Back Up Time: I handle my asthma very... - Positive Wellbein...

Positive Wellbeing During Self-Isolation

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Back Up Time

Delories profile image
49 Replies

I handle my asthma very well because I know my triggers smells, some cleaning products and some God loud smelling cologne that I would like to know the name of but I can't get close to the person who is wearing it. The smell seems to suck my breath completely away. I've been told it makes my skin turn gray.

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Delories profile image
Delories
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49 Replies
springcross profile image
springcross

I'm the same. I can't take most smells, especially bread cooking in the bread machine. It rattles my sinuses and makes me quite wheezy (I have COPD). There is a perfume that came out round about 1999 and I absolutely hate it. I was stood behind a woman in the bank who was wearing it in about the same year and she had obviously bathed in it as it was so strong it could have wiped out an army. I couldn't leave the bank because I was in the middle of a long queue but that smell gave me the most awful bout of sinusitis which led to a chest infection and put me flat on my back for a week. Someone told me it was a Japanese perfume but I had started to smell it again on occasion when out shopping before I self isolated and I still don't know to this day what the perfume is called - I call it rat poison. I wonder if it's a perfume worn by women who are not suited for it and therefore, they don't get that evaporation which normally leaves the nice smell. Maybe it's that they are not chemically suited to it. Sorry, had a bit of a rant there!

Troilus profile image
Troilus in reply tospringcross

I have asthma and I too react to smells/ scents. Why does everything have to be strongly scented? I’m thinking of everyday items like soap powder and hand cream. And the unscented items that clearly are!

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toTroilus

Also, why did they start putting fragrances in Fairy washing-up liquid. I used that for many years but since they started putting smells into it, I have had to buy something else. Last year, I took a very large and heavy bedspread to Morrisons for wet washing. When I collected it and drove home, I kept wondering what the smell was. Upon taking it out of the bag at home, the smell was overpowering. Even my husband who doesn't get any problems with smells told me to put it in the other bedroom, open the windows and close the door which I gladly did. I rang Morrisons the next day and they said it was because they use Bold powder with fabric conditioner. They did tell me to take it back and they would re-launder using just water to rinse out the fabric conditioner (at no cost to me). If they hadn't done that, I would not have been able to use it at all. In Canada, I understand that perfumes, body sprays etc are not allowed to be worn in the working place. I don't know how true that is but if it is true, then good on them I say. I agree with you about the unscented items that clearly are too, makes my blood boil. There, second rant over.

Troilus profile image
Troilus in reply tospringcross

Oh yes! Bold washing powder! Last year we went on holiday and left our daughter in charge. I asked her to change our bed as I hadn’t had time. When we got back I found that not only had she changed the sheets but she had washed the duvet and pillows in Bold.

They ended up being thrown out.

She also washed a couple of jumpers. It took three washes to get rid of the smell.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toTroilus

I'm not surprised, it's pretty powerfully awful stuff.

Delories profile image
Delories in reply toTroilus

Tide detergent makes my asthma go crazy if anything washed in tide touches my skin I itch from head to toe and I have to the emergency room and get a shot just talking about it makes me feel itchy.

Delories profile image
Delories in reply toTroilus

You know we really don't know all the things that can set off an attract basically the condition deciders what it liked. The only way to to keep from having an attack is trust the nose. The nose knows. When the nose says Delories stop I do. I don't turn around I start backing up so I can see if what I smell is coming my way.

Troilus profile image
Troilus in reply toDelories

Yes, Dolores. I find it strange how my sense of smell is particularly acute to things that bother me. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have mentioned a particular smell or grass cutting etc to me husband and he hasn’t noticed it. Part of the body’s natural defence mechanism, maybe.

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply tospringcross

It's awful isn't it that's why I've never tasted gin because it reminds me of my grand eau de cologne SO strong

Delories profile image
Delories in reply tospringcross

Good question, we may never know if we pass out trying to find out.

