Arrrgh. Unfortunately theres no way to pinpoint it unless you literally go sniffing around. You want it to stop. Im all for reasonable accommodations but they do need to be reasonable. I think of my paternal grandma when I smell Jergens lotionthe cherry-almond scentand sunscreen because they lived in Corpus Christi and we always got drowned in Coppertone when we visited. If you have a fabric covered chair for instance, the fabric might have absorbed some patchouli prior to this incident. If OP regularly wore scents, it is possible the scent is there and she is noseblind to it. If shes that sensitive, she needs to work with HR on accommodations anyway, as random salespeople and customers are going to cause her serious trouble. putting an end to your runny nose. Everyone . My sniffing started about 4 years ago. 16 12 12 comments Best Add a Comment MassiveExplosion 5 yr. ago But seriously, stop the madness! We talked to ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician Tony Reisman, MD, to find out what your sniffles mean and what you can do about them. Guess what? I ended up leaving for another job. This co-worker is handling things very immaturely, but patchouli is a big red flag. It's much more probable that the perpetrator is simply unaware of how she appears to others. Sinus Issues - Mild Nose Bleeds and Coughing Up Blood, The Best IOL for 2022 RXSight Light Adjusted Lens, Will refractive surgery such as LASIK keep me out of glasses all my life, Achoo! The products I use are lightly scented (and none are patchouli), and I wash or rinse after Ive done anything to get sweaty. yeah, Ive always associated with stoner culture more than hippies or POC to be honest. I think its one of those scents that everyones nose interprets differently. By using this Site you agree to the following, By using this Site you agree to the following. I like the idea to get a blunt friend to do the sniff test, but basically I think the ideas about limiting physical contact are the best way to go at this point; Im a little afraid of sending the OP down a rabbit hole of onerous scent minimization that may not solve the problem. swatting away an annoying fly that landed on the nose. (Though I do still wonder what it takes to teach kids to chew with their mouths closed). I hate it having hose nose because of miso I fully understand others hating sniffling but hose nose leaves me no choice. On that tip, OP, I find oils to be *awful* not only do they stick to fabricate around you, but the scents they carry are so concentrated. She even went to my manager, who pulled me aside and asked me about things like deodorant and bath products. I'm two hours into a four hour class with a girl who has a whole box of tissues but is still perpetually sucking snot into her throat. For some reason I have developed hay fever symptoms, runny nose, it Hi. Your nose can react to irritants that arent known allergens, Dr. Reisman says. (I mean, other than the usual feedback from my manager.) I love scented candles and I burn them regularly at home. Thats a good idea! Thanks for giving your more mature (compared to the coworker) perspective here. I definitely read this letter as the OP being targeted and picked on if not bullied since this coworker seems to not notice the others in the office that are also sure to be wearing scents. Its not reasonable to demand every employee live a completely scent free life. Fine. Ive asked friends if they can smell it on my clothes since all this started, and none of them can, even when pressing the item up against their nose. I think the most you can do is to politely ask someone not to wear a specific perfume that is bothering you, not ask them to buy new toiletries/detergents/do a deep scrub of their clothes(!?). All the time. (Apparently, the cheaper products smell more than more expensive/high-end products, but because Im a cheap-o Im not sure thats actually true, sodont take my word for it.). Because unless the company is paying a fortune in extra costs, carpet cleaners are awful for people who are scent reactive. I honestly just remembered there was a scented lotion I used to wear, and I would notice the smell on my clothes even after I washed them. When That Pain in Your Mouth Is a Salivary Stone, How Sinus Problems Can Affect Your Sex Life and What to Do About It, What to Know About Losing Your Sense of Smell and How It Relates to COVID-19, Chronic Rhinorrhea: 7 Surprising Causes of Constant Runny Nose, 6 Sore Throat Remedies That Actually Work. Scents seem to fuse to them. Theres a way to deal with this coworker head on, which involves a level of comfort with direct confrontation that not everyone has. Some spells last for hours, some all day and some effect me breathing as well as I am constantly sniffling. But this fragrance is Dior! just to watch her reaction. But Coworker is being a jerk about it, either way. I really wish that my coworker would get sent home too. I switched to unscented laundry stuff, shampoo, body wash and antiperspirant but the complaints continued. Yeah. I have allergies and am sensitive to smells (I get migraines, I once had trouble with hives on my arms due to a cleaner used on desks), but the thing is, this is my thing to deal with and while I can ask for reasonableness from other people, it ends at a point. My jacket? Feel free to be comfortable with that fact. But definitely talk to your manager about moving spaces. I think the OP has done everything reasonable to avoid bringing scents to the work area. Now she recognizes that shes gotten more sensitive, but for years she would accuse everyone and every restaurant of over-spicing their foods. ^^namelesscommentater said what I was thinking.