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The Effects of the Perfume Smell on People With MS

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disorder of the central nervous system, which is made up of the spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. There are different levels of severity with MS, so no person living with the disease has the same symptoms as others. With the increase in synthetic chemicals in perfumes on the market today, it is becoming clear that the neurotoxins in perfumes are negatively affecting people living with MS.

  1. Symptoms

    • The symptoms of MS vary among each person diagnosed. Some of the more common symptoms are numbness in the limbs, paralysis, vision loss, fatigue and coordination problems. Less common symptoms include difficulty swallowing and speech disorders. Symptoms tend to come in the form of a relapse, but some symptoms are longer lasting.

    Chemicals

    • The chemicals in perfume are toxic for everyone, but they are particularly toxic for the user because he or she is inhaling the chemicals and absorbing them through the skin. Most of the chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds that come from petroleum (petrochemicals), which are waste products of the oil industry. They are made up of many toxins, including benzene derivatives and aldehydes. Alcohol is a solvent for these chemicals and for the myelin sheath of nerve cells. The toxins can damage these nerve cells, leading to central nervous system disorders such as MS.

    Side Effects

    • Some of the side effects for people with MS who are exposed to the toxins in perfume are aphasia, blurred vision, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, hunger, memory loss, numbness in face, neck pain and spine pain. The toxins in the perfume may also cause a person with MS who is in good health to have a relapse.

    Solution

    • Many workplaces are adopting a "fragrance free" policy where workers agree to not use any products (shampoo, lotion or perfume) with fragrances in them. The employer also stops using scented cleaning products. This is a difficult policy to enforce because there are so many scented products, and they cannot go into the workers' homes and regulate which products they use.

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