I've recently developed asthma due to an allergic reaction to the new flat we are living in...

Just wondered if anyone had any suggestions of what I can do to reduce the effect of the environment?

I've got one of those air purifier things, doesn't do much it seems..

Any thoughts on this matter?

Cheers, Alex

Gas mask?

were you diagnosed by your quack?

sorry but have no usefull sugestions :)

Salbutamol is the drug used.

But look to cure the problem, not solve the symptoms, in my opinion and experience.

Alex,

If it's genuinely an allergic reaction then air filters might help - we have a couple of HEPA filters but in reality to make a difference you need one running in every room 24 hours a day (or overnight at least)...

Try and narrow down the potential sources: is it perhaps the carpets, some old curtains or an old mattress that's causing it? Best to isolate and remove the trigger if possible.

When I was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma a few years back I went onto a low-dose steroidal inhaler - Flixotide is the best (I had to ask my doctor for it by name). Taking a minimal dose of this daily is much less harmful than constantly fighting off the attacks with Ventolin. By the way my asthma was exercise-induced but occasionally I get an environmental reaction, e.g. in old hotels...

Hope this helps.
Gareth

Move out?

Ratman

Try and get an air purifier. You can also remove the carpets and replace with timber flooring. Ive had asthma since 9 yrs of age and parents had to change flooring in house to timber.
you wouldnt realise the amount of dust they have.

By any chance do you like near a river or lake?

Sean

Alex, it's likely you'll soon adjust to it.

I had problems when I moved into the house in which I now live. The previous occupants had owned a dog and the carpets were full of dog hair/skin flakes/goodness knows what else. The place was also covered in dust.

I damp-dusted and vacuumed every day for a few weeks. I found a
Dyson with the turbo attachment designed to pick up animal hair was particularly effective. I also used an air filter and humidifier to help reduce the dust in the air in my bedroom. After a few weeks it ceased to be a problem.

If you want to borrow the air filter and humidifier, they're in my loft. You aren't likely to need them for long.


Having read this again, edited to say the humidifier probably doesn't help with reducing the dust, but it can make the air easier to breathe and less irritating. It works for me.

Also consider whether there might be anything in the area that your living in that might be causing a problem. The woman I rented my previous house from had a massive problem with her asthma when she moved to a new house. It was eventually found to be the high numbers of some specific sort of tree in the new area. She didn't even realise she was allergic to them.

[Edited by TurboKitty - 2/26/2003 1:06:40 PM]

Cheers guys, some useful and some amusing comments! :)

It was my doc that has told me, put me on the steroid inhaler (brown colour unit), steroid pills for 5 days and I have the ventolin inhaler too. Got to go back in a couple of weeks for a check up - I'm going to ask to have a full allergy test.

One good thing may come out of it, I'm trying to quit smoking now (and its hard work!)... dunno how long that will last!

Prior to moving in, new carpets were put in and the walls/ceillings were painted. Can't move out until at least middle of the year or rather that is the earliest I'm likely to afford being able to move.

Turbokitty - thanks for the offer, I might take you up on that, we already have one of those HEPA filter things thou. Thanks.

Alex

[Edited by DrEvil - 2/26/2003 1:05:41 PM]

In our new house we bought new carpets with a thin pile but deep underlay downstairs and had pergo flooring for the upstairs bedrooms.
I breathe a lot easier during the night and Bajie Jnr has not had breathing problems or extended boughts of colds since.

Alex - don't miss the edits to my post above.

Hmm.. we live near a canal, its about 200 yards away, if that.

I can't change the house really, its not ours, the next one will be though - so wood flooring all round me thinks, well plastic stuff.. :D

TurboKitty - seen the edits, thanks.

[Edited by DrEvil - 2/26/2003 1:09:31 PM]

You haven't bought Unit 3 in Guildford Business Park have you :D

No you muppet! :rolleyes: ;)

We live over in Brookwood, near Woking.

Alex

Had it since early teens. I needn't affect your life if you are careful. It didn't stop me windsurfing at international level and doesn't stop me biking now, or microlighting and skiing.

I smoke, although less than I used too.

