Things have been really busy with school and associated things. I am hoping in a few weeks things will settle down a bit. I like to get as much work don as I can when I am not feeling too bad.
I wanted to explain something that some people don't seem to get. Some people seem to not understand that I am allergic to other things besides pollen. I sometimes get asked 'Why do you still have allergies when there is no pollen?' That's because I am allergic to so much more! - dust, animals, smoke, feathers, molds, and many other things. The good thing is that many of those things I can avoid and/or get away from, so that I can recover from being exposed to it. I still have allergies this time of year, but they don't usually knock me out of commission like they often do at other times of year.
Two nights ago I had a dream where I had allergies. The only thing I can remember from it is that anytime I tried to talk I sneezed instead.
I have a few questions to answer, so here we go:
Q: When you do teach, does the sneezing make it difficult? And how do your students react? Can you go into more details about your response to the last question you answered about during class?
A: It certainly can. That's why I am lucky that I can do other things most of the time, like paperwork, making tests, grading tests, setting up labs, holding office hours, etc. I do have to do some teaching, and of course allergy attacks then can be embarrassing, but because of all the above, it doesn't happen too often. The students either giggle a bit or act bored or start looking at their phones or something til I am done. I am not sure what you mean by the last part of this question. Can you ask me a more specific question?
Q: I think it's great that you and Allison found each other and she helps you feel comfortable with her! Did you have some sort of discussion about how to work things out with your allergies, things to do or not do, expectations regarding them and intimacy, etc?
A: Yes, but it wasn't just one talk. We worked it out as time went on. It helps that she is a very understanding person, and that she also has allergies. She is very allergic to cats and ragweed, and somewhat allergic to dust, so she can understand the avoiding thing and the idea of being able to do some things and not others. She was very accommodating and very willing to work with what I needed, in general and in being intimate. Its really great because she is the first person I have dated that has really been like this. Some others made an attempt, but gave up and some others didn't even care.
That's it for now. As always, please leave comments and feel free to contact me.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Feb 1st Quick Update and Q+A
Hi guys. I do seem to be getting a bit more questions to answer, thanks! Now I wish I could come up with my own ideas of what to write too!
This time of year, my allergies aren't as bad as the rest of the year so I try to get as much work done as possible. Depending on the weather, I'll have from somewhere near the end of this month to somewhere in the middle of march before they start getting worse again. My allergies still bother me, but they are somewhat easier to deal with in the winter, especially Jan and Feb.
Now for our Q+A:
Q: You said that sleeping is a problem for you when your allergies are bad. If you could get rid of one allergy symptom during bedtime, which one would you prefer to get rid of?
A: That's a hard choice between sneezing and congestion. When my allergies are bad, sneezing so often makes it hard to have enough time to get to sleep. Overall I'd have to say congestions though. Even when my allergies aren't that bad, the congestion is still there, making it a bit uncomfortable to sleep.
Q: I learned from your posts that five of your senses are more or less impacted by your allergies: seeing (watery eyes), hearing (stuffed ears), smelling (congested nose), tasting (going along with smelling) and the sense of balance (dizziness from clogged ears or sinus congestion). Which sense would you consider being impacted the most (well, I'd guess it's the smelling), and which one comes second, third, fourth, fifth?
A: Smelling of course is first, as its not often that I am able to smell anything at all. Taste would be second because it is so dependent upon smell to work properly. Seeing would be third. Its a big jump down though, as its only really impacted when my allergies are acting up enough to make my eyes so watery that it makes my vision a bit blurry. Of course sometimes I wake up with my eyelids crusted up together and I can't see, but that's because I can't open my eyelids. I try not to rub my eyes much, but if I rub them a lot, they might swell up too much and make it hard to see. Dizziness would be the next one, as my sinus congestion has to be pretty bad for me to feel it as dizziness(unless I move my head really fast), and my ears only get clogged and make me dizzy when things are really bad. last would be hearing, as my allergies have to be really bad for my ears to feel clogged. Its not like I am deaf, but it is like I have cotton stuffed in my ears.
Q: How do you deal with your sneezing when you have your hair cut at the hairdresser, esp when your allergies are bad? Does the hairdresser have to interrupt his work every time you sneeze?
