Strong Smells Give you Headaches
This might seem like a no-brainer to most of you, but I sure forgot how powerful a strong odor is on the head pain factory. Yesterday was the usual rite of spring for me — having to give my dog a bath because she rolled in fox poo. Ah, spring — when a young dog’s fancy turns to fox poo. And in case you haven’t been exposed to the joys of fox poo, let me tell you about it.
It smells like skunk.
However, unlike skunk, fox stink can be easily cleaned off a dog with water and puppy shampoo. And boy, did I get a headache — and not just because my sixty pound dog hates baths. The smell triggered a headache (just aheadache — not one of my migraines, thankfully).
Fragrance Overload
It’s not just ANY strong smell that can trigger a headache (very few people get headaches at bakeries) but really overwheming, knock-you-sideways smells. These can include:
- tobacco smoke (certain brands of cigarettes more than others, depending on your nose)
- fresh paint
- perfume or cologne
- pesticides
- nail polish remover
- turpentine or other paint thinners
- certain aromatherapy oils (depending on your nose’s preference)
- moth balls
- automotive fluids, even gasoline
- bleach and other eye-watering cleaners
- fox poop
The Good News
Although some of these smells are not avoidable, you do have the advantage of knowing that the pain will end as soon as you remove yourself from the source of the odor. If you do know in advance that a certain strong smell can trigger an annoying headache, then you can take medication beforehand. It’s not entirely certain why the some smells trigger headaches more than others in individuals, it most likely has to do with the smell causing the body to tense up.
When you are painting, (whether artistically or for home improvement) you need to be sure your working area is well ventilated, which helps cut down on the smells a bit.
And try your best not to let your dog roll in fox poop.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
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