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Increasing numbers of people in the US say that exposure to fragranced products is making them ill. According to a survey of more than 1100 people, one in four are now sensitive to everyday chemicals found in products like deodorants and air fresheners.

鈥淲e鈥檙e exposed to these chemicals continuously, but people may not realise they鈥檙e being harmed until it鈥檚 too late, and then they have chemical sensitivity,鈥� says of the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, who conducted the survey.

Back in 2002, less than 3 per cent of respondents to a similar survey said they had been medically diagnosed with sensitivity to such chemicals. But in the latest survey, this has risen to 13 per cent, with 26 per cent diagnosing themselves as experiencing physical reactions to chemicals.

Asthmatic problems were most prominent, reported by 71 per cent of those with medically diagnosed sensitivity and 59 per cent of the self-reporters. Migraines, skin problems and shortness of breath were also commonly reported symptoms.

Smelly bathrooms and offices

Of the 145 respondents with medically-diagnosed sensitivity, almost 60 per cent said they could no longer bear to visit public restrooms that use air fresheners, deodorisers or scented products. More than half鈥�55 per cent鈥攃ouldn鈥檛 wash their hands if soaps contained fragrances.

Of those who had been medically diagnosed, 58 per cent were men, and 42 per cent were women. The most sensitive age group in men was ages 25 to 34.

The survey found that 71 per cent of those with medically-diagnosed sensitivity support fragrance-free policies in workplaces, with 82 per cent supporting a ban in healthcare facilities. 鈥淢y studies have found that many more people prefer hotels, airplanes, workplaces, healthcare facilities and business premises that are fragrance-free,鈥� says Steinemann.

Read more: Attack of the household products: Hygiene鈥檚 hidden risks