A: I can't really go to a hairdresser, as some of the chemicals and compounds, and hair products there I am allergic to. I'll try to get friends to cut my hair, or find a place that doesn't use many chemicals, etc. If I am having a sneezing fit, yea there needs to be a break in the work til I am done.
Q: Do you like to dance, in the disco or at parties? If yes, how much do your allergies affect your joy of dancing?
A: I am an ok dancer, but it has never been something that excites me too much. Allergies don't seem to impact my dancing at parties any more than they impact everything else.
Q: I've read that it's possible to improve allergies, esp hay fever, by avoiding certain kinds of food, e.g. those with protein. Did you try things like this, and if yes, was it successful?
A: I have tried all kinds of things, and foods seem to have no impact at all on my allergies. Alcohol sometimes seems to make my allergies worse though.
Q: A woman suffering from hay fever told me that autohemotherapy helped her. Did you try this?
A: I never heard of it. What is it? Does it go by another name?
Q: In 2010 you posted comprehensive lists of what you're allergic to and what symptoms you get. Are these lists still „valid“, or has something changed since then?
A: Without going back to look, I am pretty sure they are the same. If anything I might have discovered one or 2 more things, as I seem to be allergic to almost everything.
Q: You said that if you could get rid of one allergy symptome, it would be the sneezing because it affects your social life and your acitivies most. If you leave aside these aspects and just consider the symptoms as such, the physical pain they bring when you're alone and not doing something specific, which one would you choose then?
A: It would make it a closer choice between sneezing and congestion. With those limitations, I can't really choose between the 2.
Q: A question about the questions: It seems to me that you really like to answer all these questions. Can you explain what it is that makes you enjoy this so much?
A: "enjoy" is too strong a word. Having questions to answer actually gives me something to write about. I want to keep doing this blog, but I have huge blocks on what to write about. Questions gives me things to write about.
Q: What do you do or say when you are meeting people for the first time or over the phone and your allergies act up?
A: Over the phone I just say 'hold on a min' and I mute the phone and get through the allergy fit. In person, if I can, I'll say 'ill be back in a min' or 'I need to use the bathroom' or something. If I am stuck there, I won't say anything, hoping the person also wont say anything.
Q: What do you do for work and have your allergies affected you there, or how people respond to you?
A: I do TAing and assist with research (I am a grad student). Luckily when my allergies get bad, the TAing can be modified so I don't have to do much actual teaching, I'll do prep and all the paperwork and such. For the research, sometimes I have to just not do the work for a while. Most people haven't responded that badly, although it sometimes takes some accommodations, make-up stuff, and a few times I just have to do what I can. There was another research assistant that didn't like me (he was too competitive and jealous of what I was doing I think), and kept making fun of my allergies and tried to use the impact of my allergies as an excuse to get me kicked out.
Q: Do you seem to get them(colds) frequently? I know that for some allergy sufferers, they find they seem to be more susceptible to colds too.
A: I only get a couple a year. Not more often than anyone else I think.
Q: I know you've talked the past a bit about school and how sometimes you have to miss class because of your allergies. But when you do stay in the classroom and have to suffer through an attack, how do the professors and other students react? Are they generally understanding? Do they just ignore it or make comments? I know you've also said you try to escape to the restroom when it gets bad, but that can't be every time you have a bit of sneezing fit??
A: I feel like this needs more of an answer than I can write down real quick here, but in general, the reactions can be all over the place. Usually the professor will ignore it, and a few students might laugh or say something silly.
Thanks for all the questions. let me know if anything wasn't clear or if you need more info. As always, feel free to post more questions, or contact me directly.
And enjoy the superbowl!
This time of year, my allergies aren't as bad as the rest of the year so I try to get as much work done as possible. Depending on the weather, I'll have from somewhere near the end of this month to somewhere in the middle of march before they start getting worse again. My allergies still bother me, but they are somewhat easier to deal with in the winter, especially Jan and Feb.
Now for our Q+A:
Q: You said that sleeping is a problem for you when your allergies are bad. If you could get rid of one allergy symptom during bedtime, which one would you prefer to get rid of?
A: That's a hard choice between sneezing and congestion. When my allergies are bad, sneezing so often makes it hard to have enough time to get to sleep. Overall I'd have to say congestions though. Even when my allergies aren't that bad, the congestion is still there, making it a bit uncomfortable to sleep.
