Understanding why everyday environments can trigger coughing — and what you can do about it
🌫️ When the Air Itself Feels Unsafe
Many people living with aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA), or severe allergies feel anxious about returning to offices or shared spaces.
It isn’t the job that’s difficult — it’s the environment.
Dusty desks, neglected air vents, cold air-conditioning, and strong perfumes can all trigger coughing or wheezing.
Even a few minutes in a scented or dusty room can leave you coughing for hours — and explaining (again) that you’re not contagious.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not being oversensitive — you’re reacting to real biological triggers.
🧬 Why These Reactions Happen
1️⃣ Chemical Irritants and Perfumes
Perfumes, air fresheners, and cleaning sprays release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as limonene, linalool, and formaldehyde.
In sensitive lungs, these cause irritation and inflammation of the airways.
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Research shows VOCs can provoke coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness in people with asthma or allergic airway disease.
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These chemicals also activate airway nerve endings (trigeminal and vagal nerves) that trigger coughing reflexes — even when no infection or allergy is present.
This is known as neurogenic inflammation — a real, measurable process that makes you cough within seconds of exposure.
2️⃣ Damaged or Sensitive Airways
People with aspergillosis, bronchiectasis, or ABPA already have inflamed, scarred, or hypersensitive airways.
The airway lining (epithelium) is fragile and “leaky,” letting irritants trigger inflammation more easily.
Cough receptors are overactive, so small exposures — to scent, dust, or cold air — produce a big response.
Doctors call this airway hyperreactivity or irritant-induced cough reflex hypersensitivity.
It’s not psychological — it’s your lungs doing too good a job of protecting themselves.
3️⃣ Immune System Over-Response
Because aspergillosis and ABPA involve Type-2 immune inflammation (involving eosinophils and Th2 cytokines), your body’s defence cells are already primed.
When you inhale perfumes, dust, or fungal spores, those same immune pathways may flare up — releasing histamine and other inflammatory chemicals.
That’s why even non-allergic triggers can cause coughing or breathlessness.
4️⃣ Combined Triggers
Reactions are often additive.
Dust, perfume, cold air, and low humidity can act together:
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VOCs stick to dust particles and linger.
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Cold air increases nerve sensitivity.
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Mould fragments or Aspergillus spores amplify inflammation.
So what seems like “just perfume” may actually be a cocktail of irritants acting on already-inflamed lungs.
💬 The Social Challenge
Explaining a chronic cough can feel awkward.
Colleagues often assume it means infection — and that’s stressful when you’re already managing symptoms.
You shouldn’t have to justify your condition, but some people find it helps to have a short, calm explanation ready:
“I have a long-term lung condition that makes me cough when the air is dusty or scented — it’s not infectious.”
If you’re comfortable, let HR or Occupational Health know so they can help set expectations and prevent misunderstandings.
🏥 Your Rights and Reasonable Adjustments (UK)
Under the Equality Act 2010, aspergillosis and severe environmental allergies can qualify as a disability because they substantially affect daily life.
That means employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments, such as:
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A clean, fragrance-free workspace
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Portable air purifier or improved ventilation
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Flexible or hybrid working
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Adjusting temperature or airflow
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Asking cleaning teams to use low-VOC products
Occupational Health can formalise these requests confidentially so you’re not seen as a “complainer.”
👉 Equality Act 2010 – Reasonable Adjustments (GOV.UK)
👉 ACAS Guidance on Long-Term Health Conditions
🧴 Pharmacists: The Unsung Safety Specialists
Your hospital or local pharmacist is an important ally.
They can:
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Review all your medicines for interactions or side effects that might worsen coughing.
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Advise how to take antifungals (e.g., with food, not with antacids).
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Suggest fragrance-free personal care or cleaning products.
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Liaise with your GP or hospital consultant if medication changes are needed.
You can also use the official
👉 BNF Interactions Checker (NICE Medicines Guidance)
to look up possible drug interactions — but always confirm findings with your pharmacist.
🏡 Considering Remote or Hybrid Work
If triggers are unavoidable in your current workplace, remote or hybrid work may be a safe and realistic alternative.
A Fit Note from your consultant or GP can recommend home working as a health adjustment.
When searching for jobs, look for roles described as remote, home-based, or flexible — many NHS, charity, and tech employers are now supportive of this.
🧘 Managing the Emotional Side
Anxiety about returning to work is natural.
Many people find that anticipating exposure — and potential misunderstanding — is almost as stressful as the symptoms themselves.
Talking to your consultant or GP about counselling or CBT for health anxiety can help you build confidence and coping strategies.
Peer support from others with chronic respiratory disease can be just as powerful — you’re not alone in feeling this way.
🌱 Key Takeaways
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Reactions to perfume, dust, and cold air are real physiological responses, not oversensitivity.
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They occur because inflamed airways and primed immune systems are hypersensitive to chemical and physical irritants.
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Simple environmental changes — plus understanding from employers and colleagues — can make a huge difference.
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Pharmacists, doctors, and occupational-health teams can help you manage medicines and advocate for a safe workspace.
You deserve an environment that helps you stay well — not one that forces you to prove you’re not sick.
Further Reading
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“Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Asthma: Its Measurement and Clinical Significance” (PMC full-text) — a detailed review of what airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) is, how it happens, and why it matters. Link
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“Cough Hypersensitivity” (PDF patient leaflet, UK NHS trust) — explains how the airway nerves become too sensitive, what triggers are, and how the cycle of cough can develop. Link
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