Asthma is really hypersensitivity of the lung tissue to allergens. The theory is that a severe allergic reaction permanently damages the lung tissue, causing lower sensitivity to allergens. The type of allergens that cause a reaction differ from person to person. 5 years ago, we bought a very large and very expensive 3 piece suite. You guessed, I was allergic to it and couldn't sit on it for more than 20 minutes :rolleyes: I can now, as I have got used to it.

What does make things worse is booze. For me, particularly red wine (which I love). Half a bottle will greatly increase my sensitivity to allergens. A bottle of wine on my sofa, one evening... and you start to get the picture.

The other thing that I love but have to avoid is chocolate. Normal cat hair is also a real no-no for me. Siamese cats shed virtually no hair, so we have two of those. Dogs and horses are really bad for me, because/so I never go near them.

Find out what allergens you are sensitive to and what things increase your sensitivity. You can then balance between the two, so still enjoying most things in life.

I rarely use my brown inhaler as it makes me moody/aggresive. If I've had a serious weekend on the sauce or a chest infection I have to use it for a couple of days until things settle back down.

There's no cure for it but aerobic excercise can greatly reduce its effect on your life.

More than 1 in 3 school kids are now asthmatic.

If you've got carpets get a Dyson, it will help.

Pete,

Thanks for that reply, it was actually more indepth than my doctors.. he was fairly blase (sp!) about it, common occurence in Guildford apparently, one of the worst areas in the south for asthma.

I must get a full blood test done for allergies, that has to be the next step.

I'm going to try going without ciggys whilst on the steroids.
Managed just over a day so far. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the advice, Alex

Just a comment on the "brown inhaler" - I'm guessing this is Bechotide (spelling might be wrong). This is a steroidal inhaler from the dark ages and is highly systemic, i.e. it gets into your whole system instead of just the bits you want fixing. That might be why Pete starts getting moody and stops giving out discounts when he's using it ;)

As per my post above I had to push my GP to prescribe Flixotide instead which is much better science - more topical (i.e. only affects the things you want it to), and therefore can be taken in lower doses. I take 150mcg/day of Flixotide to get the same effect as 400mcg/day of Bechotide.

Cheers,
Gareth

Gareth,

Yup, thats the one, I'll speak to my GP next time I go re. the other option.

Cheers, Alex

Steroid inhaler,nice one.

Dont be doing any dumbell curls with your tongue,or youll end up like Jamie Oliver......

I have pet allergies,when visting houses with dogs in I get breathless so I take Zirtec pills,they work within 20mins.

Later Yoza

LOL at Gareth :D

Yoza, unfortunately they have no effect on it, hence going to the docs.

Move away from the South-East. :D

Seriously - my wife was suffering from particularly bad asthma when we lived down in Kent. She was taking 2-3 shots of her becotide inhaler 3 times a day, plus antihystamine tablets, and was also having to use her ventolin inhaler 'on-demand' when she got wheezy, which often meant 2 or 3 times a day. :(

We moved to Scotland in November, and the difference was phenomenal. Within 2-3 weeks she'd cut the becotide down to 2 shots, twice a day, dropped the anti-hystamine tablets altogether, and uses the ventolin maybe once a week, if that. After 3 months she even forgets the becotide altogether some days - something that would have been unthinkable 6 months ago. :D

Regardless of everything else, it was reason enough in itself to justify getting out of the SE. :D

Mark - unfortunately work dictates I stay round this way for now.

Thanks for the info thou. Alex

I would be very careful before asking for a medicine which someone else recommends......why? Flixotide is no good for me!!! I have to take twice the amount of Flixotide than I do of Becloforte.

In all honesty Alex, see what the allergy test reveals then look at what you need to remove/add in order to improve things. Stopping smoking is always a good start. :p I echo what Pete says with regards to the red wine too!!!!

Some useful links for you...

http://allergy.mcg.edu/home.html
http://www.asthma.org.uk/
http://nhlbisupport.com/asthma/

I find that the more you know about it, the easier it is to control. :)

The steroids you will have taken are Prednisolone (it has many generic names) see here for info on it.

Further info on.....
Flixotide
Becotide
Ventolin

Hope this helps. :)

[Edited by Little Miss WRX - 2/27/2003 11:10:30 AM]

Thanks Chelle