Q: I learned from your posts that five of your senses are more or less impacted by your allergies: seeing (watery eyes), hearing (stuffed ears), smelling (congested nose), tasting (going along with smelling) and the sense of balance (dizziness from clogged ears or sinus congestion). Which sense would you consider being impacted the most (well, I'd guess it's the smelling), and which one comes second, third, fourth, fifth?
A: Smelling of course is first, as its not often that I am able to smell anything at all. Taste would be second because it is so dependent upon smell to work properly. Seeing would be third. Its a big jump down though, as its only really impacted when my allergies are acting up enough to make my eyes so watery that it makes my vision a bit blurry. Of course sometimes I wake up with my eyelids crusted up together and I can't see, but that's because I can't open my eyelids. I try not to rub my eyes much, but if I rub them a lot, they might swell up too much and make it hard to see. Dizziness would be the next one, as my sinus congestion has to be pretty bad for me to feel it as dizziness(unless I move my head really fast), and my ears only get clogged and make me dizzy when things are really bad. last would be hearing, as my allergies have to be really bad for my ears to feel clogged. Its not like I am deaf, but it is like I have cotton stuffed in my ears.
Q: How do you deal with your sneezing when you have your hair cut at the hairdresser, esp when your allergies are bad? Does the hairdresser have to interrupt his work every time you sneeze?
A: I can't really go to a hairdresser, as some of the chemicals and compounds, and hair products there I am allergic to. I'll try to get friends to cut my hair, or find a place that doesn't use many chemicals, etc. If I am having a sneezing fit, yea there needs to be a break in the work til I am done.
Q: Do you like to dance, in the disco or at parties? If yes, how much do your allergies affect your joy of dancing?
A: I am an ok dancer, but it has never been something that excites me too much. Allergies don't seem to impact my dancing at parties any more than they impact everything else.
Q: I've read that it's possible to improve allergies, esp hay fever, by avoiding certain kinds of food, e.g. those with protein. Did you try things like this, and if yes, was it successful?
A: I have tried all kinds of things, and foods seem to have no impact at all on my allergies. Alcohol sometimes seems to make my allergies worse though.
Q: A woman suffering from hay fever told me that autohemotherapy helped her. Did you try this?
A: I never heard of it. What is it? Does it go by another name?
Q: In 2010 you posted comprehensive lists of what you're allergic to and what symptoms you get. Are these lists still „valid“, or has something changed since then?
A: Without going back to look, I am pretty sure they are the same. If anything I might have discovered one or 2 more things, as I seem to be allergic to almost everything.
Q: You said that if you could get rid of one allergy symptome, it would be the sneezing because it affects your social life and your acitivies most. If you leave aside these aspects and just consider the symptoms as such, the physical pain they bring when you're alone and not doing something specific, which one would you choose then?
A: It would make it a closer choice between sneezing and congestion. With those limitations, I can't really choose between the 2.
Q: A question about the questions: It seems to me that you really like to answer all these questions. Can you explain what it is that makes you enjoy this so much?
A: "enjoy" is too strong a word. Having questions to answer actually gives me something to write about. I want to keep doing this blog, but I have huge blocks on what to write about. Questions gives me things to write about.
Q: What do you do or say when you are meeting people for the first time or over the phone and your allergies act up?
A: Over the phone I just say 'hold on a min' and I mute the phone and get through the allergy fit. In person, if I can, I'll say 'ill be back in a min' or 'I need to use the bathroom' or something. If I am stuck there, I won't say anything, hoping the person also wont say anything.
Q: What do you do for work and have your allergies affected you there, or how people respond to you?
A: I do TAing and assist with research (I am a grad student). Luckily when my allergies get bad, the TAing can be modified so I don't have to do much actual teaching, I'll do prep and all the paperwork and such. For the research, sometimes I have to just not do the work for a while. Most people haven't responded that badly, although it sometimes takes some accommodations, make-up stuff, and a few times I just have to do what I can. There was another research assistant that didn't like me (he was too competitive and jealous of what I was doing I think), and kept making fun of my allergies and tried to use the impact of my allergies as an excuse to get me kicked out.
Q: Do you seem to get them(colds) frequently? I know that for some allergy sufferers, they find they seem to be more susceptible to colds too.
