I'm at my wits end. WHAT am I allergic to in my bedroom?!

[snifflesandsneezes]

PLEASE help me! We built our house just 12 months ago, and this has plagued me for almost as long, it is happening more so in pregnancy but was happening before too. I go to sleep and I wake up at some point between 12am-3am with dry itchy eyes, a scratchy throat I can't help but swallow to scratch, a dry cough, sneezing, runny nose and it keeps me awake for hours sometimes. It used to happen most nights which was bad enough but I could take antihistamines and somewhat cope but now I'm pregnant I can't and it's been months of happening every single night I sleep in that room. I move into the spare room sometimes but it's small with a day bed and not my lovely comfy bed and I don't want to never share a room with my husband again.

I know I'm sensitive to dust, but I wet dust most days and hoover every couple of days too. I change and hot wash our bedding twice a week. The bed is upholstered, could this be the problem? It's big and heavy and against the wall so there is dust build up behind it, it's also very low to the ground so can't hoover under, but this dust isn't being disturbed enough to cause this level of allergies surely?

What else could it be? The air? The mattress? The carpet? Do I just need an air purifier? Is there going to be mould hidden somewhere? I just don't understand and I'm SO fed up. I keep thinking I'll sell the bed, get a more wipe clean one, change the carpet to laminate etc but it's a lot of expense without actually knowing what the cause is

Someone solve the mystery please

Seasonal rhinitis is what my adult daughter was diagnosed with. When she said that she gets it all year round her doctor with a straight face replied, ‘Well I didn’t say it had to be just one season!’

She’s a vegan but apparently cutting back dairy can greatly relieve symptoms.

I had this, but in our spare room which we used to play with our toddler in so it took ages to work out what was causing it... an old feather duvet. The feathers pick up dust mites etc. A good wash in a launderette or sent off to get cleaned and it sorted it out completely. (Pillows you can wash at home). Could it be that?

Thank you. It is specifically this bad from sleeping in that one room though, it's better if I sleep in the spare room or if I'm away for a night!

Mattress? Carpet? Pillow filling?

I had that with a mattress topper, it was the latex in it.

I'm similar to you though, and if dust isn't being disturbed it is generally ok. I still get regular allergic rhinitis every couple of months - like a cold on turbo speed so I go through all the symptoms in 24 hours - I never know that has set this off, but it's not every day like you. A normal cold feels a bit different and lingers for way longer.

I have a friend with dust allergies, she used to buy vinyl flooring to cover carpet in her rented room and take her own hypoallergenic bedding when she went away.

Can you experiment a bit - is it as bad if you use your main duvet in the spare room? Does the spare room have carpet, etc.

I think pregnancy can exacerbate allergies, unfortunately!

Your gp can organise allergy testing, although you may have to fight for it. I suspected I was allergic to dogs but turned out to be dust mites and mould.

Have you had the heating on recently? This always exacerbates dust allergies

I'm allergic to dust, as are my children, and buying air purifiers for each bedroom made a huge difference. We keep them on all the time on a low setting and if they ever somehow get unplugged we instantly notice. We got levoit ones from Amazon - big and ugly but they work!

Also anti allergy pillows and duvet make a big difference - and yes, an upholstered bed that you can't hoover under could be affecting it too

I second an air purifier, we have a levoit too, fantastic.

I have a nasal drip at night and it causes an allergy response I take an antihistamine at bedtime, might be that , OR your matress might have latex in it.

I’m similar but have found increasing the humidity in the bedroom at night seems to help. You could have a look at products recommended on the Allergy UK website

Do you have the same duvet & pillow in the spare room? If not, try switching and see what happens

And yes to pregnancy making allergies worse and it being a total pain that you can't take antihistamines - I take them every day and remember really suffering in pregnancy

This happened with my son and there was a feather pillow in the room.

Do you have any feather pillows or cushions?

My friend had this after a renovation and turned out there was some mould inside her divan bed.

I would get rid of the bed and mattress, sorry. Get a simple wood bed and a mattress as organic as you can.

It must be your bed. I would start replacing things, cheapest first! New pillow. Then duvet. Then mattress. Then bed! I hope it doesn’t get to that!

Is there a tree outside the window that you might be allergic to?

You can take Piriton during pregnancy. According to my obstetrician here have not been any studies on its use by pregnant women, but it has been in use by them for decades with no adverse effects recorded.

Change your bedding - buy hypo allergenic divet, pillows and mattress topper. Get your DH to shift the bed and hoover underneath too.

What are your cupboards like? Could it be the glue that was used if they're not solid wood?

personally, I would be looking to change the bed to one that can be wiped down and cleaned under.

Dust mites. Very common allergy.

Could it be latex, feathers, dust mites? Could you get tested? Medical herbalists can test for allergies.