Let's Talk Allergies

Happy Cinco de Mayo - I think

2012-05-05T05:55:00Z

Happy Cinco de Mayo! In case you haven't noticed, this Mexican holiday has become more and more popular in the United States. I have my suspicions that the bar and restaurant industries are behind it. Sort of an excuse to sell margaritas and Mexican beer along with nachos and tacos.

Despite popular misconceptions, the 5th of May isn't Mexican Independence Day. That is September 16. It also has nothing to do with Mexico and Spain. It really isn't a big deal in Mexico either. I grew up in far South Texas, not too far from the Texas/Mexico border and Cinco de Mayo wasn't anything except the day between Cuatro de Mayo and Seis de Mayo.

The Mexican state of Puebla celebrates the date. They have something to celebrate. The day is remembered for the battle of Puebla that occurred on May 5, 1862. The Mexicans conquered the French. It was really all about money.

After fighting too many wars, Mexico was broke. (Sound familiar?) They defaulted on their debts. Spain, Britain and France didn't take kindly to this because they were all owed large sums of money. All three countries sent their naval forces to Veracruz, but only Napoleon saw it as a chance to expand the French empire to Latin America. He had big ideas for a little guy.

The Battle of Puebla was a source of Mexican pride because their smaller forces that were not as well equipped were able to beat back the French, if only temporarily. France eventually regained control of the land and established their guy, Maximillian, as emperor. The French maintained control until the United States ended their own Civil War and took a look south to see what was happening to their neighbor. Combined forces ejected the French. And that was the end of European invasions into Mexico.

So how's that for some trivia to share with your friends while you sip Margaritas and eat tacos. Probably beats telling them about the thousands of dust mites, dust mite body parts, and dust mite feces that are lurking in their pillows and mattresses at home. Who wants to think about that while they celebrate the holiday that really isn't?

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Covering Your Mattress Economically - We Can Help!

2012-05-04T17:24:37Z

We had a customer with an interesting inquiry earlier this week.

She wanted to know why she couldn't cover her mattress and box spring in the same zippered cover. She had measured her box spring and mattress together and realized that combined, they were under 18" deep and she thought they would fit in an AllerSoft Blend mattress cover that was extra extra deep.

We spoke for awhile about how she intended to get the cover on both pieces at the same time. She was thinking that she would just lift up one edge of the mattress and box spring and slide the cover over everything at once. In her defense, she had never really thought through how the cover would actually go on or considered the actual weight of the mattress and box spring. Things were further complicated when I discovered that she had a king mattress with split box springs. Now we were talking about how to get three pieces in one dust mite proof mattress cover!

After spending quite a bit of time attempting to dissuade her based on the weight of a king mattress and boxspring set and the physical difficulty of accomplishing what she intended we finally got down to the heart of the matter.. She was on a limited budget and needed to get maximum relief with minimum financial investment.

Now once we got the the real issue, a solution was not difficult and not expensive. After reviewing all the types of fabric available, we agreed that the Linen fabric that is a cotton/polyester blend would suit her needs just fine. She also learned that she didn't need to put the same more expensive fabric covers on the box springs that she wanted for the mattress. We carry both vinyl and SMS as budget-friendly alternatives for the box springs.

The end result was that for just about $6 more than that extra extra deep cover she was thinking about, she was able to get the proper size zippered dust mite cover for her mattress and box springs and they would be easy to install.

If you need to get zippered covers for your mattress, box springs, duvet or pillows and are on a tight budget, be sure to let us know. We have so many fabrics available and are so familiar with each that we can help you maximize your budget. In addition to utilizing vinyl or SMS for the box spring, we can also direct you to less expensive covers for the pillows that you don't rest your head upon. We can also help you decide what to cover immediately and what can wait if you need to work in stages..

If you just let us know, we can help.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Chronic Cough

2012-05-03T20:17:57Z

Coughing is a natural function of a healthy body. It is your body's way of clearing secretions and particles that you might have inhaled. By clearing the lungs and respiratory system, the cough is intended to help your boy fight off infection by evil invaders.

