Why Do Perfume, Detergent and Jewelry Set Me Off? Chemical Sensitivity Explained

A whiff of perfume in the grocery store gives you a headache. A new laundry detergent leaves you itchy for days. Earrings that never bothered you now make your ears red and sore.

If you're reacting to more smells and products than you used to, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone.

A smoke detector set too sensitive

A smoke detector should go off for a fire, not for toast. When your immune system loses its tolerance, everyday chemicals start setting off the alarm.

The bucket that overflows

Every day, chemicals from the air, water, food and household products drip into a bucket. Your body's cleanup crew, led by your liver and its most important tool, glutathione, keeps emptying it. When the drip gets faster or the cleanup crew gets worn down, the bucket overflows, and you start reacting to things that never used to bother you.

Common reasons the bucket overflows

• A leaky gut or other weakened barriers, like the skin and lungs
• Low glutathione
• A heavy daily chemical load: fragrances, cleaning products, pesticides, plastics
• Mold in the home or workplace
• Ongoing stress
• Inherited differences in how well each person clears chemicals

Two hidden drivers worth knowing about

Mold. Mold that grows after water damage can release toxins called mycotoxins, which can drive chemical sensitivity, fatigue and brain fog.

Mast cell activation. Mast cells are the immune system's first responders. When they become trigger-happy, they release histamine too easily, causing flushing, hives, itching, congestion, digestive upset or a racing heart. It's often missed because the symptoms span so many parts of the body, and it's often over-labeled in functional medicine. Both topics will get their own articles soon.

See a doctor promptly if you have:

• Call 911 for trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips or throat
• Wheezing or chest tightness around smells or chemicals
• A rash that blisters, spreads quickly or comes with a fever
• Symptoms that started after water damage or visible mold at home or work

Want to know where you stand?

These symptoms are one section of the Metabolic Assessment Form, the same questionnaire my functional medicine patients fill out. Get the free Metabolic Assessment Form and a simple scoring sheet, and I'll walk you through one section a week by email, including what blood work can show, what you can try at home, and the products I use with patients.

To your health, Dr. Matt Wilding

This article is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with your own healthcare provider before making changes to your care.