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Dear Heloise: I found Anna Maria’s comments on perfume sensitivities (it’s actually not an allergy) to be a bit simplistic. If only it were this easy to “help myself”! I do everything in my power to alleviate my allergies, but perfume sensitivity doesn’t respond to allergy treatments. It’s a chemical sensitivity, which is a bit different.
I’m a singer, and when people around me wear perfume, it makes me cough and get a headache. It’s hard to perform when you’re coughing. Scented laundry products are impossible for me. I can’t sleep on most hotel sheets, and if I do, I wake up a couple of hours later with a splitting headache, a sore throat, and a stuffy nose.
I’ve found a list of hotels that have “allergy friendly rooms,” which should be helpful. It simply isn’t a question of calling my doctor; I’ve done all this. Avoidance is the best option, so please, folks, help us out. — Lynda S., in Kingston, New York
Lynda, not everyone responses to a particular medication in the same way. Not everyone is affected by an ailment in the same manner. I wish you good luck and good health because I suffer from allergies, too. Perfume doesn’t bother me, but I wear a surgical mask to dust my furniture or vacuum a room. -- Heloise
MORE ON PERFUME
Dear Heloise: Perfume gives me an immediate migraine reaction. For me, it’s just a compound that is in some, but not all, perfumes. As soon as I enter an office, get on a bus, or enter an elevator and encounter this compound, I feel like a mule kicked me at the base of my skull. I have to immediately vacate the area, take medication, and hope that I won’t be incapacitated for the next few hours with vomiting and dizziness.
If it’s just a bit of perfume, I have a fighting chance, but some people (men and women) seemingly take a bath in the stuff. Surprisingly, it’s often young people. My advice is to think of others and refrain from dousing oneself in buckets of scents. -- Hedy W., in Laguna Woods, California
Hedy, this is when a little bit goes a long way. I know that a migraine is very painful, but people who don’t know you don’t know that they’re about to trigger a migraine. So, perhaps the best solution is to either wear no perfume or use a light hand when applying a scent. -- Heloise
BRIDESMAID BLUES
Dear Heloise: When my first cousin asked me to be her bridesmaid, I was flattered, until I saw the price tag on the dresses that she had selected. This didn’t include the shoes, handbags, etc. Please advise brides to:
-- Consider affordability when selecting dresses for bridesmaids.
-- Keep in mind that besides the dress, there are other expenses.
-- Understand that we probably won’t wear this style or color again, no matter what the salesperson says. -- Tanya, in Oklahoma
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.