Who knew?
Not me.
I had to take a trip to the ER this morning. I’d been coughing uncontrollably for days, leaving me breathless and a little lightheaded. It honestly felt as though I was not able to get any air in.
Fortunately, I have a breathing machine, called a nebulizer, that delivers asthma meds in a cloud of moisture. I used it to interrupt the breathlessness over the course of 3 days in a row.
At the ER, I found out:
- I didn’t have pneumonia
- My heart was fine (other than a pre-existing aneurysm)
- No viruses
- No bacterial infection
What I did have is a BAD allergic reaction to pollen, which is, apparently quite high at present. That, plus post-nasal drip (like Felix Unger), set up those coughing fits.
I am to use a nasal spray to reduce the irritation caused by my nose dripping during the night, and use an antihistamine daily.
And, stay away from things that irritate my system. Like the cats (multiple) that 2 of my kids have.
And feathers/birds. And most dog breeds (other than poodles/mixes and a few other kinds). And wool. And, and, and.
I’d been eating strawberries. In the past, I only had problems if I was a little piggie about quantity. No longer. I’m to completely avoid them.
I need to take a look at our spice mixes; some of them may have ingredients that can cause problems (like saffron – it’s basically ALL pollen!).
If you need to check the daily pollen count, Accuweather has an app that separates the types – today’s high trigger is Dust and Dander.
So, I guess I’ll have to clean up the house this week. I’m just lucky that this is – mostly – avoidable.
3 comments
Have you ever been through the testing – some large number of pinprick-level injections and they’re scored by how big a lump you got? They always told me that was the “gold standard” way of testing. Have you ever gotten the desensitization injections?
Have you ever seen an allergist?
For comparison, my answers to those questions are “yes, multiple times.” I find that the most effective antihistamine is the first one I ever used, about 53 years ago. Chlorpheneramine maleate. Which used to be by prescription and is now OTC at a penny or two per pill. The only drawback is they used to be a 12 hour timed release, and now they’re good for four hours. Your reactions may vary.
Author
Yes, I’ve been tested. I do have some listed allergies/sensitivities, but the real problem seems to be when my system is under stress, at which point I react to a LOT of things.
Never tried de-sensitization. I might look into it, after my new knee heals (I can only do so much at once).
The biggest change is the nasal spray. It is MUCH better than the old kinds, and actually clears up the problem.
As for antihistamines, I’m using the generic Allegra – it’s doing the trick, so far. I just hadn’t been using it every day, all day, before. I got the 24 hour type, which I like, because I don’t have to remember to take it multiple times a day.
The desensitization is a real ordeal to go through. They inject small amounts of standard solutions into your upper arm, and it starts at like twice a week, then the concentration they inject you with is increased gradually as your reaction gets lighter. You’ll go to getting the shot once a week, then every other week and so on. I’ve had this a couple of times and I think each time lasted around five years but honestly don’t really have that documented anywhere.
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The problem is that you can develop a better response to the standard formula but may still be just as allergic to something different from that formula and the five years does absolutely nothing for you. My usual answer is that I’m allergic to everything that is now, or ever once was, alive. My preference for the short acting pill is new, and strictly comes from taking a once-a-day pill that didn’t work so I can’t try something else for 24 hours.
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Well, you have my email address here, so feel free to go that way, if you want.