like to chime in with any of her war stories on the topic.?
Thanks so much for sharing- please stay in touch! Warmly- Holly (migraine.com team)
Good for you! It's curious some people get offended, another thing I don't get!
Thanks for the update - Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator
