Strawberry Scented Allergic Pink Eye

There was a strong scent of strawberries in the air in the education wing yesterday. I had to travel down there three times yesterday, and this morning I woke up with a goopy eye - sure sign that that scent was put into the air by some sort of aerosol - one of the things that others can use that causes me to have an allergic reaction. I get allergic pink eye when I'm around things sprayed in the air - air fresheners are a double whammy because I also have scent-induced asthma in addition to my eye reactions. So, I am heading into classrooms to do music therapy where I am supposed to breathe so I can sing, and I can't because someone else decided to spray stuff all over the environment. I'm currently coughing up a storm and am only able to see out of half of my head because of the goop. It is time for a gentle reminder to others that scents are not the best thing to share.

Everyone has excuses for why they need to add things to the air that we all breathe. I understand that there are smells that are annoying. I understand that people really enjoy the smell of cinnamon or tropic breezes or whatever. I also have to stand up for my right to work in an environment that does not make me sick.

Just so you know, I need a place to breathe that does not include small droplets of stuff - that includes "pure" oils as well as manufactured scents. Diffusion of essential oils is just as detrimental to my breathing as spraying canned air fresheners. Being around someone who rubs oils on their own skin can send me into an asthma attack if the concentration is high enough that I can smell it. Even deodorant smells can set me off. I have specific kinds of soap, deodorant, conditioner, cleaning fluids, and everything else that has a smell to it - those brands and smells are ones that I can tolerate more than others. I can tolerate citrus about the best. Florals are absolutely horrible for me - lavender sends me into an attack faster than almost everything else - except for patchouli.

Once those droplets of smell hit my lungs, my lungs start to respond and react. It starts with coughing, is exacerbated by excess mucus production, and ends with a breathing treatment and expensive medication. The act of walking through a hallway once starts the process and two more strolls just cements the reaction into a several day process of trying to air things out. It doesn't help that the weather is gorgeous and everything is blooming. It is hard to escape allergens during this season, but please remember folks like me when you are spraying or diffusing stuff into the air.

I'm going to avoid that wing of the building today, try to get my breathing to clear through the application of breathing treatments, and give my goopy right eye a chance to rid itself of the allergens that start off that particular reaction. 

Happy Spring!!