To expect health care professionals, workers, etc. to not wear scents

[Bimbop5]

I don't understand why in this day and age that health care workers, meaning doctors, nurses, care aids, etc need to be told not to wear scents? They should know not to wear them due to asthma, sinusitis, multiple chemical sensitivity, etc, etc. And yet where I work they have to continually talk to these people and explain you cannot wear perfume or any scented products at work. It's ridiculous. People have to turn their care aids away due to them wearing scents and in turn are left trying to care for themselves when they are sick. It's nuts! It reminds me how smoking used to be allowed in hospitals and remember what the fight it was to finally ban this. I hope in my lifetime people will learn how much this hurts people with illness and allergies. I'm only 41 but man, we have so much to learn in society. People have a right to have clean air.

HCP that should read.... Darn Autocorrect

I agree, allergy and a vague intolerance aren't the same thing at all.

Personally, I sneeze with flowers like daisys, but haven't keeled over from anaphylaxis just yet. Big difference.

I agree, allergies and a vague intolerance aren't the same but that's not what I'm talking about.

See sandalwood causes me asthma attacks and I'd have to get away. So if this happened in the hospital and I couldn't get away what would I do? She wouldn't be able to come near me. So she is better off not wearing it so she can do her job properly. I'd have to get a different nurse to help me and start using my inhaler in an attempt to breathe. But she still should wear it right?

A small number of people understand what I am talking about. But it seems to me a large percentage of people just refuse to understand. It is possible to understand and simply not agree.

I think there is an element of nocebo in some of these 'sensitivities' to bloody everything some things. Suddenly every next person is gluten or lactose or monosodium glutamate or smell sensitive. I'm sure some are but a lot aren't.

Fluorescent lights give me migraines. I suck it up because that's life.

What you are proposing would mean that not only could hcps not wear perfume but no scented products whatsoever. Washing powder, shampoo, deodorant, hair products, body lotion, hand cream. Visitors to hospitals, other patients would also have to comply with this as well as cleaners, receptionists and ward clerks. Because the concept of "perfume" is such a broad definition and the same irritants could be present in multiple products and be airborne causing a reaction.

This would actually be impinging and dictating what people could do in their personal lives, requiring them to buy and use specific products which may or may not be suitable for them or could cause them a reaction
.

MrsTerryPratchett, do you work under florescent lights and if so, are you able to continue working? If so, that's not a true migraine,. They are incapacitating. I'm sure you would be asking to have the lights changed if so because you simply wouldn't be able to do your job. Especially if it happened everytime you were under those lights. I'm sure you'd have to find a new job or change the lights, etc.
I guess an asthmatic should just suck it Up? Have you even read everything in this thread?

And where did you get your medical degree from? Because I have diagnosed (by an actual medical type not a naturopath) migraines. Mine are thankfully less severe than many people. And last week I was working under fluorescent lights.

thecraftyfox, I'm not proposing it, it's policy where I work. Granted a tiny bit of scent isn't going to send you home or anything. A lot of it is on the honor system as it is so hard to enforce. So for example, let's say someone wore hand cream which was slightly scented and it didn't bother anyone no one would say anything, but if someone started to react then they'd be asked to stop wearing it. I don't know the outcome of what would happen if they didn't but I did hear of a case where the union got involved.

There are signs all over our building and even a plaque that says as soon as you wake in that it's a no scent building. I think that because it's so common over here, people totally get it. You do get the odd person who just won't get it no matter what. But yes if you go for a mammogram, when they set up your appointment you are told no scented products and that if you do you will be sent home and your appointment rescheduled.

Oh and yes hospitals expect EVERYONE to comply even visitors. You have to understand there is no scent guard at the door smelling you, lol. But if you do people will tell you.

MrsTerryPratchett, that's good they aren't very severe. But seriously if you want to suffer in silence that's your decision. But what if everyday you went to work you had them. Would that be acceptable to you? Just curious.

