From Anne Sproule, Ottawa, Canada
Clare Pain reports research on the effects of exposure to fragrances, including the suspicion of some that they trigger migraines (10 June, p 34). I've had migraines most of my life, and have noticed an increased sensitivity to smells, but was never sure whether the smells were triggering a migraine or my migraine made me more sensitive to smells. However, as I age, I'm starting to lose my sense of smell: for example, I can no longer smell lilacs and lily of the valley (sigh), or boys' washrooms (hooray!)
I was recently participating in a parent-teacher interview and felt a migraine starting up. I was waiting for the interview to end before fetching my medication and the migraine was gradually getting worse. Then the parent went away, and my co-worker said, “you don't often see people who wear that much cologne any more.” I'd had no idea the air was permeated with scents, so I guess I made a fairly good blind test subject. I suppose my question is answered – the scent was triggering the migraine, even though I couldn't smell it.
