Nancy, first, migraines are a neurological disease that yes is only having its first specific treatments come to market today despite being the sixth most disabling disease in the world. I am someone whose migraines are triggered by fragrance of all kinds (including fragrant flowers). This is because for over 20 years my brain doesn’t respond normally to that stimulus. To prevent that from happening, I take the largest daily dose of medications my neurologist can prescribe me. That’s because I am required by insurance to try multiple drug protocols and have them fail before I can qualify for the newest drugs. And even then it would cost me about $7000 a year.

So what happens if people use fragrances in the workplace even if we have a company policy or I have alerted them to my neurological disorder. Well, I have a migraine drug I can take which usually stops the migraine. But sometimes it doesn’t. I can only take those meds 3 times in 24 hours so then I have to move to injections of a drug like toradol. If that doesn’t work, I will usually have to go to emergency care where they will usually give a large dose of steroids, IV fluids, and oxygen. The last severe migraine I had due to a fragrance diffuser in someone’s office they refused to get rid of, I was on massive steroid doses for 2 weeks. Some of the symptoms I experience is vision disturbances, numbness in my face and the right side of my body, nausea, and trouble speaking, among other things.

Smelling unpleasant odors for a limited period of time is a small price to pay for those of us who are seriously impaired by fragrances. Yes, we can sometimes use the ADA to get offices to institute fragrance free policies, but it doesn’t apply in every situation and plenty of people firmly believe they are entitled to any fragrance no matter who they are harming. I would love to not have this disease but I wasn’t given a choice.

I do not believe anything has changed from past years to present times as far as increased allergies and sensitivities.
Smoking, and heavy smoking used to be very common in offices, restaurants, and any other public environment.
Women wore perfumes and men wore colognes.
People drank liquor at work and some still do.
I believe what has changed is that workers have a voice now, as opposed to the past.
Sick workers are not as easily fired for raising a valid issue or concern.
The corporate rules and regulations, and new laws, are indicative that there was a serious health issue.

Amen!