Question:
child with pollen allergy, dust mite and/or mold allergy, eczyma ?
Answer:
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?