I just don't get it why your right to smell nice is more important than other people who are affected. The human body by the way as long as you bathe daily and have good hygiene, you really don't need scent. When I smell perfume I wonder what they are covering Up?

I wear organic, all natural grapefruit perfume. It's fresh, I like it and I work in homelessness so it's not my smell I'm necessarily covering up.

MrsTerryPratchett,
It actually sounds really good! I can wear natural scents. Can I ask where did you get It? I wouldn't wear it at work of course. ;)
I find the scents that tend to be an issue are the man made synthetic ones. And the problem with it is that they don't tell you exactly what's in it because the companies are allowed to simply list it as "fragrance, perfume or parfum" so it's really hard to narrow down the actual substance that is causing the reaction. And usually it's made up of quite a few chemicals.

I do find patchouli and Sandle wood to be particularly troublesome to asthmatics. Even though most of the time they are made from essential oils.

It's funny cause I can walk into a natural store where there are no synthetic fragrances and their aromatherapy machine with be blasting away and have no reactions at all. But say I go into a department store where they have chanel perfume or men's cologne and my chest acts up and I feel like my nostrils are burning , congestion, etc. It's crazy! But I'm finding more and more people are like this.

Are you near a Chintz and Company? It's from there. Lothantique.

It's awesome

MrsTerryPratchett, Thanks!

bimbop so no reading newspapers then. You can't make a fuss over perfume and then read a newspaper near me.

It's really put me off visiting Canada!

A small number of people understand what I am talking about. But it seems to me a large percentage of people just refuse to understand

We understand. We DISAGREE. You grasp the difference?

We don't have those rules, so if you have a problem with Canadian workers not following Canadian rules, why aren't you doing it on a Canadian forum?

I'm an HCP.
The next shift coming in, smelling lovely is the highlight of my day after spending hours with people's nether regions.

I wear perfume everyday. I like it, it's not overpowering. I don't plan to stop.

I don't avoid eating a snickers just in case someone has a peanut allergy. But I only eat garlic when I'm not working the next day because I prefer not to feel self conscious about being whiffy. But I wouldn't take kindly to you FORCING me to avoid it.

Do show me the evidence that "multiple chemical sensitivity" is linked to others wearing perfume OP

If you're going to have an anaphylactic reaction to perfume what difference does it make if it's been worn by a nurse or a shop assistant or a stranger in the street?

I am in the UK and work with hca's/rn's and terminally ill patients. We are forewarned if a patient has a perfume/scent sensitivity due to their diagnosis and the hcp going to their home makes sure they don't use anything that could irritate before their shift.
I don't think enforcing this on all members of staff in a hospital would be feasible.

I'm a healthcare worker and I am guilty of this. I like to smell good when I go to work, I find it so off putting when I come in to work and some colleagues still have morning breath or that fresh out of bed smell 🙊 and some smell of BO as the day goes on, I would choose a nice smelling person any day. However, most of my patients are asleep.

When I was in hospital with HG during my last pregnancy I dreaded rounds. One male consultant wore the strongest aftershave known to man. I could smell him through the window, before he came around the corner and walked up the path between the two buildings. Was horrendous when he was inside the building.

you're going to have an anaphylactic reaction to perfume what difference does it make if it's been worn by a nurse or a shop assistant or a stranger in the street?

Because we are talking about medical professionals who are visiting sick people in their own homes. I need people to come to my house as I am not able to leave and while people whine on about their right to wear scents don't I have a right to not be murdered in my own home by someone who is being paid to help me.

Asthma kills, my own best fried died from it, and I've had many asthma attacks that were so bad I couldn't get to an inhaler and would have died without someone else helping me.

Most people have never felt the sensation of the world slowly turning black as you suffocate, the dizziness and fear slowly turning into peace as the end of your life is just moments away. If you had you would realise just how stupid you sound when you say my right to wear scents.

And for those saying how do we deal with life - because of people's selfishness we just don't live. In the last 4 months I've only left my house twice, both for emergency hospital admissions.