Suburban Guerrilla

Allergies

Apr 24th, 2008 at 8:56 am by Susie

It was really hot, so I turned the AC on when I went to bed last night (since I can’t open the window and let in all the killer pollen). I still woke up this morning with puffy, throbbing sinuses on both sides. I already cleaned the filter, so I don’t know what else I can do… suggestions, anyone? (Please remember, I already do the saline irrigation every night.)

Posted in My So-Called Life

19 Responses to “Allergies”

on 24 Apr 2008 at 9:06 am1John Gall

Is the saline solution you use buffered? My doc says it should be. Recipes are on the web.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 9:08 am2votermom

Try putting a pan of clean water near the window/ source of air to help trap foreign particles (poor man’s version of filtering air through water). Try to aim the air onto the water.
Make sure you change the water daily.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 9:13 am3zuzu

Make sure the AC is set on recirculate rather than intake. If you’re pulling in air from outside, you’re going to get pollen coming in.

Of course, if you recirculate, you’re recirculating all the dust already in the house, but at least you’re already used to that and you can get rid of some of it.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 9:21 am4John Gall

More: my doc also want me to use a humidifier. Says it will help to take pollen out of the air. I’m saving for one now.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 9:49 am5DBK

Give up all milk products. Milk makes allergies worse.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 10:57 am6eRobin

I’m with DBK on the milk - even cutting way back on dairy will help. Also, is it possible that you’re doing the saline too much? I’m a big fan of saline irrigation so that’s a real question.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:03 am7k

I can’t help you. Having become “a certain age,” I’m finding that my allergies are dropping off - or else it’s the whacking huge amount of drugs I pour into my system every day.
Water, orange juice, red wine, washing your face a lot - all I can offer.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:24 am8merciless

You’re doing all the right things and still suffering, poor baby. The only thing I have left is local honey, which may help to immunize you from some of the local pollen.

Other than that, you can always move out to the beautiful high desert with me.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:29 am9nora

It is possible to do the saline thing too frequently or too vigorously, or make the solution too salty.

Also try running your pillows/blankets through a hot dryer for as long as they’ll tolerate.

I find it helps to sleep face-up with my head and shoulders slightly elevated (as in prop the bed’s legs up, or sleep on a wedge of pillows). The minute I lie flat or turn my head to the side it hurts like hell.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:44 am10djmm

I am so sorry about your problem! I agree that a teaspoon of local honey a day might help. I have been taking DanActive for about a month for GI problems — and my allergies (normally terrible this time a year) seem to be gone. Not sure if it is causal, but I have not been doing anything else new.

djmm
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:48 am11votermom

I forget if you have insurance right now, or if you have any objections to it (since it is a steroid), but Flonase could help.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 12:18 pm12Elayne Riggs

Try to find out if you can get specific allergy filters for your AC. That’s what we’re starting to look into, as the regular filters just don’t work with a lot of allergens.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 1:29 pm13Mad Martigan

High doses of antioxidants can reduce the free radicals that lead to inflammation. Cranberries, blueberries, and some green teas are all good sources of antioxidants. The best source is the acai berry from Brazil. The best acai juice blend available is from Monavie.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 1:34 pm14Orson

You might be carrying the pollen into the bed on your person. Our face and hair are big dust collectors. During the season I wash both at bedtime and install a clean pillow cover. Otherwise it’s hours of rubbing eyes and nose in the pollen and dander falling from the face and hair. It works for me.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 4:45 pm15momofed

1. Gently use a tongue scraper as far back as possible into the throat, applying light pressure to the tongue; do this 2x daily. It has stopped my post-nasal drip sore throats.
2. Use trigger point therapy; I use the Claire & Amber Davies book as a guide. Working trigger points in the mouth & on the face makes a huge difference, and you can redo as needed.
3. Long-term acupuncture helps
on 24 Apr 2008 at 4:52 pm16jerri

Susie…drugs…they really work.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 6:11 pm17daria

What finally worked for me was the sinus irrigation - as needed, not daily - and Flonase. I resisted the drug route for a long time - and foolishy so since I enjoyed immediate relief with squirt #1. So I’m with jerri: “drugs… they really work.” Wishing you unstuffy days ahead….

P.s. #10-djmm mentioned relief with DanActive. I’ve heard the same from 3 other people.
on 24 Apr 2008 at 7:49 pm18memyself

AC usually only filters fairly large particles. For several weeks out of every year I have to use an air purifier with both standard and hepa filters and a light that kills mold spores and germs.

This is the one that let me breathe again I’ve used it off and on since 2004 and it looks like the model is no longer available - but you can get the specs from the page.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000050AOV
on 24 Apr 2008 at 11:23 pm19Mark Madrak

Wow, it took 18 comments before somebody suggested an air filter for your bedroom. That was my first thought. I have one and it works very well. Given that we have the same biology it mighw work for you too…Nasonex also works.

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