Question:
Does anyone know the best climates for allergy rellief? Hot, cool, dry,
humid? Or, is it going to be person/allergy specific? Just curious. I'm going to be moving soon, and I figured I might work this
factor into the equation as well.
Answer:
Hot and dry is nearly always best in that these areas tend to have the
fewest common allergens such as pollen, dust mites and moulds. Trouble is,
people who move to these areas try to make life more comfortable for
themselves by installing air conditioning, carpets in their homes etc, and
bingo! a micro-climate in which is established in which dust mites and
moulds can thrive. They also take their pets with them, old mattresses that
are probably crawling with dust mites and so on. So at the end of the day
allergy sufferers may not notice too much of a benefit from their move.
What I would say, however, is that anyone who is wildly sensitive to mould
spores should clearly avoid Florida, Louisiana and other steamy spots on the
globe. Moulds are one of the most difficult of all the allergens to
eradicate. I've tested allergic to two things: dust mites and cats. I'm allergic to cats
wherever I go. But, it appears I'm only allergic to dust mites in Southern Cal.
Anywhere else on the planet that I've been longer than a week - the allergies
clear up. In So Cal, 8 months out of the year I'm innundated. Would you
attributed this to the threshold concept you just mentioned below?
Here's an off the wall question: do they make masks you can wear to filter the
air of allergens?
Allergic reactions call for the sleuthing powers of Sherlock Holmes! I
wonder what ELSE you are being exposed to while you're in Southern
California? Sometimes we have to look for things other than allergens.
Chemical sensitivies, for example, can cause exactly the same range of
symptoms. What we do know for sure is that allergy sufferers respond far
more violently, and at lower concentrations, to perfumes, car pollution,
ozone, work-related chemicals and all the other indoor and outdoor
pollutants than non-allergic folk ( the release of mediator chemicals from
mast cells in the airways and nasal lining makes them hypersensitive).
Even stress has to factored into the situation. Extra stress causes major
problems for allergy sufferers and lowers the threshold at which symptoms
appear.
There are two tips I always pass on to people who are allergic to cat
owners. First, invest in a high filtration vacuum cleaner with a long hose
extension - cat dander is very light and has a habit of lightly sticking to
wallpaper. The first stir of air when you walk into a room dislodges the
particles and triggers off sneezing and wheezing in seconds. A daily
vacuuming of the walls with the hose definitely eases this problem. Second
tip is an obvious one - the cat should be kept out of the bedroom at all
times.
I suspect you don't have a cat, Mark. If you are visiting a family member
with a cat, perhaps the best answer is simply to take an antihistamine
tablet before you arrive, just to provide short-term cover.
Another tip I always pass on to sufferers is to take lots of vitamin C,
which is a harmless natural antihistamine and eases all manner of allergy
symptoms. I'd take at least 2 grams a day, and more during severe bouts.
Interestingly enough, I've found that it seems to enhance the efficacy of
chemical antihistamines!
To answer your specific question - you can indeed find masks that will ease
the symptoms of allergy. Any decent-sized cycle shop will stock the sort
that keen cyclists wear to stop themselves being poisoned by traffic
pollution. They are normally capable of filtering out dust mite faeces,
pollen and moult spores as well as traffic fumes. Do check before you buy.
(DIY outlets also supply similar masks for that will filter out everything
from dust to paint and chemical odours).
Trouble with masks is that are a bit of a killer at dinner parties and other
social gatherings! Yes, I have seen such masks in an anti-allergy products catalog, and I once saw
a man with a riding mower who had just mowed a wide area on a state property.
He was wearing a mask over the nose and mouth. I didn't get to speak to him but
figure he may have been allergic to the fragrance of freshly mowed grass.
For cutting grass, a plain old cheapie dust mask you can buy at the hardware
store will filter out the pieces of grass. When I mow the lawn I always
wear a mask and earplugs. It's not the fragrance of cut grass that causes
the allergies, it's inhaling little pieces of grass. About once I year I
decide I can't be bothered with the mask, and I always regret it afterward!
