Anyone have kids with allergies?

[BigChicken]

Just got back from the allergy doctor. Seems little one is allergic to mold, dogs, cats, trees, dust mites.

Doc wants her room to be converted to a monestery. No drapes, stuffed animals (she's clutching a stuffed dog right now for dear life), bedding encased, wash bedding weekly, vaccum frequently, no indoor smoking, no more books in her room, relative humidity in the house under 50%.

Hubby schedule will not allow for anymore household tasks. Wonder who's got to put some more hours in their day. :angry:

Has anyone tried any of this, will it really make a difference??? I have to months get her better by doing this, or it's on to weekly allergy shots, 20 miles from the house. Suggestions truly welcome!!!

[tommy]

try just a few changes for a week and see if it changes anything.. Had a friend that their kid was allergic to 1 of his stuffed animals and it was taken away and in like 3 days kid was getting better..

I have a 30 year old that is allergic to leave Home for Good!!!! :rofl:

[BigChicken]

I'm thinking I'll get all that junk out her room BP, I am tired of picking it up every night. Remember I have two months to make things better, if not doc will have me driving 20 miles for shots.

About your 30 year old, I was around that age too when my Mom kicked me out. She asked me right in the middle of "wheel of fortune" "don't you 'wanna move?" I didn't even get to buy a vowel! I only moved down the street 30 giant hops into her other house though.

Of course, she made me move back in about ten years later take care of her. Let the 30 year old stay. It's not as much fun fussing over the phone.

[Cheryl]

I think I can help you out a bit with this. Our 5yo, Megan, is allergic to dust and mold, and our Dr told us all of what yours told you. (except for the books...that's a new one.) The Dr had Megan on 3 allergy meds a day, plus I was supposed to do all of the above as far as cleaning. After reading a few books, and searching the internet, this is what I found.

As far as the curtains and bedding...You can kill the dust mites by tossing it all in the dryer on hot for 20-30 minutes....no washing. As far as encasing the bedding...I got the plastic mattress cover at JC Penny's...... It was alot cheaper there than WalMart. It's like a big pillowcase with a zipper and it saves from having to sweep the bed. WalMart has the allergin pillows...fairly inexpensive and these can also go in the dryer each week. I don't have to sweep her room everyday...we pulled up the carpet. I just run a damp mop over it every day or two.

Megan had tons of stuffed animals and everything I read pointed to them as being a bad source of dust mites. We made a pile and let her pick out 5 of her favorites to keep...the rest we donated "to other little boys and girls that didn't have stuffed animals ;) " This worked out well for her....the other problem we had was she liked to sleep with all of them...another big problem....so we had a talk with her and now she does only sleep with one. Another thing recommended....keep the stuffed animals off of the bed. Find a net or something to keep them in...Meg keeps her's in a baby doll bed.

Something you may want to think about investing in....a good air purifier. We got one last year and it made a huge difference in Megan's symptoms. We looked into getting a whole house one, but couldn't afford it, so we went with room size. We put one in her room...out of 24 hours that is where she spends the most time, sleeping. We also got one for the other 2 bedrooms and one for the living room downstairs, but only because we got a really good deal on them. Antoher thing to consider is investing in a good HEPA sweeper bag. They may cost a bit more, but I think they are worth it.

As far as the humidity.......Mold grows in places that are damp and wet. If you have spots like that in your home, try and fix them. Houseplants are big source. You can run a dehumidifier, but unless you child is really bad I would worry about it. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and what the humidity is....it will give you an idea.

I now have Megan down to 1 allergy med a day, and it's over the counter. Much cheaper and less side effects than when she was taking the 3 from the Dr. She still has bad days, but nowhere near what they were.

[BigChicken]

Interesting Cheryl. I've spent the whole weekend cleaning up the room. I still have more to do. We've rid the room of the stuffed animals, and I will throw the drapes in the dryer as you suggested.

My doc says that my Dyson vac is no better or worse than the other top brands. He also suggested that she not be allowed in the room for a hour after running it. Seems the beaters throw out dust also.

Next move is the air cleaner for the room. Any suggestions?

[Rev.Vassago]

I was allergic to most of those things as a kid, and quite a few more.

I took one medication (not available anymore, less effective than claritin), and ended up outgrowing most of them.

My mom did nothing different to my room. What are her symptoms? Are they really that bad to warrant all of this?

[BigChicken]

She has severe exzema (sp), breaks out after prolonged exposure to dogs.
Wants a dog real bad. Doc actually said she can have one provided they are low dander type. She will get a real bad bark/cough sometimes that has to be medicated for it to go away.

I had some allergies myself, but outgrew them also.

[tabikat]

I have always had problems with allergies. This past year I tore up carpet and laid down lamiate flooring. :yikes: What a difference. I run the dehumidifier 24/7, change the bedding 3 x's a week and dust with a damp towel. Seems to help me.

BTW I have 3 cats and a dog.