puffy eyes and tickly throat , and worse asthma- what' causing it?

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

ds is 6, and his eyes have been puffy for a good few days now, and he is clearing his throat in themiddle of the night like an old man. he says it tickles. His asthma is also worse, and he is more breathless. Any idea what is about just now that could be causing it?

[QuintessentialShadow]

Have you turned the central heating back on?
Or brought out a thicker duvet?

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

no, nothing - I think we need the heating on though! Been camping, and he just the same there as at home! have been giving him loratadine meds, which do help. I just feel like he is falling apart - just as he is due at school tomorrow!

[desperatehousewifetoo]

Has he got clean sheets on his bed and had his room aired and hoovered? House dust makes my ds cough, sneeze and wheeze.

Although it does sound as though he has reacted to something. Perhaps a reaction to a musty tent/sleeping bag?

You could check with your GP/pharmacist whether that is the best drug to use. Piriton is always recommended by our allergy consultant but I don't know the difference.

PS: not suggesting that your domestic skills are lacking!

[fizzbuzz]

Could it be mould or fungus spores. I believe this happens at this time of the year..........

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

my domestic skills are lacking in the school hols - I just give up for 6 weeks! No he was same before during and after camping! He had a really really puffy face 2 years ago straight after a soya milkshake, and i took him straight to hosp then. That was also end of August, so it seems a coinidence doesn't it, for the same time of year. They wouldn't test him, and it has only mildly happened couple times since then (not soya related) but i know his asthma seems allergy based, but again they won't bloomin test him!
Just been on the bbc site, and looked at pollen, and there are some high fungals about at the mo (from zirtek site), but those name mean nothing to me!
(doc gave me that meds)

[QuintessentialShadow]

Can you go private for his test?
I went here for my tests.

I am amazed they wont test an asthmatic child.

I did my allergy tests private, AFTER I got them on the nhs. The private clinic tested for more triggers than the nhs, and they also did a breath test. I did this via the Lon

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

I think i need to go back to docs and play his symptoms up. He's only 6, so it's a real shame for him! The older two (8 and 13) don't ever get anything wrong with them! I'd already been doin peak flows because he was constantly been breathless, so he is on double dose inhaler at mo. It would make life easier if i know what and when to avoid. I know it's not life threatening but it is a pain for him.

[desperatehousewifetoo]

Whenever I hear my ds coughing or sneezing at night or in the morning I always feel guilty about all the dust that must be under his bed and for not changing his sheets regularly.

Luckily, ds does not seem to react to pollen (yet!)

Maybe, dr justification for not allergy testing for pollen/house dust is that you can't actually avoid it even if he tested +ve. My ds' consultant doesn't bother re-testing for all the non-food allergens anymore.

I would probably just assume it's pollen or housedust mite allergies setting it off and act accordingly. Although being domestically challenged myself, I'm not the person to advise about it. (After my day at Dyson HQ soon, I'll let you know of any gems!)

I'm sure there are hayfever sufferers here who could advise too.

[zazen]

Don't mean to sound doom and gloomish crystal, but asthma is life threatening. My sister died from it.

Try feeding your boy on lamb and peeled pears for a week and see how it goes, not very exciting, but virtually allergen free.
He can drink filtered water, nothing else.

And wash his hair in antidandruf shampoo - making sure it's cut short out of his eyes. Shower every day, and at night after he's been out in the fields / anywhere where pollen and mould can rest on him.

Go and have the tests done privately please. After many years of being unable to do most things my other sister and I did could do, we found out my sister with the asthma was allergic to lots of foods and environmental factors.

My lovely sis died when she was alone and she had an attack, on a breathless, humid and polluted day - and she wasn't the only person to die of an attack that day..

Please have your little boy tested privately.

[desperatehousewifetoo]

Zazen, that's very sad. I'm very sorry about your sister.

Did foods set off her asthma? Luckily food does not seem to make my ds wheeze but dust and animals do (and I think, mold).

We were already in 'the system' for food allergy when ds first had asthma-type reaction. That just meant a longer list to test at the next consultant review.

[imaginaryfriend]

My dd has a large number of allergies including a life-threatening one to nuts.

She also suffers severe asthma which is triggered primarily by housedust mite. I was recommended mattress, pillow and duvet covers which you can buy from Boots (pretty pricey but worth it). The housedust mites literally can't survive on the surface of them and you only need to wipe them down weekly with a wet cloth when changing sheets etc. They've made such a difference to dd. She also has a nasal spray to take at night, I think it's called Nasonex but you need to get it on prescription.

Having said that, this week she's also been particularly snotty so there could be extra allergens in the air.

Which inhaler does your ds use? you might need to up the strength.

[imaginaryfriend]

I agree with Zazen, having seen dd go through numerous allergy attacks including two very scary ones where she ended in ITU I would say you should take asthma very seriously.

[CoffeeCrazedMama]

I know everyone is different, but this sounds exactly how I respond to most cats and dogs. Has he been around an animal? We just stayed in a holiday cottage where the owners and many other guests had had dogs there, and even though none there during our stay, and the house had been thoroughly cleaned, I still was snuffly/slightly wheezy.

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

Thank you for all of your replies, I really do appreciate them. I have just washed his covers on his bed, so not that. I am going to look at the allergy quilts and pillows though, because he needs a new one anyhow. Zazen, I was really sad for you about your sister. It made me think that I should sort him out, and i will make doc appt.

[ShyBaby]

My ds had this for a while when he had asthma. He was "snotty" for about 3 or 4 months solid. I cleaned lots, dusted with a damp cloth rather than polish, bought anti-allergy bedding/covers and threw away our feather duvets. Washed all his soft toys.

I never really figured out what it was but it did clear up. (Touch wood) he seems to have grown out of it. Gp also wrote me a letter some years ago to prompt the council to cure our damp problem in the house because of the mould spores. Dont know what else to suggest tbh, just trying to remember everything we did.

My friend's lad has a bad reaction to cats, ive seen him stroke a cat and within minutes his eyes are streaming and he's getting breathless. Ds never had that but its something to consider maybe.

[imaginaryfriend]

Washing blankets and soft toys doesn't kill dust mites by the way. You need to put them in plastic bags and freeze them for 24 hours. More important is to keep a stream of cool air coming through the room. The bugs die when they cool.

[Crystaltipsandalaistar]

Thanks. Nurse told me to keep his window closed though - stops pollen getting in!

[zazen]

Thanks girls. My lovely sis was allergic to lots of foods and had multiple triggers. Especially crisps! Wheat, dairy, gluten, corn - corn fed chicken, pine nuts, pine furniture, dust mites, dander from cats, dogs and horses, cat saliva, dog saliva, mould, pollen: tree and grass, and changes in temperature, and exercise, and chlorine and other chemicals, newspapers etc etc.

basically lots of things. She was an amazing artist and I miss her every day. it's 12 years since she died. The people she / we donated her organs to are still alive and thriving.

It's so not worth taking asthma lightly.
Good luck with all the measures you take - hope your little boy's symptoms clear up and he is able to lead a normal life

[solidgoldbrass]

HAs he got a new friend who has pets? Or has a new pet been introduced into the household, or even someone with lots of pets been to visit?