But what if you get a cough and it doesn't go away? A cough will generally be considered "chronic" after 8 weeks of coughing with no relief. The most common causes of a cough are post nasal drip and allergic asthma. Less common causes can be acid reflux, chronic bronchitis, and the use of ACE inhibitors.

If you have a cough that doesn't seem to go away, track your symptoms and you will be more prepared to discuss it with your doctor. For instance, does the cough come on at night? Is it only when you are lying down at night and doesn't occur if you sit up in bed? These are the kinds of things that can help your doctor determine if the cause is allergic asthma (such as from dust mites) or acid reflux. Also, note the foods you are consuming. Be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you are taking. My brother is one of the approximately 20% of people that develop a chronic cough as a result of ACE inhibitors prescribed to control high blood pressure. His doctor changed his medication and the cough disappeared!

If a cold lingers, the post nasal drip can lead to a chronic cough. The constant secretions can irritate the throat and cause a cough. However, this can also mask a cough due to asthma, as it can be triggered by a respiratory infection such as a cold. Cough due to asthma may or may not be in conjunction with wheezing.

If you have allergic asthma or environmental allergies and your cough re-appears, it might be a good time to see if there have been any changes in the home environment. Aside from the obvious, such as the addition of a new pet, did you change pillows, blankets or comforters? Many people are under the impression that if their bedding is new it can't harbor allergens. Please don't be in the ranks of the uninformed. Any pillow, duvet, or mattress that you buy new can already contain allergens. That is why it is important to cover your mattress, boxspring, pillow, etc with dust mite proof covers from day one.

So, if you have a cough that lingers, begin to pay attention and take notes. If you need to see your doctor, your careful notes will help your doctor make good use of their diagnostic time.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Do You Remember???

2012-04-27T17:12:38Z

Next week will be the beginning of May.

Will you remember to clean or change your air filter? Once upon a time, when the world was a more simple place, I recommended that people clean or change their air filter when they mailed their mortgage payment. I thought that by connecting the air filter maintenance to the one activity that you would never forget was a great way to remember to clean or change your filter. Mail a check, clean/change your filter. Once a month, easy peasy.

Times have certainly changed. Some people pay their mortgages bi-weekly. With the spread of electronic debit and on-line banking many people don't even mail a check to their bank or mortgage company, they just have the funds automatically transferred. So, the old thinking needs some updating.

If you have allergies, it is important that you keep a good filter on your forced air system. This keeps your HVAC or heating system from circulating the same dust all over your house as well as serving its primary purpose of keeping the blower motor clean. If your ductwork is dirty, a good filter won't clean it, but it will keep it from getting worse.

There are two styles of filters; permanent and disposable. The permanent electrostatic filters are highly recommended because they trap the most particles. However, because they work well, they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. And if you can't remember to clean the filter (despite the tips I am going to give you) the permanent filter is not for you. Disposable filters come in a spectrum that ranges from high-quality (like a pleated MERV8) to useless (like the blue ones at the grocery store). Either style needs to be changed on a regular basis.

So, if you don't mail a mortgage check, how do you remember to take care of your filter? You can put that same electronic technology that makes bill paying easy to work as your filter reminder.

If you have an Android smartphone, just go to the "Calendar" function and pick your filter maintenance day. For example, you can pick the first day of the month. Now, create an event called "filter maintenance" and set the frequency to one a month. Your phone will now remind you take care of that filter. You can do the same thing with your Iphone. If you don't want your phone nagging you, add filter maintenance to your Google Calendar our your OutLook calender and your PC, tablet, or laptop can do the nagging. Just create the event and set the frequency to once a month and the expiration to never.

Now that your electronic device is set to do the nagging, all you have to do is take action. If you have an idea on how you remember to take care of your filter, let me know.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Related Posts - Breathe Dirty Air ... Not a Good Idea ... Clean Your AC Filter

Cross Reactivity - Should you Change Your Diet in Pollen Season?

