Question:
My 3 year old daughter had eczyma as a baby (still does) had severe
pollen allergies at age 2.5 now seems to be allergic to dust and/or
mold. The pollen allergy made her miserable with itchy tearing eyes
and runny nose in late spring. We tried zyrtec for a few days but it
had no effect. We tried some eye drops and she claimed they didn't
help. The Dr. later told me we should try zyrtec for a full week
before we might begin to see improvement but by then the season was
ending and I couldn't evaluate it.
Mold/dust: In September her colds begin, hers last 2-3 weeks and are
back to back. The Dr. said she also has an allergy to dust and/or
mold. We gave the zyrtec dose for her weight (1 tsp) for a week, then
doubled the dose for a week, no obvious benefit. I am disappointed in
zyrtec and plan to switch drugs for spring pollen. (Any
recommendations?)
Meanwhile, I am trying to clean her room. We already bought her a new
pillow with a protective cover and will buy mattress and duvet covers.
I am particularly concerned that our children spend a lot of time
jumping on the beds and this must put a lot of dust mites into the
air, and I don't know if a cover would stand up to this kind of wear.
Specific recommendations on mattress and duvet covers would be
welcome. I am particularly wondering how any cotton or cottonlike
cover with a 200 or 240 weave could possibly help against dust
mites--I don't believe it--our sheets are woven about that tight. Can
anyone recommend a specific brand and comment what you know of the
breathability/pore size etc?
Also, we have wall to wall carpeting in her room and much of the
house, though it is only 6 years old. Has anyone tried placing small
washable rugs on top of wall to wall and washing them periodically (as
well as vacuuming underneath). I thought this might minimize the
stirring up of the dust mites from the carpet underneath. Also has
anyone had any luck using a "semi-dry" carpet cleaner --there was one
I used years ago with a damp citrusy powder which was spread then
vacuumed up. We already have a vacuum with a HEPA filter but it still
raises a lot of dust I think. I'd like to set up a system to vent
outside as I vacuum, but there doesn't seem to be anyplace to plug a
long venting hose into. Does anyone have any specific vacuum
brand/type recommendations for doing this? Also I saw people on this
site claiming that a central vac costs only a few hundred dollars more
than a regular vac. Would this include installation--I imagine it
would cost thousands of dollars to route the ductwork.
Now I don't know that she is allergic to dust, it might be mold, but I
want to take precautions anyhow since she seems to be developing
allergy to everything airborne. Her eyes are very sensitive, often
irritated, and she is always rubbing them, has had several eye
infections, some of which she gave to me, and I can't get her to keep
her hands out of her eyes. Her nose is runnning most months of the
year. I don't imagine there is much I can do about a mold allergy.
In our area, everyone's house is covered with mildew from the summer
humidity. There is a little bit of mildew in our bathroom mostly
embedded in caulk but it would be a lot of work to clean and it pales
in comparison with what's growing on our siding. I think I'm mildly
allergic to both mold and mites anyhow.
Also I am wondering about the wisdom and validity of allergy tests.
Could the injection of these substances under the skin actually
produce or enhance the allergy? (similar injections are done in
animals to produce a new immune response). And does the allergic
reaction generated in the skin accurately reflect the allergic
reaction in the eye, which I believe produces a different subtype of
antibody, made by different cells. Does anyone have any literature on
allergy to recommend, in particular literature which scientifically
evaluates the effectiveness of different measures (especially with
repect to the many measures one could take against dust mites) in
alleviating symptoms?
Answer:
I empathize as I too am trying to reduce dust and molds. I bought a
less expensive plastic zip on mattress cover for our bed and then put
a zip on cotton one over it to protect it from tears. I can wash the
cotton one and the plastic one seals the mattress in quite well. It
has made a difference for me. How well things work depends on many factors including exactly what
and how severe the airbourne allergy is. I have also found bleach to
be my friend in cleaning. I wipe down every surface I can with a
bleach solution and keep very few items that can't handle this
treatment ( I guess my computer is an exception). Some people can't
tolerate the bleach either. This is the type of thing that causes the
diversity of advice on these pages.
I too have carpet on most of my floors and use a HEPPA filter vacuum
cleaner and agree it is not the perfect solution. I also have a
Bionaire air cleaner which helps quite a bit but I find it needs the
filter changed more often than recommended to do the job for me.
Anything powdery like you describe in your carpet cleaner also bothers
me and you need to observe how she responds when you use a new
cleaner. I have had occassions where I was still getting sick from the
smell of a new cleaner long after the "clean" had worn off.
I don't know what kind of a duvet you are trying to cover but if it is
a genuine feather duvet it could be a big part of your problem as I
have had to get rid of all down and feather products in my house as
they even bothered me stored in a plastic bag. They gave me worse
symptoms than the dust. Again this is individual but I find anything
that puts particles into the air bothers me and you can see the "dust"
fly when you fluff a feather pillow. Also something to consider is
plants in the house. the dirt can harbor molds and I find certain
plants also affect me. For example I had petunias under my bedroom
window outside last year and the smell was bothering me. My house
plants also need careful monitoring as some kinds seem to bother me
while others don't. I have found nothing substitutes for careful
observation and trial and error. If I feel a little better I look for
what has changed and try more of the same and if I feel a little worse
I do the same and avoid the problem. After much trial and error I am
beginning to know what does and doesn't work for me.
Again I don't know your daughter's particular allergies but if bleach
isn't a no-no for her Fantastic with bleach does a great job of
killing mold in my shower. Just spraying it on a black spot that was
developing in the corner of my ceiling above the shower and leaving it
totally cleaned it up. It lasts for quite a while ( weeks to months).
Any surface that won't fade from this treatment would probably clean
up as well. I also used it on my daughter's apartment very
effectively. She had an old pitted tub and tub surround with solid
black mold in all the caulking and a good portion of the tub and tile
as well. I never saw such a mess. After repeated spraying it looked
almost new. For it to work on the silicone it needs to sit on it for a
while and soak in and may need more than one application. I also put a
bit of bleach in my water when i wash my walls but great care needs to
be excercised not to get any on the rugs as they could stain. I find
after a thorough cleaning like this I can be relatively symptom free
for about a month. Being an adult when the symptoms return enough I
can scrub again although I temporarily feel worse due to the dust it
raises. I like your questions because it shows you really care about getting the
facts. Also I also wonder about the wisdom and validity of some allergy
tests.
I think the injection of these substances under the skin actually can
produce or enhance the allergy. I am working with a woman that got
injections every week for one year, and said the allergy got worse. I would
take a different approach on the colds and cold like symptoms. I would look
at them being diet related. And most people that look at dealing with the
symptoms of the allergies and not the cause. NAET works on the cause of the
allergy. Buy her a synthetic coverlet which can be WASHED IN YOUR WASHER ONCE A WEEK IN
THE HOTTEST WATER AVAILABLE. Add some boiling water to the washer, also.