A: I only get a couple a year. Not more often than anyone else I think.
Q: I know you've talked the past a bit about school and how sometimes you have to miss class because of your allergies. But when you do stay in the classroom and have to suffer through an attack, how do the professors and other students react? Are they generally understanding? Do they just ignore it or make comments? I know you've also said you try to escape to the restroom when it gets bad, but that can't be every time you have a bit of sneezing fit??
A: I feel like this needs more of an answer than I can write down real quick here, but in general, the reactions can be all over the place. Usually the professor will ignore it, and a few students might laugh or say something silly.
Thanks for all the questions. let me know if anything wasn't clear or if you need more info. As always, feel free to post more questions, or contact me directly.
And enjoy the superbowl!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
A New Year and a New Q+A
Hi everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays.
As I mentioned in my quick note, I was planning on making a post, but I was sick with a bad cold all last week, so that really sucked. This week I have been busy with the start of the semester. Of course once I post that I probably won't have time to post, I find some time to post!
I did have a dream involving my allergies a few weeks ago, but I can't remember it now. Something about my allergies being bad but people were all wanting to look closely at my nose.
I do have many questions now to answer. Its only about 5 or 6 people, but one person had many questions.
Q: Have you ever considered moving to live somewhere where the winters are longer/the pollen season is shorter, or to somewhere with less allergenic plant life? Living by the sea is also supposed to be better for people with hayfever, I believe. I realize that moving isn't something that's easily done, but if it was a possibility for you, do you think it would be worth trying?
A: I have thought about it and looked into it years ago, but it doesn't help. It might help for a short time, but the allergies come back. Also, moving from the northwest to the northeast didn't make any difference for me.
Q: How does your family do in terms of your allergies? Are they accommodating or do they inadvertently do things that set them off sometimes?
A: They are good about it. back when I first got allergies, they were better about it than I was. Back then I never avoided anything because I hoped I would get over them or fight through them. They are also pretty good now at ignoring my sneezing fits and other allergy stuff, which is good.
Q: At this time are you still seeing an allergist? If so how are they trying to treat or help you and is it working?
A: Yes. Been seeing allergists since I got allergies. They are always amazed at how bad my allergies are. I am on a number of different things, but they don't help much. We occasionally switch things to see if something will help more.
Q: So, how many sneezing fits did you have on the plane?
A: I didn't keep count, but certainly more than one. They are very annoying on the plane too. All the pressure in my sinuses and ears makes the sneezes a bit painful at times. It also makes it feel like I can't sneeze but will sneeze at the same time.
Q: You mentioned in some earlier posts that you can't blow your nose, and it got me to thinking (and this is merely a suggestion): I work at a preschool, and since babies/toddlers often can't blow their nose, we use a bulb syringe or some other suction device to literally suck the snot out. I was wondering, would suction work for you?
A: There are versions of those thing adults can use and I have tried them. I find them a bit of a hassle to use, and they don't seem to work that well. I am not sure if its just me, or them in general.
Q: You said that generally you cannot blow your nose because it's so congested. When there are days on which you can blow your nose, how often do you blow it? And are you sniffling then?
A: Days when I can blow my nose are pretty rare, but the days I can, my allergies aren't bad enough for me to need to blow constantly. Maybe a few times a day, as I do find it kind of annoying to my nose even then. If it didn't annoy my nose, I'd probably do it a lot more often. I do try to sniffle a lot on those days, but I'd need to sniffle really hard to have much of an effect, and I don't want to be that loud so I will sniffle softly for a while, it won't do much, so I'll give up.
Q: When your allergies are bad, how much tissues do you spend a day for wiping your nose? You wrote that sometimes you carry a whole box with you, how many tissues are contained in such a box?
A: I never kept track, but I can easily go through a big box on those days. A bit over 200 in the big boxes that I get.
Q: You wrote that you sang in a choir before your allergies got worse. Do or did you play a musical instrument? Is it / would it be possible for you to play a musical instrument in a useful way concerning all your allergy hassles, especially the constant szeening and nose wiping?
A: I never had much of an interest in musical instruments. I haven't tried any other. If I did try, I'd think something that I didn't have to blow into would be easier for me to play.
Q: You wrote that sometimes you don't drive because of your allergies. What about riding a bicycle? Are there days on which biking is impossible for you too?
