Can perfumes cause headaches?

Many people say they get headaches from smelling perfumes. They often think it’s just them.

In fact, having a negative reaction to fragrances, including perfumed products and household scents, is very common, affecting about one-third of people.

American Headache Society
What’s that smell? by Deena Kuruvilla, MD

Migraines

Scent a trigger is even more common for people who suffer from migraines. Though the good news is that studies have isolated common migraine causing scents so they might be avoided. At least one study has also indicated that certain scents such as apple may reduce the severity of migraines in some people: Smells That Cause (and Cure) Migraines.

Video

Scientific papers

Steinemann, A. (2016). Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects from emissionsAir Quality, Atmosphere & Health9(8), 861-866.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27867426/

Schwedt, T. J. (2013). Multisensory integration in migraine. Current opinion in neurology26(3), 248.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038337/

Silva-Néto, R. P., Peres, M. F. P., & Valença, M. M. (2014). Odorant substances that trigger headaches in migraine patientsCephalalgia34(1), 14-21.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247157086_Odorant_substances_that_trigger_headaches_in_migraine_patients

Silva-Néto, R. P., Rodrigues, Â. B., Cavalcante, D. C., Ferreira, P. H. P. B., Nasi, E. P., Sousa, K. M. D. H., … & Valença, M. M. (2017). May headache triggered by odors be regarded as a differentiating factor between migraine and other primary headaches?Cephalalgia37(1), 20-28.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0333102416636098

Friedman, D. I., & De Ver Dye, T. (2009). Migraine and the environmentHeadache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain49(6), 941-952.

https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01443.x