WHY YOUR FAVORITE PERFUME COULD TRIGGER AN ASTHMA ATTACK

The lung condition asthma is an inflammatory disease that causes the muscles around the airways to go into spasm, causing shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. It can be triggered by multiple factors, including infection, hay fever, allergy, or a change in weather

There are three changes in your airways when you have asthma:

• Swelling inside the airways
• Excess mucus clogs the airways
• Muscles tighten and squeeze around the airways

Common signs and symptoms of asthma include:

• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Chest tightness or pain
• Wheeze (a whistling sound when you breathe)
• Waking at night due to asthma symptoms
• A drop in your peak flow meter reading (if you use one)

Not everyone with asthma has the same symptoms. You may only have one symptom, or you may have many symptoms.

The link between asthma and perfume

Perfumes or aerosols trigger their asthma symptoms, likely caused by particles in the air that are breathed in and irritate the airways. This makes them more inflamed and narrow, which can lead to wheezing, coughing, a tight chest, and a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.

“Some people with asthma also tell us that strong smells, such as scented candles, hand cream or paint, also trigger their asthma, but the mechanisms behind this are less clear

How to protect yourself

If you notice a link between certain fragrances and a flare-up in their asthma symptoms, it’s best to avoid these triggers altogether. In everyday life, this can be more difficult, so it’s important to take regular preventer medication, as prescribed by your doctor.

“This reduces and soothes the inflammation in people’s airways, meaning they are less likely to react to asthma triggers and will reduce their risk of having an asthma attack,

How to prevent asthma:

• Keep away from chemicals and products that have earlier caused breathing problems.
• Keep away from allergens such as dust or mould.
• Take allergy shots that protect the body against asthmatic triggers.
• Take preventive medication, as the doctor prescribes.