2012-04-20T17:18:20Z

Most of the allergy-related articles you read in the spring time cover avoiding your exposure to those pesky pollens.

I have written several posts myself about what to do to minimize your exposure and reduce your allergic reactions if you have seasonal allergy.

Once thing that hasn't been mentioned is the phenomenon of cross reactivity or oral allergy syndrome.

This occurs when a person has been sensitized to proteins found in certain tree pollens that are very similar in structure those found in foods.

For example, the birch tree (a big pollen producer and the enemy of many a hay fever sufferer) produces a pollen called Bet v1 that is similar to plants in the apple, plum, and parsley family. Because the chemical structure of the protein in the pollen is so close to the structure found in the food, your body gets confused and thinks that juicy apple is a nose full of birch pollen. For the botanically challenged, that means apples, pears, plums and prunes, peaches, apricots, cherries, almonds, carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, and parsnip may be seen by your immune system as birch trees.

During the birch pollen season, you might want to reduce or eliminate your consumption of these in their raw state. In the case of oral allergy syndrome, you will want to eliminate them year-around. The good news is that like all proteins, these cross reacting pan proteins can be denatured (or broke down). Now that doesn't mean that you can spray your food with ADMS Spray to denature the way you would with dust mite allergy. What is does mean is that you can apply heat to break that protein down. So, while a raw apple might cause symptoms, apple sauce, apple juice, or apple pie might not. That is because the cooking process (whether stove top, oven or microwave) will raise the temperature of the food high enough to neutralize the pesky protein.

None of this is "new" news. A study done back in 1998 and published in The Journal of Immunology determined that alder pollen was just as bad as birch pollen. It just doesn't seem to get much attention, so I thought I would bring it up.

Do any of you have any problems with oral allergy syndrome or do your pollen allergies make it harder to eat certain foods? I'd love to hear your stories and how you cope with it..

Til Next Time

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Easy to Use and Effective - X-Mite Carpet Powder

2012-04-19T19:51:29Z

In the past few months we have gotten quite a few calls from customers wanting to know how to use the X-Mite Carpet powder they just got. Well I'm here to tell you it is easy.

Take a minute to watch the video of Cheryl as she shows you just how easy it is.

Wishing you the best of health
Mike

The Allergy Store - Helping customers since 1989
800 771-2246

Happy Grilled Cheese Day

2012-04-12T08:10:00Z

Did you know that April is the official Grilled Cheese month in the United States? And today, April 12 is the official National Grilled Cheese Day here in the United States.

Is this a great country or what? We actually set aside a day to celebrate that ooey gooey melted goodness that is known as the grilled cheese sandwich. Whether it is good old fashioned American cheese grilled with butter on white bread or creamy brie on brioche with herbs or swiss on rye, we love our grilled cheese sandwiches.

What does this have to do with allergies? Well, nothing unless you need to use gluten free bread or soy cheese. But grilled cheese is so awesome, I thought we should honor it with a post today.

My family likes the taste of grilled cheese and tomatoes. My daughter likes a slice of tomato on her grilled cheese. I think that is sacrilege. My mother likes grilled cheese with tomato soup. I think that is disgusting. The whole grilled cheese and tomato gene must have skipped a generation because just the thought of desecrating the simplicity of my grilled cheese turns me off.

But, call that grilled cheese a quesadilla and make it with cheese and a flour or corn tortilla (no meats...I am a purist) and you bet I want some tomato salsa on there. The hotter the better.

I have made grilled cheese with sharp cheddar and granny smith apple. I saw Paula Deen make grilled cheese with mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter. I admit I tried it, but I will stick to butter.

So, in honor of Grilled Cheese Day, tell me how you like your grilled cheese and we will post it here.

Till Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Cat Dander Allergy Relief

2012-04-06T09:30:00Z

People love their pets. I heard someone on the radio a few days ago that really made me chuckle. He said 15 years ago "people had pet cats and dogs and now they have children in fur coats". He was speaking of the growth in the pet care industry.