A: Its the same kind of thing, although in some ways biking is better cause its easier to start and stop and its at much lower speeds. It can be worse though in that I am more directly exposed to pollen and stuff on a bike.
Q: Do you do some sports, i.e. jogging or running? If yes, how easy or difficult is this concerning your allergies?
A: The ones I like the best are soccer, volleyball, and swimming. I had to give up competing in them because my allergies got too bad, especially with soccer. I still play volleyball for fun when I can, and I swim a bit, but at pools the chlorine bothers me, and when I am underwater I feel the pressure in my head.
Sorry if the answers are kinda short. I guess with so many I might have made my answers quick. Let me know if you want expansion or clarification on anything.
I do have a request: If you make replies to my blog posts, can you log-in (if you have an account)? Almost everything is from 'anonymous', so I have no idea how many people are communicating.
As usual, please make comments and feel free to contact me and say hi. I always need ideas!
As I mentioned in my quick note, I was planning on making a post, but I was sick with a bad cold all last week, so that really sucked. This week I have been busy with the start of the semester. Of course once I post that I probably won't have time to post, I find some time to post!
I did have a dream involving my allergies a few weeks ago, but I can't remember it now. Something about my allergies being bad but people were all wanting to look closely at my nose.
I do have many questions now to answer. Its only about 5 or 6 people, but one person had many questions.
Q: Have you ever considered moving to live somewhere where the winters are longer/the pollen season is shorter, or to somewhere with less allergenic plant life? Living by the sea is also supposed to be better for people with hayfever, I believe. I realize that moving isn't something that's easily done, but if it was a possibility for you, do you think it would be worth trying?
A: I have thought about it and looked into it years ago, but it doesn't help. It might help for a short time, but the allergies come back. Also, moving from the northwest to the northeast didn't make any difference for me.
Q: How does your family do in terms of your allergies? Are they accommodating or do they inadvertently do things that set them off sometimes?
A: They are good about it. back when I first got allergies, they were better about it than I was. Back then I never avoided anything because I hoped I would get over them or fight through them. They are also pretty good now at ignoring my sneezing fits and other allergy stuff, which is good.
Q: At this time are you still seeing an allergist? If so how are they trying to treat or help you and is it working?
A: Yes. Been seeing allergists since I got allergies. They are always amazed at how bad my allergies are. I am on a number of different things, but they don't help much. We occasionally switch things to see if something will help more.
Q: So, how many sneezing fits did you have on the plane?
A: I didn't keep count, but certainly more than one. They are very annoying on the plane too. All the pressure in my sinuses and ears makes the sneezes a bit painful at times. It also makes it feel like I can't sneeze but will sneeze at the same time.
Q: You mentioned in some earlier posts that you can't blow your nose, and it got me to thinking (and this is merely a suggestion): I work at a preschool, and since babies/toddlers often can't blow their nose, we use a bulb syringe or some other suction device to literally suck the snot out. I was wondering, would suction work for you?
A: There are versions of those thing adults can use and I have tried them. I find them a bit of a hassle to use, and they don't seem to work that well. I am not sure if its just me, or them in general.
Q: You said that generally you cannot blow your nose because it's so congested. When there are days on which you can blow your nose, how often do you blow it? And are you sniffling then?
A: Days when I can blow my nose are pretty rare, but the days I can, my allergies aren't bad enough for me to need to blow constantly. Maybe a few times a day, as I do find it kind of annoying to my nose even then. If it didn't annoy my nose, I'd probably do it a lot more often. I do try to sniffle a lot on those days, but I'd need to sniffle really hard to have much of an effect, and I don't want to be that loud so I will sniffle softly for a while, it won't do much, so I'll give up.
Q: When your allergies are bad, how much tissues do you spend a day for wiping your nose? You wrote that sometimes you carry a whole box with you, how many tissues are contained in such a box?
A: I never kept track, but I can easily go through a big box on those days. A bit over 200 in the big boxes that I get.
Q: You wrote that you sang in a choir before your allergies got worse. Do or did you play a musical instrument? Is it / would it be possible for you to play a musical instrument in a useful way concerning all your allergy hassles, especially the constant szeening and nose wiping?
A: I never had much of an interest in musical instruments. I haven't tried any other. If I did try, I'd think something that I didn't have to blow into would be easier for me to play.
