Air Fresheners & Allergies

Air fresheners are heavily advertised and widely used by consumers. Many of these home deodorizers can be plugged in while others can be programmed to spray at certain intervals throughout the day. Air fresheners can make a house smell like pine or vanilla, but people can also be allergic to them.

Significance

• The concern with the impact of air fresheners on allergies has prompted the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to conduct several studies on these units. Though the results are inconclusive, the EPA does acknowledge that people with respiratory-related problems may have sensitivities to certain fragrances in air fresheners.

Function

• People with allergies already have some inflammation in their nasal and lung mucus membranes. Air fresheners may actually exacerbate that problem, according to health.msn.com.

Symptoms

• Air fresheners can cause a stuffy nose, nasal congestion, post nasal drip, headaches, itchy eyes, and even asthma. Some of these allergy symptoms may stem from reactions to the chemical irritants contained in the air fresheners.

Types

• Some of the chemicals that may cause allergic reactions in people can include ethanol, formadldehyde, acetone, phthalates, and benzaldehyde.

Expert Insight

• According to the article "Air Fresheners: Something Rotten in the Air?" at health.msn.com, the American Lung Association indicates that some people with respiratory diseases can develop symptoms to virtually any type of unnatural air disturbance.