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Advice for hyper-sensitivity to exhaust fumes

Lozze

Hi all, I was very, very recently diagnosed as Autistic and it's suddenly been a revelation for so many things throughout my life.

Due to some big life changes, I've recently moved back in with my parents for a while and they live very close to a motorway.

I am a 'fresh air' addict and permanently have a window open, as I can't stand a room feeling stuffy or closed in. However, I have found that I can constantly smell the exhaust fumes from the motorway here and it's making me feel nauseous throughout the day. I have asked my parents and they can't smell it at all; I assume I am hyper-sensitive to the smell.

I don't particularly like any strong scents, so I wouldn't be looking to mask the smell with anything else, but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for neutralising smells or if there's anything I can do, mentally, to turn my focus away from this constant smell. Does anyone else have a sensitivity to exhaust fumes? I've tried googling but can't seem to see any specific discussion of people who have this issue.

I also am unsure whether I am imagining the smell! When I'm outdoors, I don't notice it at all, but with the window open, it seems really strong. I'd just be interested to know if anyone else has this experience? Thank you Slight smile

Parents
  • Lozze said:
    I also am unsure whether I am imagining the smell! When I'm outdoors, I don't notice it at all, but with the window open, it seems really strong.

    I would suggest doing some experiments to try to identify if it is the exhaust fumes you are experiencing or something in the house.

    I would get a slightly damp cloth and try breathing through it for 5 mins to remove any desensitisation to ambient smells and then take it off - do this is a range of situations to see which you can smell it in and grade it on a scale of 1 to 5 (low to high smell).

    - outside near the house.

    - outside near an area of countryside (ie no cars anywhere near)

    - in the house with the windows open for at least an hour (test morning, afternoon and evening)

    - in the house with the windows closed for several hours (test morning, afternoon and evening)

    The fact you don't smell it outside suggests you need to establish if you smell it only when the windows have been open, so you may want to try also to open the windows and see if the smell becomes stronger when you do this.

    Also remember to check for things like automatic air fresheners, atomisers and any other source of chemical sprays in the house as these may be contributing - this includes a gas boiler which may not be venting properly.

    Once we have tracked down the source then we can give suggestions on how to remedy this.

Reply
  • Lozze said:
    I also am unsure whether I am imagining the smell! When I'm outdoors, I don't notice it at all, but with the window open, it seems really strong.

    I would suggest doing some experiments to try to identify if it is the exhaust fumes you are experiencing or something in the house.

    I would get a slightly damp cloth and try breathing through it for 5 mins to remove any desensitisation to ambient smells and then take it off - do this is a range of situations to see which you can smell it in and grade it on a scale of 1 to 5 (low to high smell).

    - outside near the house.

    - outside near an area of countryside (ie no cars anywhere near)

    - in the house with the windows open for at least an hour (test morning, afternoon and evening)

    - in the house with the windows closed for several hours (test morning, afternoon and evening)

    The fact you don't smell it outside suggests you need to establish if you smell it only when the windows have been open, so you may want to try also to open the windows and see if the smell becomes stronger when you do this.

    Also remember to check for things like automatic air fresheners, atomisers and any other source of chemical sprays in the house as these may be contributing - this includes a gas boiler which may not be venting properly.

    Once we have tracked down the source then we can give suggestions on how to remedy this.

Children
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