Daddy always says I got it from my mom. She can't stand the smell of gasoline/exhaust. I get a headache whenever I get a whiff of gasoline, exhaust, perfume, mold, cleaning materials, paint and did I mention perfume? Not only that, but normal smells are overwhelming to me, even if they don't give me a headache. For example, at night, we turn off our A/C and open our windows. When I get up in the morning and come downstairs, the garage doors are open, and the screen door from the kitchen to the garage is letting in fresh air. At least, that's what my family thinks. I think that the whole kitchen smells like SOMETHING from the garage, and whatever it is, it is NOT appetizing to me. It's one of the most disgusting smells ever.
Another thing that really annoys me... I can tell when the pool deck hasn't been cleaned very recently. It smells like a wet dog. And none of my teammates understand. I've stopped asking them if they smell it, because they inevitably begin to think that they are the source of the smell, and I have to stumble over myself and assure them that that's absolutely impossible, and that I can still smell the scent of their shampoo/body wash from when they last showered... and yes, I can actually smell it over the chlorine. Thank goodness the smell of chlorine doesn't bother me. And one time, I was swimming almost in the middle of the pool (4 or 5 lanes away from the side of the pool) and I got a headache from the lifeguard's cologne. :\
Cigarette smoke instantly makes me cough, and I can smell it outdoors when the person smoking is about 50 feet away. It's not just a smell to me, it overwhelms my whole sense of smell, and smells so strong that I can taste it. I don't know what it would be like if I ever tried smoking myself, but you can be certain I wouldn't even think of trying it.
The detergent aisle is pure torture. I can smell the aisle from two aisles away. And some clothes I find at Goodwill I can't buy, because there's a particular detergent smell that give me a headache INSTANTANEOUSLY and the smell won't go away no matter how many times I wash the clothes. I found a really cute shirt one time that smelled horrific (I couldn't even touch it because the smell would linger on my hands) and tried washing it again and again and it still gave me an instant headache. I have to use organic detergent on my clothes.
I usually can't wash my hands with the soap in public bathroom dispensers, because any time I tuck my hair behind my ear, or rest my chin in my hand after that, I'll get a headache. And the smell lasts for at least 2 hours, even if I try to wash it off, or cover it with lotion. There was a bathroom at a basketball tournament once where the soap smelled so bad, it seemed like the bathroom was FLOODED in that soap, and it was a horrible anti-bacterial smell too. I carry natural hand sanitizer.
Strangely enough, though, even some "natural" and "organic" lotions, soaps, etc. give me headaches too. But very rarely.
Also, "tagless" tags (where the tag is printed on the shirt in a rubbery-type ink) gives me a rash, which I've discovered in research, is probably a chemical burn from the phthalates and other chemicals in the "tagless" tag.
Anyway, the point of that long rant was to say that, apparently, there's actually a name for it! Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). I don't have too bad of a case, though, since I only get headaches and rashes. I suppose I might get fatigue and mood disturbances... I've never noticed if any fatigue and mood disturbances were caused by anything particular, other than lack of sleep. =P
Funny how "they" come up with names for everything. I suppose that makes it seem more safe to people who actually have the particular problem. I just want to know if I can get rid of it... but then, I guess having a noticable sensitivity is better than being unknowingly harmed by all those chemicals. *sigh* What a wonderful world...
~Lizzie
Timothy's Twelfth Month!
5 years ago
6 random thoughts:
Oh, poor Lizzie! I know how you feel, because I'm extremely sensitive to smells too, but not quite as bad as you are it sounds like. :(
Odd!! So there isn't anything to be done that could prevent the quick headaches?
Not that I know of Abigail... I'd love to figure out something! :) It's hard because the first whiff gives me the headache, and it's difficult to avoid the first whiff, although sometimes I can see the source of the smell (the detergent aisle, someone smoking, etc.) before it affects me, and then attempt to hold my breath or avoid the source or something.
The good part is that the headache usually fades pretty quickly once the irritating smell is gone.
Gee, I thought *I* was sensitive to smells. Yesterday I was taking out the Double Agent shirt from the closet to wear in the improv show, and I smelled it, and it smelled like the Kranzes (Tim, Jeffrey, etc.) do. I mean, you know how all families have a different smell, right? And so I asked him if he had washed it, because it smelled just like him, and he asked how I knew it smelled like him, and accused me of being "weird" (actually, he used a different word) for knowing how everyone smells. But I am definitely not as sensitive as you are. And I really don't smell that wet dog thing. I think if it's really bad I can, because I know I have before, but I can't smell it all the time when you mention it.
I know how everyone smells, too. I think it's weird sometimes, but I'm glad I'm not the only one! And I've noticed if I'm around said people with stronger smells than my smell, my smell ends up smelling like their smell. It's weird.
Oh yeah, I notice how people smell and can recognize their smell. :D It is a little weird, but it seems quite a few people can actually.
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