Delories profile image
Delories in reply tospringcross

I have been trying to figure out the who and why myself. 1. Mayberry their sense of smell is off. 2. Maybe someone on this planet there is a person that it smells go on. 3. It may be expensive and they that makes it smell good on them. We may never known but I want to know what it is and who makes it so we can write them and let them that killings innocent people is agents the law.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toDelories

I think it's all to do with the chemical composition of the human body and as we are all unique, what suits one person does not necessarily suit another person.

springcross profile image
springcross

To think that I used to be like that when I was young. xx

Ilovebunnies profile image
Ilovebunnies

I'm like you with perfume/aftershave & what I don't understand is why nurses one respiratory ward could wear perfume (stopped now) & patients spray on deodorant & perfume - all these things make me gasp for air (even on oxygen) , I have severe brittle asthma & can go off (we are told we walk on a tightrope & if poorly can suddenly fall off!). My biggest problem was in ICU, somebody had passed away & their body had released bladder etc (bad smell), so nurse decided to spray air freshener around (I was in next bed). Affected me so badly couldn't catch my breath & was seemingly turning blue, they had to put fans on to try & blow smell away. Sorry, rant over! Chris

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply toIlovebunnies

Gosh that must have been scary

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toIlovebunnies

Oh that sounds absolutely dreadful! Poor you.

Delories profile image
Delories in reply toIlovebunnies

I felt an attack coming on just hearing about it. It must have been poor he'll. Glad you survived and stay strong!

Well done on knowing what triggers you. My hubby has asthma and he seems fine with smells, if anything, I'm worse than he is being sensitive to smells, I have quite a strong sense if smell.

I use as many natural products as possible.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply to

Me too.

in reply tospringcross

😊

Delories profile image
Delories in reply to

It's good to finally be able to talk with people who don't think your crazy.

in reply toDelories

Oh your definitely not crazy, perfectly normal. Stay safe x

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toDelories

It's not us who are crazy, it's everyone else!! 😁

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits

Do you remember Este Lauder youth dew? You could smell person coming towards you from miles away it seemed. It was usually older ladies that wore LOADS of it.

My asthma always gets worse about this time when everyone starts cutting their grass.

Hope your doing ok and getting your inhalers I know some people struggling a friend of mine couldn't get her usual one and someone said people buying them just in case!!!!!! That don't even have asthma so she looked on line cos couldn't believe it and found someone selling ventolin inhalers for £50!!!! Disgusting

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toCraftyperson

Yes, I remember Youth Dew it and it seemed to have a revival round about 2012/13. I had never liked years ago but I smelt it on someone in York Minster of all places in 2013 and I just had to go out and buy some, unfortunately, I didn't wear it for long as my COPD complained. I think the problem with a lot of perfumes is sometimes the person who is wearing it - it just doesn't suit them, they are just not compatible, but on the right person, it smells wonderful provided they haven't used a paint brush to apply it. 😁

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply tospringcross

Yes my sister had a perfume called tweed and I loved the smell of it so one day when she'd gone out I put some on to go out in and as I warmed up it started to smell like cat pee on me!!!!!

Delories profile image
Delories in reply toCraftyperson

Oh, I don't want to be cruel but I laughed so hard. I know exactly what you mean. I do rear colonge. Charlie and Tabu any else makes me smell like a damp dusty funky mess.

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply toDelories

I used to love Charlie my favourite now is cerruti 1881 or Oscar de la renta.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toCraftyperson

Yes, I remember Tweed very well. It wasn't one that I wore but some of my friends did. My perfume was Ciara before , I absolutely loved it, that was in my pre-COPD days. I bought it for a few years then couldn't get it any more but when it eventually did reappear, it was nothing like the perfume I knew - they had changed it and made it weak and insignificant and very short lasting so that you had to keep using it and therefore buy more because you ran out quickly but I didn't even use up my first bottle, over ¾ of it was dumped. As regards cat pee, I had that with Blue Grass - oh it was just awful. I also liked Fidji by Guy Laroche which I found very inoffensive.