You don't have to tell me that people love their pets. I know personally. I love my pets (well except when they are tearing something up or making a mess). Don't you love your pets? I also hear the heartbreak in people's voices when they call and are faced with giving up a pet because someone in the house has an allergy. They are faced with very real pain from the loss of their loved one in a fur coat.

The conversation usually starts like this, "I need some cat dander allergy spray" or "do you sell that cat dander allergy soap?" or "I heard you have some stuff to rub on the dog to get rid of the dander". The first thing we try to do is educate the caller. When people are informed, they are better able to make rational decisions about the actions they need to take. See, it is not the cat or dog dander that causes the allergy. The actual substance that triggers the allergic reaction is a protein that is found in the saliva and urine. There are several proteins involved, but when it comes to cats, the most common is the Fel d1 protein. All cats and dogs produce this protein. Some more than others. Don't buy into the notion of the "hypoallergenic" cat or dog. It doesn't exist.

These allergy-causing proteins get spread on the animal's skin and fur every time the animal grooms itself and empties its bladder. It sticks to bits of hair and it sticks to little bits of skin. It can dry up and flake off on its own or more commonly, it gets shed when that piece of skin or that strand of hair is shed. The bits of dry dead skin on animals is referred to as dander, and that is why so many people mistakenly think it is the cat dander that causes the allergy. Just think of the dander as a carrier of the allergen, not the actual allergen and you will be well on your way to understanding what is happening.

Knowing the source of the cat allergen helps to understand how to control it in the environment. It almost goes without saying that the person with the cat allergy should not be in charge of cleaning the cat litter box. That is because the protein is in the urine and the urine is in the cat box. If you have cat allergies and must clean the cat box, then wear a mask. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards (that applies if you have cat allergies or not..eeewww).

Control where the animal sleeps. Don't let them sleep with you. I know it is hard, but your body really does need the restful down time to recover from the stresses of the day and if you are subjecting your immune system to allergens unnecessarily, that just can't happen.. Besides, you might even get a better night's sleep if the cat isn't waking you up every 2 to 3 hours because it is bored or wants to be petted.. That doesn't sound like any pet you know does it?

You can wipe the cat down at least once a week with a coat conditioner made especially for controlling the allergens riding on the cat dander. It is called Allerpet/C. They also make a formula for dogs called Allerpet/D. I have personally used the Allerpet lotion on my cats before I have visitors with cat allergy and have wonderful results. You just pour the Allerpet on a clean rag and wipe it all over the cat (or dog). It is not a shampoo, so you are not soaking and rinsing the animal. You are just rubbing it on the animal. It goes to work right away to get rid of the cat allergen. As a bonus, it contains ingredients that make the animal's fur very soft and shiny.

If the animal roams freely through the house, you have a bit more work in store. You will need to spray down the fiber surfaces that can collect those little bits of shed skin, hair, or dried saliva or urine with a denaturing agent like ADMS Spray. This goes for any upholstered furniture that the cat gets on as well as rugs or carpets. This needs to be done at least once a month.

If you or someone you know is allergic to cats, it may be possible to get that "cat dander allergy relief" without getting rid of the cat. But at least now you know its not really relief from cat dander you need.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Washing and Drying Your Dust Mite Covers

2012-04-05T14:43:49Z

Last week-end I was doing my own spring cleaning for our rental property (if you ever want a great place to get away from it all, check this place out Cabin On A Creek). This included all those steps in the deep cleaning blogs I wrote previously. As my dust mite covers were coming out of the washer and into the dryer a light bulb came on over my head.

In all the times I have written about the care and cleaning of zippered dust mite covers for the mattress, pillow, and duvet I never mentioned two important things. First, when you wash your covers, make sure the zippers are open. Second, when you are drying the covers don't mix laminated and microweave fabrics.

You want the zipper open so that both the inside and the outside of the cover can be laundered. You don't want to mix laminated and microweave fabrics in the dryer because they have different care needs.