Q: You wrote that sometimes you don't drive because of your allergies. What about riding a bicycle? Are there days on which biking is impossible for you too?
A: Its the same kind of thing, although in some ways biking is better cause its easier to start and stop and its at much lower speeds. It can be worse though in that I am more directly exposed to pollen and stuff on a bike.
Q: Do you do some sports, i.e. jogging or running? If yes, how easy or difficult is this concerning your allergies?
A: The ones I like the best are soccer, volleyball, and swimming. I had to give up competing in them because my allergies got too bad, especially with soccer. I still play volleyball for fun when I can, and I swim a bit, but at pools the chlorine bothers me, and when I am underwater I feel the pressure in my head.
Sorry if the answers are kinda short. I guess with so many I might have made my answers quick. Let me know if you want expansion or clarification on anything.
I do have a request: If you make replies to my blog posts, can you log-in (if you have an account)? Almost everything is from 'anonymous', so I have no idea how many people are communicating.
As usual, please make comments and feel free to contact me and say hi. I always need ideas!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
A quick note
I have been meaning to post, but I was sick and now I am getting pretty busy. I hope I can make some time in the next few days. If not, it might be up to 2 weeks til I am able to post. I do have plenty of questions to answer, and I will make a real post as soon as I can.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Flying, new sneezing, and Q+A
(sorry! I thought I posted this on Sat, but I discovered tonight that I forgot!)
Yay, I am posting for the second time this month!
Monday early morning I am flying back to Seattle for a week to be with my family. The sucky part is that flying really messes with me cause of my congestion. I get horrible sinus pain and pressure. It takes about a day to recover from it. It hurts as much as having a migraine, and makes me feel nauseous too. It also makes my ears hurt a lot, and for a day or two I feel off-balance and like my ears are stuffed with cotton.
Yesterday I discovered a new way of sneezing, lol. I felt a sneeze fit coming and I was trying to hold back sneezing til I could get to my tissues, and I suddenly started sneezing these really quiet high-pitched sneezes. I found I could make them happen when I need to sneeze. The good thing is that they are quiet and they are not snotty at all. The bad thing is that they just keep going with no stop to them until I let myself sneeze regularly
And I already have two questions, so here we go:
Q: What would you say your worst allergy symptom is...the congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes etc..?
A: It would have to be the sneezing. Its just crazy how much sneezing I do, its what draws the most attention to my allergies and is the most disruptive, both to me trying to do stuff, and to other people. It can be really tiring too.
Q: I am sure you have had many terrible allergy days but can you pin point one that was worse than all the rest, and can you tell us about it?
A: I can't think of one that was the worst vs. another very bad allergy day. I'd probably need a bit of prodding and real-time questioning to get that exact, but I can talk a bit about a bad day in general. When I have a very bad allergy day, I wake up with a long sneezing fit and my eyes are all goopy. I am just really out of it all day. Its hard to focus, and I have so many long sneezing fits I am wiped out. My congestion is really bad and I feel the pressure in my nose and all in my sinuses. My ears can also feel clogged, and my nose is constantly runny and snotty. My nose and eyes are all itchy and red, and my eyes r swollen and watery, and I just don't have the energy or ability to do really do anything. Sorry if I am kinda vague, let me know if you have any follow-up questions.
Be sure to comment and ask questions and feel free to message or e-mail me! Enjoy the holidays!
Yay, I am posting for the second time this month!
Monday early morning I am flying back to Seattle for a week to be with my family. The sucky part is that flying really messes with me cause of my congestion. I get horrible sinus pain and pressure. It takes about a day to recover from it. It hurts as much as having a migraine, and makes me feel nauseous too. It also makes my ears hurt a lot, and for a day or two I feel off-balance and like my ears are stuffed with cotton.
Yesterday I discovered a new way of sneezing, lol. I felt a sneeze fit coming and I was trying to hold back sneezing til I could get to my tissues, and I suddenly started sneezing these really quiet high-pitched sneezes. I found I could make them happen when I need to sneeze. The good thing is that they are quiet and they are not snotty at all. The bad thing is that they just keep going with no stop to them until I let myself sneeze regularly
And I already have two questions, so here we go:
Q: What would you say your worst allergy symptom is...the congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes etc..?
