I already confessed my allergy faux pas on facebook a few day ago. I found mold on the ceiling of my daughter’s bathroom. The reason I am sharing is that I live in the high desert at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. To the West, I look at a beautiful pine-covered scene. To the East I see desert, sage brush and the high desert. Who would have thought that mold could sneak in and grow? How did seasonal allergies come ripping into my household so soon? The kids are sneezing, everyone has sinus headaches–environmental allergy season seemed to have snuck up from out of nowhere. Our family hay fever and allergy plan has been activated!
Note: top Macro Mold Colonies image courtesy of Moomsabuy at Freedigitalphotos.net
The moral of this story is that I need to pay better attention to our non-food allergens! My son and I are highly allergic to mold. Thankfully, my daughter is not. Jumping up on a ladder with some disinfectant cleaned up the mold spots in less than one minute. We are also allergic to dust, grass, pollen and sage brush. Since this winter was dry, I predict a long and painful spring and summer filled with many sneezes. Our solution…
Hay Fever Season Plan of Attack
- Visit Board Certified Allergist. Believe it or not, allergists track pollen counts and local allergens. He is able to advice what allergens may be a larger problem than normal. We always visit our allergist not only to discuss what the hay fever season may bring us, but to discuss asthma maintenance and allergy medications.
- Stock up on soft tissues. Soft tissues with lotion are hot commodities in our household.
- Change Clothes. We change into our “indoor clothing” so that we leave pollen laden clothing in the laundry area.
- No Shoes Allowed. Everyone is asked to leave their shoes at the door and we offer slippers, flip-flops or socks to wear in our house. This keeps additional pollen outside too.
- Evening Showers. Baths are out and night-time showers are in. These wash away allergens that might have settled into our hair or clothing. Otherwise, we become the specialized delivery device for allergens as we contaminate our couch, beds and pillows.
- Nasal Rinse. We use a nasal rinse and MyPurMist® Handheld Steam Inhaler to keep our nasal passage ways moist and free of allergens.
- Avoidance. We all avoid being outside during the wind or when grass is being mowed. We say no to picnics on luscious freshly cut green grass to say yes to a picnics by creeks in the forest.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Mold is a scary thing!
Vacuuming daily or every other day helps us, along with wiping down surfaces and dusting often! Mold is my highest allergen and our sons are also prone to it.
Vacuuming daily is a GREAT idea!!