Developing new allergies as an adult?

[chico193]

Is it possible to start developing new allergies as an adult when you didn't have any as a child?
There are allergies and asthma in my family and as a child I had mild asthma which I thought I had grown out of. However, in the last year I have developed allergy/asthma symptoms again. I took hayfever tablets all summer as I had hayfever symptoms coinciding with moderate-high pollen counts although I have never had it before. This also made me quite wheezy and I had a few sleepless nights with it, but didn't go to the doctor as then the hayfever season ended and it all went away.
Since the cold weather has started though, I have been coughing every morning, starting from when I leave the house for between 1-2 hours. I have realised that actually I have been doing this on freezing mornings and during the hayfever season for some time. I get a bad chesty cough which can make me retch, croaky voice and occasionally wheeze, but it gradually eases through the morning. It is to the point where people at work know where I am due to my coughing!
For the last few days I have also been a bit wheezy and tight chested in the evening and thought maybe I had a slight cold. Today I have been cleaning and had runny nose and been quite wheezy and tight although still only what I would describe as mild overall. I have never had any reactions to dust before though, even when I had the hayfever in the summer.
Is it possible to start getting new allergic reactions? Should I just take piriton to deal with the wheezing? Don't know whether the doctor would take it seriously if I went to query asthma because it isn't happening all the time and is quite mild.

definitely can start at any time/ age. It might be worth seeing a gp. I was given an inhaler in my mid 30s for an allergic reaction to cats.

Yes, I have developped food allergies as an adult and know others who have developped food/hayfever allergies too.

I have been told by my gp that you can get allergies at any time.
A while ago, I came out in a really bad case of hives, which my doc says is an alergic reation to something, although I hadn't changed anything I was eating or products I was using.

I've noticed, that I seem to get very itchy after I've eaten alot of chocolate......and I am an addict.

I would go to the docs, tell them your concerns and see what they think. You will not be laughed at

I guess I will have to try and summon the courage to go then I guess - I hate going to the GP. Would it be really silly to get my husband to come with me?
What if I am fine when I go, no wheezing or coughing? (Most probably would be as it is only usually first thing in the morning and later in the evening/at night, and the wheeze is only mild anyway)

Yes - I got hideous hayfever during my solicitors finals. It went the next summer though.

I will try to convince him I need an appointment then. I guess I am just wary because although I was diagnosed in the end as a child, the bits I remember are having a constant irritating cough and tight chest and the doctor refusing to do anything and acting as if I was putting it on because my chest was clear and at that time I didn't wheeze. I don't think I have ever had what I would call an asthma attack although I have always had problems first thing in the morning as I used to worry about answering the register because my voice would croak and squeak. I used to ice skate and used to cough when I was there very early in the morning as well.

If it is a dust allergy, there are plenty of other things you can do too to alleviate the symptoms - opening the windows daily, intensive hoovering (going over the same spot 10-15 times), vacuuming the matress, damp dusting daily, washing bedding at 60 degrees (and washing duvets and pillows).

I find dusty curtains also trigger ds' wheezing, so they get pulled down by him washed regularly.

Thanks, yes I have been doing some of those things as I had thought maybe dust was contributing during the hayfever season, but had times during the summer where there was loads of dust floating around and no problems at all so wasn't too sure.
Definitely dust today though - but this was quite a bit caused by disturbing a pile of things that hadn't been moved for a while.

The heating coming on always seems to exacerbate ds' symptoms too.

Good luck with the gp.

Would definitely support seeing GP. Asthma isn't always predictable and you can indeed have asthma without wheeze. You could also try the friendly specialist nurses on the Asthma UK adviceline, who are a mine of information on all things asthma & can help you prepare for GP appointment. Details here

Since it isn't an emergency I haven't been able to get an appointment yet (our surgery does same day for emergencies if you phone at 8.30) and also am being a bit of a chicken about going.
Is there anything I can do to relieve chest tightness in the meantime? I still don't really have any other symptoms, a bit of coughing first thing in the morning and a slight wheeze (can only be heard on breathing out after a deep breath), but the chest tightness is quite irritating - I feel as if something is squeezing my chest under my collarbone and my neck and shoulder muscles are stiff and sore. Apart from constantly getting DH to massage shoulders what else can I do?

My husband thinks I'm making a fuss and imagining things and he is the one I usually get to make appointments for me.
What can I say to convince him? I don't think he even realises I have had a tight chest for the last few days

Yes, I became allergic to Kiwifruit when I was about 19.

You need to go to the doctor right now. You might not be able to keep breathing. people die of allergic reactions.

I can make an appointment for myself but I have a real phobia of telephones! I know it sounds stupid but I make him phone to make all my appointments for me because otherwise I would put it off and never go because I didn't want to use the phone. I suppose I could actually go there tomorrow but I might feel even more stupid.
I think he thinks that since I had this on and off for most of the summer with the hayfever that it is something you should just put up with. Also doesn't help that to my mind he seems to have a tendency towards asthma and sometimes gets a slight wheeze with a tight chest, which he ignores.
I suppose part of me is still worried that the doctor will say to just leave it and that there's nothing wrong and I don't want to make a fuss about something so small.

If you do not want to use the phone and your husband will not call for you, I would go in to the surgery tomorrow and make an appointment.

I agree that it does need assessing by the GP.

It is up to your dh whether he gets his wheeze assessed.

We've had a chat and DH seems more receptive to it needing seeing to. I think he is actually a bit worried and doesn't like me being ill so trying to ignore it and hope it goes away.
Now going to see if I can get my GP changed to a female doctor as you are required to see only your own doctor at our surgery and I don't really feel comfortable going to him. Does anyone know whether they have to let you if you request to change to a woman?

I'm glad that your dh is being more supportive.

I can't see any reason why your practise would prevent you from registering with a female doctor. The only reason might be if her list was full.

Have you ever sought help with your phone phobia? I'm sure there are lots of people who have the same difficulty and there would be help out there for it, especially as it affects your everyday life.

No I haven't. I CAN phone if necessary and it depends who it is and the purpose of the call eg. I can phone for pizza delivery, I can phone my parents/husband/best friends, I could phone to enquire about a job. It has got gradually better as I have got older and I am just left with this silly thing about making appointments and phoning certain people I know but not very well - it's the not knowing what will happen/what they might say/who will answer the phone that I don't like.

Did you manage to get an appointment with your gp?