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply tospringcross

I used to like fidji too but it's one of the ones dissapeared.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toCraftyperson

Yes, it has and not that I could wear it any more but it is a shame, it was so nice. A few of the best ones have disappeared too. I think also they change the recipe (so to speak) and substitute one ingredient for another and that's it, ruined.

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply tospringcross

Yes I find same with shower gels and soap powders change it for new improved version......and it's not

Delories profile image
Delories in reply toCraftyperson

I discussed with my doctor my need for a nebulizer she said I would need to pick up the prescription and take it to the supplier. Now I have asthma, I am 68 years old I am not going anywhere. A package was delivered today from the medical by mail supplier with medication for a nebulizer but no nebulizer. I call the cumpony and asked if they carry nebulizers, they do BUT she did not order one. How strange is that?

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply toDelories

Very weird how can you use drugs without nebuliser!!!!! Hope you get it sorted. Take it you're not in UK then?

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits

If I walk into anywhere with fluorescent lights it makes me sneeze

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toCraftyperson

That's one I've never heard of before.

Craftyperson profile image
CraftypersonReading Rabbits in reply tospringcross

I thought it was just me but I was doing a quiz once and s question was what do people with ( can't remember name) do when see bright/ fluorescent lights do? I couldn't believe it and when I said sneeze people didn't believe me.....but it was right. The acronym for it really appropriate it's ACHOO or ATCHOO I can only remember the autonomic...... Part. I'll have to Google it

Delories profile image
Delories

People think I'm crazy because I'm always do you smell that? Where is it coming form because they don't smell it or the smell dosent bother them. When I remind them that I have Asthma they usually say oh, I forgot. How can you forget that. I tell people what I have and where my rescue inhaler is. My worry is if I have an attack and can't speak will they remember and get my inhaler.

Delories profile image
Delories

Oh, thank you I do have Fibro it's another condition some people don't understand. Every thing you mentioned is very true I suffer with all of what you said. At the I am suffering with an inner ear infection. This is the fourth time this year.

Delories profile image
Delories

Here is a list of condition that describe me I am leaguelly blind, I have asthma, fibro , high blood pressure, rumertoid arthritis and hypertension and dyslexia along with sensitive skin can't use Dove soap. The only moisturizer I can use is Vaseline. I tell people if they look in a medical book my picture will be on the first page.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toDelories

That's more than enough for one person. How on earth do you cope? E45 moisturiser is good and does not have a smell. I used to use Dove sensitive as it had virtually no smell but for some reason, one day I bought two packs of three bars as it was on offer and it was highly perfumed. I put them away somewhere for a while hoping the smell would ease but it didn't so I had to throw them out. I went back to using Simple Soap which is sensitive and non fragrant.

Delories profile image
Delories

Jerry all we can do is try to stay alive and play close attention to what makes you sick. It ain't easy but we are survivors!!

Ilovebunnies profile image
Ilovebunnies

Hi, hope you can get a nebuliser to go with the 'nebs', I've been on one since 2005 after my mum passed away, was told my asthma had dramatically changed because of the shock . I'm on 4 different news & take them 4 times a day. You won't believe how it will change your life - you become a 'new person' & will forget you ever had asthma for quite some time . Keeping fingers crossed you get a nebuliser quickly. Stay safe & well . Chris

Delories profile image
Delories

Fybromialiga is a strange illness I am learning a great deal from the group. Thanks for sharing.

springcross profile image
springcross

Have you tried putting a couple of drops of Lavender essential oil on a tissue and then putting it under your pillow (if you can take the smell)? I used to do this for my husband and it always worked but he didn't have Fibro.

springcross profile image
springcross

I know what you mean. Have you tried a warm shower before you get into bed?

springcross profile image
springcross

Careful if it's too hot, it could raise your BP. Have you tried soothing music low in the background?

springcross profile image
springcross

Ooooh, that's good - what is his name and does this work for you?

springcross profile image
springcross

Fantastic Zoonie, thanks very much for that. x

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