01 August, 2011

Allergy Suggestions???

Dust mites and dust….
The words don't really surprise me but the impact is one that continues to hit home as I return to my favorite coffee shop after enduring my first allergy test.  
How does one rid one's life of dust mites and dust?
The doctor suggested that I could do shots - a series of six in six weeks and then… shots for the rest of my life….
And this isn't the way I want to spend the next forty or fifty years of my life.  
yet if I don't have the shots, will my ear ever return to normal?
About a year ago I began to experience pressure (negative) in my ear.  it felt as if I  had returned to earth from a long flight only to have my ear never clear.  
And it has yet to fully clear.  
Some days it is more clear than others - but it is never completely rid of the negative pressure.  
The doctor suggested that this is either the result of an infection (which I don't have) or an allergy…
Which is why I had an allergy test this morning.  
Do I have other allergies… yes, but none of them are as strong as the dust mites and the dust - and it is believed that they are each  exacerbated by this base allergy.  
So I am now considering my options.  
Dust and dust mites are a part of every day life for all of us.  Unless we live in a bubble, we have dust and dust mites.  They invade our pillows, our bedding, and anything and everything else.  
I intend to cleanly pillows post haste and am now quite thankful that the mattresses in my house are now all air mattresses.  I also use bamboo sheets - which are supposedly good for allergies though I use them because I love them.  
I live in an area that is under construction and development - something that will be a constant for years to come.  
Dust is a fact of life….
And yet, if there is anything else I can do to help my body without having to take shots for the rest of my life… I am open to suggestions!!

3 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Theresa .. I don't really have any suggestions - except to spring clean monthly, quarterly - as you can in other words ...

... I've heard that pillows are the worst .. so replacing those every year or two .. should help - especially as you spend more hours in bed than elsewhere in one place. (NB cushions too)

If you're moving .. and can get a property with a built in vacuum system (I didn't say hoover!) that should help too ...

I guess you've got no pets ...

Wear an air mask when doing 'dirty' jobs ...

I'm extremely fortunate not to suffer - so other than practical suggestions I can't help ..

I'd have thought - eating only organic, fresh - eg no made up meals ..

Hope some of these help .. ghastly inconvenience and so wearing .. look after yourself .. Hilary

Cinderella said...

Oh dear. There are a few things I can think of - some of which you may already have done:

1) hypo-allergenic pillows and hypoallergenic pillow protectors under your pillow cases. Wash the protectors and the cases at leats 2 or 3 times a week.

2) Wood or tile floors instead of carpeting.


3) Get a REALLY good HEPA filter air-conditioning unit in your apartment or home. (I invested in a hospital grade one, and it really helped.)

4) Check to see if you also have asthma. It may be there as a mild case in conjunction with the allergies. In which case, an inhaler may help.

Best wishes with this!

LesleyG said...

I wish I had more suggestions for you. A friend of mine here in Colorado (it is super dry and dusty here) swears by her home air purifiers. Maybe that could help?