A: It would have to be the sneezing. Its just crazy how much sneezing I do, its what draws the most attention to my allergies and is the most disruptive, both to me trying to do stuff, and to other people. It can be really tiring too.
Q: I am sure you have had many terrible allergy days but can you pin point one that was worse than all the rest, and can you tell us about it?
A: I can't think of one that was the worst vs. another very bad allergy day. I'd probably need a bit of prodding and real-time questioning to get that exact, but I can talk a bit about a bad day in general. When I have a very bad allergy day, I wake up with a long sneezing fit and my eyes are all goopy. I am just really out of it all day. Its hard to focus, and I have so many long sneezing fits I am wiped out. My congestion is really bad and I feel the pressure in my nose and all in my sinuses. My ears can also feel clogged, and my nose is constantly runny and snotty. My nose and eyes are all itchy and red, and my eyes r swollen and watery, and I just don't have the energy or ability to do really do anything. Sorry if I am kinda vague, let me know if you have any follow-up questions.
Be sure to comment and ask questions and feel free to message or e-mail me! Enjoy the holidays!
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mid Dec. Q+A
I am still so far away from getting to the point where I post once a week. I think I am lucky to post once/month!
Its wintertime, so my allergies are generally improved, but I still get some bad times/days from random things. Also, some holiday time things like scents, some trees, etc can give me problems. Its not usually as bad as other seasons though. My allergies haven't been too bad lately, but for some reason today they are acting up really badly.
Here are some Qs for me to A:
Q: What do your sneezes sound like? Have you ever considered recording a sneezing fit, for umm.... science?
A: I guess they sound normal? I am unsure how to describe them. They are usually a bit on the quiet side, but still loud enough for people to notice. I have been told my sneezes are 'kinda cute', but they can get intense when I am having a really bad sneezing fit.
OMG no way would I ever record them! Its too embarrassing to even just sneeze in front of people. To have it recorded and around all the time would be bad!
Q: Over the years what tips/tricks have you developed to help deal with your allergies?
A: I don't really have anything that is an amazing help, other than being able to avoid what I am allergic to, but there are many things that I think help slightly. Washing clothes often, tying my hair back when I can, avoiding going out at times of day/days when pollen count is high, washing my hair often, I usually use pillow and mattress covers, I usually try to get someone else to do the cleaning, but since Allison is also allergic to dust, we trade off. I have hepa filters too.
I do other stuff too, but this is what I can think of off the to of my head. I know I have also tried lots of other things that haven't helped, but I'd really have to try to remember them. Nothing helps that greatly, but every little bit counts.
Q: Now that winter is starting do you find yourself with less allergy symptoms or does winter bring about new challenges?
A: Winter is the least worst of the seasons for me, as there isn't any pollen to deal with. I am still allergic to so many other things, so I still have some allergy problems but not usually as bad as the rest of the year. I guess the big challenges in the winter is dust tends to get stirred up when all the heating systems come on, so that flares up my allergies at that time. Also, during the holiday season there are things that I am allergic to: scents, dusty fake trees, possibly mold on real trees, etc.
I'd love to be able to make another post before the end of the year, but I can't promise anything. As usual, feel free to comment and ask questions here and contact me directly too. The more ideas I get, the easier it is for me to post.
If I do not post again this month, have a great holiday!
Its wintertime, so my allergies are generally improved, but I still get some bad times/days from random things. Also, some holiday time things like scents, some trees, etc can give me problems. Its not usually as bad as other seasons though. My allergies haven't been too bad lately, but for some reason today they are acting up really badly.
Here are some Qs for me to A:
Q: What do your sneezes sound like? Have you ever considered recording a sneezing fit, for umm.... science?
A: I guess they sound normal? I am unsure how to describe them. They are usually a bit on the quiet side, but still loud enough for people to notice. I have been told my sneezes are 'kinda cute', but they can get intense when I am having a really bad sneezing fit.
OMG no way would I ever record them! Its too embarrassing to even just sneeze in front of people. To have it recorded and around all the time would be bad!
Q: Over the years what tips/tricks have you developed to help deal with your allergies?