The laminated fabrics protect because they are a conventional fabric to which a thin urethane laminate has been fused. Because the membrane is fused to the fabric with heat, if it is subjected to high temperatures, the fusing will release and separate from the fabric. This will ruin the dust mite cover and this situation is not covered by warranty. Once the fabric and laminate separate, it is almost impossible to put the cover back on the pillow or mattress.

The microweave fabrics protect because they are a specially woven fabric that is constructed with a weave so tight that allergens cannot pass through the spaces between the fibers. There is no urethane or any other form of laminate. These types of covers can be dried on higher temperatures.

Drying of the covers becomes important when you are laundering a mixture of both types. Since one takes higher heat than the other, they cannot be dried together unless you want to run your dryer for a long time on a low setting.

What I do is wash both types of covers together (with the zippers open) and then I dry the microweave fabric first in the dryer on the medium setting. While the microweave fabric (in my case it was the AllerSoft 100% Cotton) covers were in the dryer, I had my laminated covers (in this case it was the Bed Bug proof pillow covers) drip drying while they waited for their turn in the dryer. When the cotton covers came out, I adjusted the heat to the low setting and tumbled the laminated the covers. Because they were almost dry from the drip dry, it only took a few minutes for them to become completely dry.

The entire washing and drying process took place while I steamed the mattress and pillows with my Vapamore and treated the carpets with a denaturing agent. So when all the covers were dry the bed could be put back together again and the room was finished. It was perfect timing!

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Spring Cleaning Minimum

2012-03-28T22:06:20Z

If you were overwhelmed by my Spring Cleaning break-down, I apologize. I tried to take a really, really big job and break it down to approachable and do-able bites.

If you aren't up to the full job, what is the minimum you can do to get results that will bring relief?

Focus on the bedroom and the bed. At a minimum, your clean should include washing all your allergy bedding, washing the conventional bedding, and treating the nonwashable items with a denaturing agent to handle the allergens that have collected since your last deep clean. If you have an air purifier or HEPA air cleaner in the bedroom, make sure you turn it on high before you start cleaning.

Strip off the dust mite proof mattress covers, pillow covers, and duvet covers and get them in the washing machine. Make sure your water has been turned up to 140 degrees. If you don't want to use hot water, just add a little De-Mite to your regular laundry detergent or wash with Allergen Wash. We don't recommend washing your allergy bedding with any liquid chlorine bleach. The chemicals are just too harsh, and if you have a laminated or coated fabric, the treatment can be damaged. If you think they need a little brightening, use any of the powdered bleaches. The bleaches with sodium percarbonate (anything with "oxy" in the title) can be safely used on your allergy-proof bedding.

While the bed is apart, wipe down the bed rails, head board and foot board.

If you have silk or wool bedding that cannot be washed, take them outside to expose to the sunlight. The ultraviolet light will revive silk and wool. If you have a bedspread that can't be washed, you can safely put it in the dryer on the fluff or no heat setting and let it tumble for 20 minutes or so to beat out the dust and allergens. Then before you put it back on the bed, spray both sides with ADMS Anti Dust Mite Spray to denature the proteins from the allergens that were left behind. This is a great way to freshen up a bedspread that is too large to wash or is made of nonwashable material. I wish I could take credit for this idea, but it was my mother who came up with this years ago. I believe in giving credit where credit is due!

While you have the bed apart, this is a great time to spray down the dust ruffle. It the dust ruffle is washable, you can toss it in with the allergy proof bedding if you aren't using hot water. The De-Mite and Allergen Wash are safe for all fabrics and colors and can be used to safely wash your dust ruffle. The same is true for decorate pillow shams if they are made of washable materials.

Once all your allergy proof bedding is clean and dry, re-assemble the bed. Spray down anything you weren't able to wash with ADMS antiallergen spray and put on the clean sheets. Put your freshened bedspread, quilt or duvet back on the bed as well as the decorative shams.

Keep your air cleaning device turned on high for the next two hours and keep the bedroom door closed. This will allow your cleaner to suck up dust particles that might have become airborne as a result of your cleaning.

This isn't the same as doing a deep clean to the entire room, but if you have allergies, this is something you need to do at a minimum of once a year.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

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