^^. However, I noticed you said you stopped wearing perfume but have you also stopped using the indie oil scents? Ask them not to wear perfume to work? Febreeze offers a scent-free allergen reducer version of the spray, which might be helpful if the OPs coworker actually still has a sensitivity and isnt just being rude. I dont necessarily think anyone should totally change the soap they use because as someone who is dramatically allergic/sensitive to smells, I really dont think commercial soaps smell THAT strongly. This only hit home for me because it was related to scent sensitivities, and this issue just happened to me today. But not always. I think once in a while isnt likely to be a problem. Does anyone have answer. There are limits of what you can realistically ask of people. If its not an allergic response but a sensory processing thing, for instance, there is some therapy for that, but Im not immediately finding independent measures of outcome; if its an allergy, its tough to identify just what component of scent does it if you dont test positive for something simple like lemon. Theres also a possibility that the scent is still retained by her body (though I dont know I feel thats true for patchouli and her coworker would have to be incredibly sensitive). Her coworkers shouldnt be expected to so drastically alter their personal habits and small joys during non-work hours. Either way, this isnt OPs issue to resolve, and OP has already done whats reasonable to do. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. If not, there you are. Whenever I smell it, I always immediately feel a rush of joy and then intense sadness, because my grandma wore that powder and I miss her so intently, and when I smell it my brain immediately registers Grandma, and then has to go through the process of grief again. It sounds like OP has done everything she can reasonably do, and now its time for managers to step in. But seriously? It's not so easy no matter where you work. Sniffing is one of my triggers to, whenever I her even one small sniff I get a huge panic attack. The funny thing is my mom uses patchouli, so I associate that particular scent with mom-ly ladies. If your nose gets stuffy when the pollen flies, youve probably already pinpointed the problem: seasonal allergies. I love perfumes and scented bath products, but my scalp is really allergic to many fragrances. :). ), move her desk, something. I still loved bourbon but I could not drink Jack for 20 years. I choked on my lunch at little cloud of toxic masculinity. My husband bought some Axe bodywash once because hes oblivious and I had to tell him to replace it because that stuff was rank. Your team's target will be based on both expansion and retention goals. Good luck and thank you for taking this stuff seriously. I think because OP has gone to such great lengths to be accommodating, folks are trying to help her ensure that theres no possible excuse or justification for her coworker to keep complaining. They made a make shift area in a corner wth an old desk and asked me if I If a colleague burps frequently after drinking soda, suggest that she consume a non-carbonated beverage. Theres a point at which the OP is entitled to stop trying to change her life to accommodate this, and that point is now, given how unhelpful and rude the coworker is being. I only wash my hair about once a week and I know that youre probably saying AH HA! Find out which foods you should watch out for. Quit smoking entirely during the working day? I step away from them if it makes my eyes water (Seriously, must you bathe in it?? If a coworker takes your idea and uses it as though they came up with it, without . Just dont what? Im not surprised. We had both been hired for the same job and put in the same office and it eventually came out that she was using imaginary smells as a means to get her own office (which they eventually gave her and made my situation a little better) and to just get me down in general. I dont get how it is different than a person who has to use a wheelchair or hearing aids. Particularly as my wash bag was also missing and I discovered the hard way that the brand of deoderant I use has a slightly different recipe in Spain to the oe it has in the UK. Still cant eat red velvet after a stomach bug. She couldnt stand cinnamon-scented anything for almost a decade. But Im not going to ask another person to never drink that tea again. One of your co-workers is making that incessant and distracting