A: I don't really have anything that is an amazing help, other than being able to avoid what I am allergic to, but there are many things that I think help slightly. Washing clothes often, tying my hair back when I can, avoiding going out at times of day/days when pollen count is high, washing my hair often, I usually use pillow and mattress covers, I usually try to get someone else to do the cleaning, but since Allison is also allergic to dust, we trade off. I have hepa filters too.
I do other stuff too, but this is what I can think of off the to of my head. I know I have also tried lots of other things that haven't helped, but I'd really have to try to remember them. Nothing helps that greatly, but every little bit counts.
Q: Now that winter is starting do you find yourself with less allergy symptoms or does winter bring about new challenges?
A: Winter is the least worst of the seasons for me, as there isn't any pollen to deal with. I am still allergic to so many other things, so I still have some allergy problems but not usually as bad as the rest of the year. I guess the big challenges in the winter is dust tends to get stirred up when all the heating systems come on, so that flares up my allergies at that time. Also, during the holiday season there are things that I am allergic to: scents, dusty fake trees, possibly mold on real trees, etc.
I'd love to be able to make another post before the end of the year, but I can't promise anything. As usual, feel free to comment and ask questions here and contact me directly too. The more ideas I get, the easier it is for me to post.
If I do not post again this month, have a great holiday!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Some dreams and one Q to A
I don't have much to write about, but I didn't want to go so long without another post.
I recently had a dream having to do with my allergies. I was just doing things in the dream like walking to a store, in a store of some kind, at a friends house, etc. I didn't have any tissues on me for some reason. Every time I needed to wipe my nose, blow my nose, have a sneezing fit, etc., someone would come up to me with tissues and do it for me, like hold them to my nose while I was sneezing, wipe my nose when it was runny, etc. It weirded me out, but I couldn't get anyone to stop doing it or to hand me the tissues instead. I could talk to them about anything, except abut why they were doing that with the tissues. The whole dream was just a bunch of that.
I had another weird dream recently. It had nothing to do with allergies, but I just wanted to post it anyway. In the dream it was like I was progressing through months of being pregnant in just minutes, and then reversing, and it as going back and forth like that a few times. I'd suddenly start getting bigger and have to unbutton and unzip my clothes and then when I got so big I had to start taking off my clothes, I started to become 'unpregnant', and when I got back down to my normal size and had to rebutton and such, soon after I'd start to get pregnant again. Very weird (no, I am not wishing for kids right now, lol).
Not much in the way of questions, but here is what I have:
Q: Earlier, you wrote about the sneezing room. Growing up, did you wish for other ways of dealing with your allergies?
A: I feel like this should be a long and interesting response, but sadly I do not have much else to say. The only other way I wished for to deal with my allergies that I can remember is not to have them.
Sorry if this post was a bit lame, but I wanted to get something up before TG.
As usual, please make comments and feel free to ask me questions or to contact me. I'd like to know that more than just a few people are reading!
I recently had a dream having to do with my allergies. I was just doing things in the dream like walking to a store, in a store of some kind, at a friends house, etc. I didn't have any tissues on me for some reason. Every time I needed to wipe my nose, blow my nose, have a sneezing fit, etc., someone would come up to me with tissues and do it for me, like hold them to my nose while I was sneezing, wipe my nose when it was runny, etc. It weirded me out, but I couldn't get anyone to stop doing it or to hand me the tissues instead. I could talk to them about anything, except abut why they were doing that with the tissues. The whole dream was just a bunch of that.
I had another weird dream recently. It had nothing to do with allergies, but I just wanted to post it anyway. In the dream it was like I was progressing through months of being pregnant in just minutes, and then reversing, and it as going back and forth like that a few times. I'd suddenly start getting bigger and have to unbutton and unzip my clothes and then when I got so big I had to start taking off my clothes, I started to become 'unpregnant', and when I got back down to my normal size and had to rebutton and such, soon after I'd start to get pregnant again. Very weird (no, I am not wishing for kids right now, lol).
Not much in the way of questions, but here is what I have:
Q: Earlier, you wrote about the sneezing room. Growing up, did you wish for other ways of dealing with your allergies?
A: I feel like this should be a long and interesting response, but sadly I do not have much else to say. The only other way I wished for to deal with my allergies that I can remember is not to have them.
Sorry if this post was a bit lame, but I wanted to get something up before TG.
As usual, please make comments and feel free to ask me questions or to contact me. I'd like to know that more than just a few people are reading!
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