Sudden allergy to bedroom - blocked nose

[calabalamuc]

DS has suddenly developed an allergy, where his nose is completely blocked and he is sneezing constantly. I'd say it started about four - five weeks ago. I assumed it was hayfever but we have been keeping an eye on it and it is definitely much worse indoors than out and at its worst in his room / in bed at night.

Here's what I've tried:

• when it's bad at bedtime he gets an antihistamine. This helps him fall asleep but he is totally blocked up the next morning.
• I have been damp dusting and hoovering his room with a new hoover (Miele with HEPA filter)
• his bedding is all non-down
• I have put allergy encasings on his mattress, pillow and duvet
• I have removed an old chair from his room.

None of these seem to have made much impact. I have hayfever myself (allergic to tree pollen and cat and horse hair), so I fully appreciate how miserable he is.

Can anyone recommend anything I haven't tried? I am going to take him to the doc next week.

Thanks!

If there mould somewhere in the room? Perhaps on the Windows?

I have thought of that and there is no visible mould but I guess i should move the big bookcase from the outside wall and check behind it.

Are his pillows and duvet made from down?

My DS1 gets hay fever and something that makes a significant difference to him is drying his clothes and bedding inside (or using the tumble dryer) so that pollen doesn't collect on his sheets.

OK I have moved the bookcase and there is no mould.
No - pillows and duvet are synthetic. His winter duvet was part down but I swapped it for the summer one to see if it was the cause and it made no difference
I don't think it is hayfever because tree pollen is finished here (not UK) and he is MUCH better outdoors.
Does anyone have any experience of those electric air purifier things?
Any thank you for your suggestions! I am worried I am missing something obvious!

Is there carpeting? Do you have a dog or cat?

No pets (I am allergic!) and we have hard flooring in the whole house with only one rug in the living room.

My DD has terrible hay fever, and is just the same. We always keep her windows shut at this time of year, and change the sheets and pillows regularly.

It also helps if she has a bath or shower (including hair wash) before bed, so then she is not rolling around overnight in pollen which might have settled on her during the day outside (she is always bad in the mornings if she doesn't do this).

Also, antihistamines seem to be of limited help. The only thing which gets it under control for her is beconase nasal spray. Within a day or two of starting to use this, it is normally much better (and you have to keep using it until hay fever season is over, not stop and start with symptoms).

Hope this helps.

PS Don't know where you are, but grass pollen tends to come later than tree pollen. You should be able to google when the various pollens seasons are for your location.

Hmmm but he is so much better when he's outdoors. Yesterday he was cycling all afternoon with his pals (we are out of lockdown here!) and came home and was almost normal and then the blocked nose thing started up at bedtime.

With my hayfever I am never alright outdoors. It is worse at night certainly, which is like what you said about having the pollen on hair or clothing, but I can't do the gardening during hayfever season.
So this makes me think it isn't hayfever...

I've been taking those one a day antihistamines since lockdown, I seem to be allergic to my house and haven't been able to track down the source either.

Sorry, that's not particularly helpful, but if I figure out I'll let you know!

A lot of people suffer worse with hay fever in the evenings and mornings because pollen rises in heat and drops as the temperature cools. Is it literally as soon as he goes into his bedroom or does it worse. Over the course of the evening?

Also, adrenaline released when exercising has the effect of relaxing the blood vessels in the nose, resulting in you feeling less bunged up. I often wake up completely stuffed up when I wake up and so I go for a run - by the time I get to the end of my road I can breath freely through my nose. Is he ok when he's just sitting outside, or is he only outside exercising?

I have suffered horribly since I was about 20. I used to have to sponge my eyes open with a warm flannel in the mornings because they were completely glued shut. It's improving as I get older but it's still not great. The only thing that helps me is Fexofenadine (brand name Telford) which I get on prescription. I think they only usually prescribe it to adults, however my teenage niece who also suffers terribly has it, so I think they make exceptions of it's really bad.

I have bought an air purifier off eBay because I started to be very blocked up at night and Then thought I might be slightly allergic to my cats. I have it in my bedroom and it’s brilliant. Noticed the difference right away. I still can’t pinpoint what is making me snuffly but it has helped. I’ll find the link...

www.amazon.co.uk/Levoit-Purifiers-Filtration-Eliminator-LV-H132/dp/B071D58ZY5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=air+purifiers+for+home&sprefix=air&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1591869581&sr=8-3 Sorry amazon not eBay, I did a lot of research first. Make sure no ozone one! Good luck.

10yo DD has something similar but not as bad it sounds. Clarityn did nothing for her but piriteze where she has half a tablet twice a day helped a bit more.

The think that most helps is nasal spray - we’ve got one called becodefence kids. It really helps her symptoms and if she does it regularly prevents the blocked nose and itchy eyes from starting up.

Could it be a dust mite allergy? This can come on suddenly. I'm not saying your house is dusty at all! Try changing his pillow case every day with one dried indoors, it really helps me. And make him shower and wash his hair before bed as pollen is picked up while you're outside

Are you storing any old clothes in his room? I find that sorting through clothes that have been sitting there for half a year or so sets me off something crazy. Also if I wear the old clothes without washing first - even jeans!

Try a nasal spray. A couple of years ago I had a massive hay fever attack, triggered by a hire car I think! and my existing meds didn't touch it. Got a different nasal spray from the chemist, felt like I'd been kicked in the nose when I used it, but the hay fever just vanished.

Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it, but try your chemist.

Thank you all - lots of helpful suggestions - I am definitely swithering about the air purifier....
I was talking to a friend yesterday who also said she has become allergic to her house since lockdown. Very strange.
DS is generally better when outdoors, not just when doing sport.
I could well believe it is an allergy to dust mites but I would have expected putting the anti-allergy covers on his mattress, pillow and duvet would have made a difference.
I am a bit wary of using nasal spray, especially since I feel it could become a permanent fixture with him if we don't get to the bottom of what is causing it.
I am going to have to make a docs appointment I think.
Thank you all again!

Washing powder/tumble dryer sheets?
Cuddly toy dust mites?

Try him sleeping in your room and see if it's any different

Definitely agree seeing a doctor to get to bottom of it is good idea. The nasal spray we use (kids one) has no drugs/active ingredients in it. I literally have no idea how it works - but it feels like magic!!!

Hi DS is allergic to dust mites, changing his duvet and pillows and adding a mattress cover on it's own wasn't enough.

He really didn't improve until we had, removed all soft finishing from the room. Wash curtains if he has any, DS now only has a blind no curtains. He's highly restricted on the number of soft toys that he's allowed (only 3) and intialy I would rotate them through the freezer every week.

I'm afraid it's also really bad to have book shelf in rooms as well as they gather lots of dust. You either need to move them out or have one with doors on the front of them. Basically anything that isn't a flat hard service isn't helpful, unless it's washable at 60C.

I didn’t want to take anti-histamines every day so the air purifier was a good choice for me.

Does he have teddies. You can wash at 60 or freeze them to kill dust mites.

Did you get anywhere with this OP @calabalamuc? I'm overly invested in finding out what's causing it!