sound again and it's driving you insane. My female coworker puts on a lot of perfume. The cash registers were adjacent to the beauty products and scented oils so all of the patchouli lovers would use the tester oils then wander through the store to shopAND the employees who loved patchouli would do the same. I can tell you, its really hard for me not to come across as rude. Making up a story about how you're going to adjust your perfume doesn't accomplish that either. I dont think she should have to stop wearing perfume on the weekend or totally change her hygiene routine. (And if the scent is specifically patchouli, the coworker might not be bugging other coworkers because they dont carry patchouli scent. It was Jack Daniels for me. 15) She makes you feel special. Maybe a therapist is in order? Misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder in which sufferers face an aversive reaction to otherwise normal sounds and (visual) stimuli. She claimed I couldnt possibly smell it because it was only a drop on each foot and was covered, she couldnt smell it at all. I have offered her a Kleenex which she declined. I even wear perfume to run on errands. Sadly, lots of people fall for this. I try really hard to balance my wanting to smell yummy with being considerate of those around me! It's best left up to the manager. I cant think of anything else that I can do. Even if it turns out that there is something about the OP that triggers the co-worker, it seems to me that its become a problem that the co-worker (and possibly the employer) needs to work out. I met my husband while I was working as a pizza cook at Chuck E. Cheese. There has to be a line between reasonable accommodation and a coworker who is just causing drama. There might be something in the building that nobody is aware of. My heart rate goes up, my brain scatters, I get queasy and headache-y, etc. that are much more reasonable than making an entire office change routines and buy completely new products. Should we go talk to (manager) or HR together and resolve this once and for all?. Id take I straight to HR at this point and get your cooperation efforts on the records. The best way to drown somebody out without breaking your eardrums or losing your concentration is to use some white noise. And they find a way to deal with that.because they cant control it. Being shady such as embellishing on something that a co-worker did wrong Kissing up to the manager and then breaking rules behind their back or not doing their job. Yeah . +100 my workplace has those cans of Febreze in the bathroom and while I get the need for them, I do get that, its still awful and headache-inducing for me when someone sprays it. I genuinely think shes unaware of how much the scent lingers in her home and on the clothes she wears to work. She needs to figure out a way to disperse the smell at work (with a fan? I also had the thought that the coworker is trying to pick on OP with the smelly hippie stereotype. Non-allergic rhinitis. It just struck me how familiar some of this sounded and wanted to offer another possibility. That is what co-worker is complaining about. My one and only true hangover. I had a similar experience with norovirus and a bacon and Stilton jacket potato; it was years before I could look Stilton in the eye again! That last bit of your post is the trouble I always have with scent-free initiatives. Personally, Im allergic to dogs and Ive had coworkers come in with coats/clothes with dog hair on them and I would never ask them to make major changes to their routine outside of work for me. Has your boyfriend gone to an ENT? Dont even know if it was the pecan pie, but havent been able to eat it since (19 years on!). Instead, offer practical solutions that can fix the solution for everyone. It just may turn out that you can tell her to kick rocks if she just has a personal preference and its not a sensitivity at all. Its not workable. For a while I just wore grapefruit scented essential oil on my wrists and neck instead of perfume, but it would fade away so fast I eventually just stopped. I know this reaction is inappropriate! Specifically that yogurt, not just any frozen yogurt. (Sometimes I feel like a hypochondriac, since I have so many medical conditions, but I swear Im not! And I try to laugh and/or dismiss the topic as quickly as possible so we can get on with life and so that my health issue (which can be all consuming to me) doesnt become all consuming for them. I ate a piece of pecan pie on a trip to Australia when I was 19 and then got food poisoning and was sick for days. Sneaky jerks. Two, if youve been using these scents for a long time, odds are good that your house or apt smells like them, too, and its going to take a while for the old smell of you to fade. Had it one day. Freshly applied perfume, sure, thats reasonable to ask people not to do. 2. Or he is ready to take the risk of dating a coworker. I wonder if you can narrow it down to a certain article of clothing that really has held onto the smell. I think a lot of people like the stuff you put on chicken; by itself, it doesnt taste like much. Not that they are scented themselves but two coworkers are all natural and I cant be near them for more than 5 minutes. 