As of: January 30, 2024, 7:07 a.m
By: Eva Strauss
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On the trail of artificial fragrances: Daniela Arbter-Öttl with her self-published book.
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Headaches, severe exhaustion, itching: Daniela Arbter-Öttl has suffered from mysterious symptoms for years.
Then Corona came – and the Mammendorf woman saw a light.
Mammendorf – She is allergic to artificial fragrances.
She has now written a book about it - with which she wants to educate and create awareness of this suffering.
The book “The Fragrance Revolution” is 469 pages thick.
Daniela Arbter-Öttl proudly holds it up to the camera.
Ultimately, she says, she worked intensively on it for two years.
It is based on their own experiences and those of other people affected: Everyone has an allergy to artificial fragrances - to a greater or lesser extent.
There are hardly any scientific studies on the topic.
“The doctors know very little about it,” says the 55-year-old.
She also ran to dozens of doctors - no one could help her.
Out of necessity
The decision to write a book about her allergy arose “out of her own necessity”.
She also noticed – through self-help and Facebook groups – that a lot of people suffer from such allergies.
“Some people are even bedridden,” says the Mammendorfer.
Others complain of shortness of breath, itching, exhaustion and many other symptoms similar to those of fatigue syndrome - whenever they have come into contact with artificial fragrances.
“It’s enough if someone who walks past you has deodorant on them,” reports Daniela Arbter-Öttl.
“That’s why I don’t go around people if I can avoid it.”
The Mammendorf native noticed early on that something was different about her.
“I had to make a change at school when my friend used a new hairspray.
Or I always had to get off the S-Bahn because I suddenly felt bad.
“I also had colds very often,” she says.
And even when there were visitors, she often didn't feel well afterwards.
But she couldn't make sense of it.
No contact
It took the pandemic for that to happen.
“No one was hit, I felt much better.” Then she realized: It must be the scents that dissolve all of this for her.
Since then, she has lived largely fragrance-free, works as an editor and proofreader exclusively in her home office and avoids contact.
She couldn't protect herself otherwise.
“The scent just goes over,” explains the 55-year-old.
Because the fragrances are supposed to be smelled.
That's why they always flow away from the source.
The molecules then reach the mucous membranes and into the body through breathing.
“And that can trigger allergies just as much as skin contact,” says Daniela Arbter-Öttl.
In contrast to fragrance contact allergy, hardly anything is known about airborne fragrance allergy.
The Mammendorf resident now wants to change that with her self-published book.
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The book:
“The Fragrance Revolution.
Inexplicable symptoms – on the trail of artificial fragrances” costs 30 euros and is available on amazon.de.
You can find even more current news from the Fürstenfeldbruck district at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.auf amazon.de.