Perfume allergy difficult to handle

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am allergic to most perfumes. They send me into a coughing and gagging fit that takes at least five minutes outside in fresh air to calm down from. My throat is sore for an entire day, not to mention the labored breathing.

How do I get people to understand without causing them to become upset with me? Yes, they get upset because they are gagging me! I try to avoid perfume when I smell it, before I start having a problem, but this is not always possible. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated.
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