Category: Allergies

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Chronic Cough? May Be Allergies

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 removing the lungs and respiratory system, the cough is intended to help your boy fight off infection by evil invaders. But a chronic cough is not natural.

But what if you get a cough and it doesn’t go away?  A cough is generally considered “chronic” after 8 weeks of coughing with no relief.  The most common causes of a chronic 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 lie down at night, and doesn’t it occur if you sit in bed?

These things 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 who 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 reappears, it might be a good time to check for changes in your home environment. Aside from the obvious, such as adding a new pet, did you change pillows, blankets, or comforters?

Many people believe their bedding can’t harbor allergens if it is new. Please don’t be among 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, box spring, pillow, etc., with dust-mite-proof covers from day one.

So, if your cough lingers, begin paying attention and taking notes. If you need to see your doctor, your careful notes will help them make good use of their diagnostic time.

Til Next Time!
Cheryl
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Best Allergy Control Products for Travel

I’ve written about traveling with allergies many times, but with so many people traveling for the holiday season, I think it bears covering again.  So here is our list of the best allergy control products for travel.

If you have environmental allergies and will be staying in a hotel or someone’s home then there are really two products you must take with you.   Not only are they they best allergy control products for travel, but they will work for multiple environmental allergies.

The first is made by Alkaline Labs.  It is the ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray.  If you don’t want to travel with the whole quart bottle, pour some into a smaller spray bottle and put it in your suitcase.  When you arrive, spray the bed, carpets, draperies, etc with this spray.  When I stay in a hotel, I even spray the forced air system with this product.

It will work to neutralize the allergy-causing proteins from dust mites, pollens, cats, dogs, molds, cockroaches and all the other common environmental allergens.  All it takes is a light mist to neutralize those allergens on contact.  Because it works on so many allergens, I think it is the best allergy control product on the market if you are limited in what you can pack.

The second item you should pack is an inexpensive zippered pillow cover.  Take this with you and put on the pillow that you will use to place your head upon.  Unless you know you are staying at a hotel or house with a king size bed, take a queen size pillow cover with you.  Most hotels and homes use either queen or standard size pillows.

If you take a standard cover and are faced with queen pillows, you are in trouble. If you take a queen pillow cover and end up with standard size pillows, it will still work.  Since you aren’t going to be using this cover for the rest of your life, I recommend buying one of the less expensive fabrics, like the Bed Bug zippered cover.  That way if you forget to take it off your pillow before you leave, you won’t be heartbroken about the expense.

Traveling can be stressful, the holiday times can be stressful if you let them. Don’t stress over your allergies, just be prepared.

Til Next Time!
Cheryl
The Allergy Store
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Don’t Let Your Pet be A Statistic Control Cat Allergy

The Santa Barbara Independent reports that the number 2 reason that cats are turned into shelters nationwide is  “allergies”.  They cite the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy as their source and say that the number one reason is “too many cats”, which sounds like a momma cat had kittens.

You can read the entire article here.  These cats lose their home because people don’t know how to control cat allergies.

It’s a shame.  Because allergies are cumulative, there are probably many other factors besides just the cat that caused the uncontrolled allergy.  The allergic person is probably allergic to dust mites, pollen, mold, or other household allergens.  The Humane Society reports that almost 1/3 of Americans live with a cat to which they are allergic.  Those are cat lovers that have learned to control cat allergies.

I believe it.  We help people every day live with pet allergy and their pets.  By simply keeping Miss Kitty out of the bedroom, you can greatly reduce your exposure to her allergens.  Weekly application of Allerpet/C is an easy way to reduce the allergens in the cat.

Allerpet is a great coat conditioner as well, so in addition to reducing allergens, it makes the fur soft and shiny.  It is not a cat allergy shampoo or a cat allergy spray, it is a liquid that is easy to apply with minimal indignity suffered by the cat.

Also, by running a HEPA air cleaner, you can reduce the level of all household allergens, including airborne pet allergens.  Same for frequently vacuuming or cleaning floors and dusting the furniture with damp cloths.  All of these steps help reduce allergens in the house, whether from pets or dust mites and as a result help you control cat allergy and dust mite allergies.

I’ll never forget when a friend asked me after a visit “Why do your house and air feel so clean?”  I just had to laugh and say “That’s because it is”.

I run multiple Austin Air HealthMates, a have no carpeting, and I don’t have lots of overstuffed furniture.  I do have lots of surfaces that are easy to wipe down and I don’t keep many dust catchers on the shelves.  It keeps down the allergens and housecleaning is pretty simple.  And face it, if something is easy, you are more likely to do it.  Right?

So, like peace, just give the kitty a chance.
Til Next Time!