How do you deal with strong smells?

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So, today I kinda had a sensory overload? Like, just a few hours ago so I can still feel everything so... maximized? I don't know how to describe it.

For context, I was in class. We were doing some formal stuff so, a lot of people were wearing this elegant suits and dresses and perfume. A very sweet perfume.

Now, I'm used to this kind of perfumes, since the people I'm close to wear sweet perfumes, but, in that moment, I started to feel distressed and grossed out by the smell.

It wasn't only the aroma, of course. Suddenly I could hear the fabric of the dresses rubbing against itself and stuff, but, holy s**t, the f*****g smell.

Now I'm in my house, I'm safe, but almost every room in my house has this sweet scent because of the things we use here, and I'm unable to breathe this sweet air without wanting to throw up

How do you deal with this? I've never had to deal with smells before, I even found myself very comfortable surrounded by familiar sweet smells but now I can't even breath in my own house.

I would be very grateful if you could help me, I really don't know what to do.

I absolutely cannot wear deodorant or perfume. I remember going wild with the stuff as a teenager though. Now living with a teenager, I struggle when he liberally applies smelly things. Our tolerance for these things seems to change over time.
I find the use of strong perfume a big turn off. I have become aware how I connect with ordinary body odour. I like how I smell and I like the smell of the people I'm intimate with. Perfume only covers that up. I do believe that in some way we can smell the people we are "compatible" with.

I agree with this.

For me, I appeared more tolerant when younger but my lungs no longer manage whatever is in them. Now I am choking around sprays and aerosols, the windows are always open, even in winter and I find myself shouting about toxic smells.

Regretfully, i purchased the majority of those toxic smells so have passed this buying on to the kids. Basically, I use them minimistically, only when needs must and in very open spaces with windows and doors open to the outside or do a runner from the room quickly. I try to find less toxic items instead which is hard.

I don't really have a hypersensitivity to smells.

Run and scream in terror, in my head.

But, mostly I avoid them if I can.

I am very sensitive to odors. I am triggered mostly by artificial scent like perfumes or spray scent for homes and linens, etc, but also can be sensitive to things like exhaust from propane engine/motors and things like smells from folks who have really bad problems keeping themselves clean. I get headaches or feel like I am going to throw up or both, and want to remove myself from those offensive odors as soon as possible. There is a list of things that offend my nose that would take pages if I listed them all. On the other hand, some strong smells are perfectly fine and even enjoyable. I guess you could say I fall on the hypersensitive side of olfactory subjects. I know many people don't notice smells at all. I am capable of enduring many that others find offensive, that came in handy in my years of being a cleaning lady, unless any of my trigger smells were present (especially the unwashed bodies odor).

The only way is to put lots of fresh air between you and the smell, or otherwise ask for it to be removed if it is possible.
Sometimes I think the only solution is a gas mask.
I was glad the pot pourri craze ended, but it seems to have been replaced with far worse.
Those air fresheners, for example, that hiss at you and shoot out a cloud of mist when you walk past are so overpowering they make me gag.
How anyone could prefer that to plain old air is beyond me.
They should be called air putrifiers.

Hahahahaha! So true. Those are a ghastly invention. You need to be on the ball to avoid them! That lingering on your skin or clothes is corrosive.

^Yes! They should be illegal!

Interestingly, doing a sensory sensitivity test in a book called "Sensory Intelligence ", smell came out as my least sensitive sense. The author thinks we can use stimulating our least sensitive sense as a means of regulating overstimulation from other senses. Ive never really tried this.
Basically some smells I cannot be around and others I quite like.

I'm quite hypersensitive to odors. I have been asked in the past to sniff out the source of an odor. I joke I'm a bloodhound in human form. So, I am quite particular when it comes to choosing soaps, creams and perfumes. God forbid anything I use gets discontinued. It's a long process to find a replacement. Certain odors though can illicit quite a bit of anger in me. Strong flowery perfumes or soaps are incredibly unpleasant. Certain mens cologne are quite caustic to my nasal passages. Garlic, need I say more.

Most strong scents don't bother me much unless they're something almost everyone hates. Sometimes I think my sense of taste and smell are really weak. When I was a teenager I once got a cold and after I got better I thought I couldn't smell and taste as well as I used to. I'm always worrying I'm getting covid. Just today my mom bought a new live tree and placed it in the back seat (it's a young dwarf spruce tree), and she said she could really smell it, but I could hardly smell it at all and got worried about covid. My mother wasn't aware that suddenly losing your sense of taste and smell was an early symptom of covid, she thought you'd have aches, fever, and a cough. She clearly hasn't been as "informed" as I have.

I'm sensitive only to bad smells. But I love essential oils and floral perfumes and use them regularly. I use them to scent all my clothes and belongings, too including face masks.

If possible, I tend to leave the place if the smell is too strong. If that's not possible, I try methods that could keep me from smelling things so much, like covering my nose.

Fortunately, I'm nowhere near as sensitive to smells as I was as a child. Back then I couldn't even use hand sanitizer and always just washed my hands instead, even if the closest possible place to do that was a bit further than was convenient. Would be a real pain if I was still that sensitive in these times of Covid.

It was OK for me in my youth, but it's been getting worse over the years.
Bad breath, perfumes, artificial smells like in some chewing gums and energy drinks.
I believe it's a major reason why I started smoking, not that I'd advice anyone to do the same.
It's kinda funny, I don't have a (big) issue with smells like poop or rotten food, I think bad breath is the only "natural" smell that I cannot stand.

I've always had a very good nose, I can pick up smells nobody else senses. My mom was the same.

/Mats

I take a bath.

^ does bathing help skunks?