2. I love patchouli. Good luck, and know that were hoping for a good resolution (and update, if you feel comfortable). It turns out I suffer from ocd i am on medication for it. But then every fragrance is different depending on your body chemistry. Ill take your share of cheese, please! I would never be as rude as the OPs co-worker, in fact Id never say anything about it, but Id probably resent anyone who wore it and forced me to smell it. TL;DR You cant have an allergic reaction to a scent. In the end, he just didnt ride down with me, but in the days since then hes retold the story to all our coworkers about how I made him feel bad by saying he smells. This happened a couple more times over the next few months, at which point I went to my manager to let her know this was impacting my health and work and to see if it would be possible to find a resolution. I cant leave my clothes in my front loader over night or they smell bad (at least to me). The longer we are exposed, the more affected and sensitive we are. It meant Christmas shopping really sucked for her because that is such a common smell that time of year and shed get migraines walking into stores that smelled like that. We embarked on a months-long quest to find soaps and laundry soap that he liked and that I could tolerate, but you know hes my significant other! Yes, I suppose there might be some scent molecules on your shoes or your chair fabric. I may be slightly fixated on that part because I have an unheated detached garage and it snowed last night. Your nose remembers stuff your brain just doesnt and makes huge amounts of connections. Given all youve done to try to fix this, not sure if additional efforts will help your co-worker. Doesnt matter, its never clear and I cant stop sniffling. I have to agree. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I know you cant do it, because itd be hard to make it fly, but Id love to blindfold that coworker and have them walk around and see what they smell where. Sorry, but no. And one year when I was a broke college student, the place where I worked had basically an endless supply of get a meal 1/2 off coupons from Moes, which was next door to the store and made it the cheapest full meal I could get most days. If your coworkers life-threatening allergy is just to high concentrations of scents, thats pretty easy to address by asking colleagues not to wear scented products. Humidifier helped me, enormously with my constant sniffling!!! Outside of behavioural therapy, I dont know how this could be fixed other than moving the coworkers desk away from the LWs. Also, what if someone cant change products due to an allergy? Ive stopped wearing perfume, have switched to unscented deodorant, and I wash my clothes in unscented detergent. Even if OP did use scented candles/incense, I think shes well within her rights to use them. It does not work all the way and attempting to blow my nose is just a waste of a tissue and energy and causes me more frustration. It is not a matter of simply not liking something. Problem is, no one around you sees the flames or senses the heat, so they have no sense of urgency to bolt for the doors. I never heard of that, but I totally get it. If she thought I was gone for the day, shed even use my cubicle as a spray booth for whatever reason. That just made my phantom smell issues like 10x worse because I was right one time.). Oh absolutely, Id figure thats part of the process, but it could still help get rid of some smells, assuming the vinegar smell washes out after . We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Thank you, Ill suggest that to my manager! Ive bought saline spray (thats the strongest stuff I can use). I hope you can resolve the situation in a way that works for both of you and is not unfair to you. Ive used both vinegar and baking soda (not together) to do this. Ah, I see you already made my point about how other people might have conflicting allergies. Never would I not enjoy a nice bath one evening with some yummy essential oils because the smell lingered 12 hours later. For instance, I became a super-smeller when I was pregnant, and lots of things suddenly started to smell vile to me. Agreed. Best of luck OP and as an aside, I LOVE patchouli. It can be super effective for getting odors out, although certain perfumes and oil-based scents get so embedded in clothes that they may not come out at all :(. My MIL uses a very nicely scented oil diffuser in her house (several, actually, its a big place) and whenever my husband visits I can always smell it on him and all his clothes, even after a plane flight. The supervisor just said to do it after shed gone home. I was thinking the same thing! Cant control it antiperspirant but the complaints continued so drastically alter their personal habits and small joys during hours. To eat it since ( 19 years on! ) tl ; DR you have... 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