When you’re living with food allergies, tasting — or even inhaling — the wrong ingredient may lead to life-threatening symptoms. You may wonder whether the same reaction can happen if you smell certain fragrances.

“I have severe food allergies, and I can’t tolerate smells like candles, perfumes, etc.,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member wrote. “Are these two situations related?”

Another member replied, “I have a shellfish allergy, but I’m finding I can’t handle people with strong perfumes, sprays for cleaning, and just anything that has a strong odor.”

If this sounds familiar, you may benefit from discovering some of the similarities and differences between food allergies and fragrance sensitivities.

Two Key Differences Between Fragrance Sensitivity and Food Allergies

Food allergies and fragrance sensitivities may sometimes feel similar, but there are two key differences.

1. Most Fragrance Sensitivities Aren’t True Allergies

Although it may feel like you’re having an allergic reaction to certain scents, these are usually sensitivities and not allergies. For people with a true food allergy, the protein in the food triggers an allergic reaction, and fragrances don’t typically have protein. Of course, if food is being cooked or consumed and you inhale particles of those proteins while smelling them, then you certainly might have an allergic reaction. But if you just smell an aroma, such as perfume, it won’t typically trigger a food allergy because no protein is involved.

What can happen, however, is that you may be allergic to ingredients in specific fragrances, and if those touch your skin or you ingest them, they may trigger a severe allergic reaction.

Smelling fragrances and experiencing a reaction is often a sensitivity and not an allergy. This may happen if you smell certain scents, such as those in colognes, cleaning products, or shampoos.

2. Symptoms May Manifest Differently

One study from Saudi Arabia found that nearly 15 percent of participants representing the general population reported sensitivities to perfumes. Another study found that the resulting symptoms are usually not serious. Allergies, on the other hand, can cause life-threatening reactions.

The most common food allergy systems can be severe and may include:

• Swollen eyes, lips, and face
• Dizziness
• A raised rash (such as hives) or itchy skin
• Abdominal pain, bloating, or cramping
• Gastrointestinal adverse reactions, such as diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• Coughing, wheezing, loud breathing, or inability to breathe
• Sneezing or congestion

Some common food allergies include cow’s milk and other dairy products, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, and wheat.

Fragrance sensitivity symptoms are usually less severe than those of an allergic reaction. The most frequently reported symptoms among people sensitive to scents include:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Skin reactions, such as burning, itching, or redness
• Red, watery, itchy, or burning eyes
• Congestion, runny nose, or sneezing

In some cases, particularly in people with asthma, breathing difficulties, migraine headaches, or asthma attacks may be triggered by fragrance sensitivities.

Four Similarities Between Fragrance Sensitivity and Food Allergies

Fragrance sensitivities and food allergies have several factors in common, including the four similarities below.

1. Rashes and Other Skin Symptoms

Skin symptoms such as rashes, itching, or redness may result from both fragrance sensitivities and food allergies. This can be particularly true if you touch a heavily scented product.

“Secondary exposure through touch can be difficult to track down,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member wrote. “I have such a severe reaction to fragrances in dishwashing soaps that I could not handle the taps in the kitchen at the office. My hands did not break out, but when I later touched my face after touching the contaminated taps, I then developed a nasty rash on my face.”

2. Impact on Quality of Life

The food restrictions that people with food allergies must adhere to can have a strong impact on quality of life. This may also be true for those with fragrance sensitivities because they never know when they may encounter an offending smell.

“I struggle a lot around strong scents, and it’s kept me from going out and doing things for a while,” one member wrote. “I worry when I go to any events that I am going to react to someone’s perfume. Even hemp oil takes my breath away.”

This means it’s essential for individuals with fragrance sensitivity or food allergies to prepare well before leaving the house. Anyone with a food allergy should bring their medications with them wherever they go so they can immediately treat an exposure to allergens. They should also examine the menu anywhere that they plan to dine out and talk to the restaurant staff about allergies before ordering.

Similarly, those with fragrance sensitivities may consider wearing a mask that filters out scents so they can avoid negative interactions. “An N99 particulate respirator mask has been life-changing for me,” one member wrote.

3. Asthma May Be Linked to Both

People with food allergies are up to four times more likely than those in the general population to have other allergic conditions, including asthma. Similarly, fragrance sensitivity is more common among people with asthma.

“I’ve had asthma attacks when I walked through ‘a wall of perfume’ anyplace,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member wrote. Another said, “I have been getting very bad reactions from scents, especially perfumes and colognes. They make my nose run or give me a headache or a bit of asthma, or maybe make me throw up.”

People with asthma should ensure they have a rescue inhaler in their emergency kit, along with other food allergy essentials, such as an epinephrine autoinjector and allergy medications.

4. Some Scents Contain Allergens

You may have allergic reactions to certain fragrances if you inhale them and they contain your trigger allergens. For instance, inhaling the steam from a seafood stew might trigger an allergic food reaction in people allergic to seafood.

Because some commonly used cleaning products are sprayed in the air and may contain food particles, people with food allergies should be very careful about inhaling them.

“I have problems with any product that contains corn, which, of course, is almost all aerosol fragrance products,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member wrote. Another said, “I have to hunt down soap, shampoo, cleaners, etc., that do not have citrus or even citric acid. Someone breathing in my direction that has these specific foods on their breath will cause anaphylaxis.”

Consult Your Allergist

If you’ve found yourself becoming increasingly sensitive to certain fragrances, talk to your allergist or other health care providers to find out what might be causing it. They can perform allergy testing to help you pinpoint any triggers and work with you on treatments that may provide relief. They may also refer you to a dietitian who can help you avoid known food allergens.

Find Your Team

MyFoodAllergyTeam is the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam, more than 40,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Do you find yourself trying to avoid certain fragrances due to bad reactions? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.