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Allergy Season is Upon Us
For our forum topic today I wanted to write about something totally different; I then read my local paper online (Cleveland.com) and decided this topic might be much more useful to our members. For people with respiratory disorders, allergy season rings in like a horror story. As patients living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), if we suffer from allergies our symptoms intensify 10-fold. The first allergy season after my diagnosis, my wife prepared the house to minimize any allergens entering our home. Storm windows stayed closed until the middle of June, a room air purifier was purchased, I wore a mask when I went outside, and a prescription of Xyzal was at the ready.
As a child I was luckily not affected with allergies; suffering from them did not begin until my late 30’s. I honestly could have gone another 30+ years without having allergies, but unfortunately they now affect me mid-to-late spring. The fall season does not affect me as badly as the spring does. Last year I decided to see an allergist. She put me through the inhalant 40 percutaneous & intradermal skin testing.
The results stated I was allergic to almost all of the trees and grasses I was tested for. Usually most patients request allergy injections, which would last 2-4 years and at the conclusion of the injections, recipients of the injections would no longer be allergic to the allergens. Serums are combined and every month or two these serums are injected into the body. Slowly over time your body acquires an immune response to the allergen. Since I have had a transplant, this process becomes a bit more complicated. I decided to not even pursue this process and use the inhalant prescribed to me.
The trees surrounding my home blossomed last week and so far the inhalant is working for me. I hope all of our members take precautions to prevent the allergy season from disrupting your lives. The article I read this morning has links that I feel would be helpful in our fight against allergy season as patients with IPF.
How do you prepare for allergy season?
What precautions do you take to avoid allergens?
Do the allergies affect your quality of living?
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4 Replies
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Thank you for this info. I am new to my diagnosis of IPF so any info is good
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Hello again Carol, thank you for reading and commenting. You are most welcome. Mark
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Pollen season urgh, just caused me to have an exacerbation, having to go into hospital tomorrow for a week to be put on oxygen (portable) really didn’t want this BO levels got down to low 70s
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Hello Susan, I am sorry to hear this. I hope you snap back soon. It is unfortunate you have to go on oxygen. However it may help with your quality of life and alleviate some fatigue. Best wishes, keep us up to date on your condition. Mark
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