Allergies

For many people, allergies are only an inconvenience, though often a major one. But for others, they severely limit their lifestyle and can even be potentially fatal.

Many allergens can be avoided, but cigarette smoke and fragrances, which can bring on severe asthma attacks or cause anaphylactic reactions in sensitive people, are much harder to avoid because they're in the air. During the holiday season it's even more difficult for sensitive people to avoid because people smoke at parties and indoors because of winter weather and people use fragrances in an effort to make themselves or their locations seem attractive for special occasions.

Probably the most dangerous thing to use is an "odor eliminator," which keeps people from smelling the odors actually in the air but do nothing to prevent an allergic reaction to them.

Please be considerate and avoid smoking, wearing fragrance, or using odor eliminators in public places. By doing so you'll allow many people to stay healthy and might even save someone's life.

More On Invisible Disabilities

Some people are extremely allergic to fragrances and possibly as many as 17% of the population are at least mildly allergic to them.

A church was trying to start a disability ministry and someone suggested asking members to avoid using fragrances. One woman commented, "I don't see why we should all be inconvenienced for the benefit of a few people."

If a lot of people were in a hurry to get through an aisle in a busy store but the way was blocked by a woman with a cane slowly hobbling along would it be okay to knock her out of the way because she was inconveniencing everyone else?

Of course not!

Just because a disability is invisible doesn't mean it's not real.

Allergic people might just get sinus headaches from being around perfumes and if that woman were knocked down she might just get a few bruises. Yes, she could get broken bones from being pushed, but asthmatics exposed to fragrances might need to be hospitalized and put on oxygen and people can die from anaphylactic reactions. Allergic reactions can be serious and many people who have them must avoid places where they might be exposed to things that cause them.

Avoiding fragrances in cosmetics, laundry detergents, and personal care products and not using them in public places can make a positive difference in the lives of many people.