uninspired home allergy question

May 17, 2007 8:16 AM

trying to isolate sneezing allergy source in my house, think it may be my plant.

I have horrible sneezing problems that i've pretty much isolated to my room (ie usually if i sleep elsewhere it isn't a problem). its not a sinus infection, and i dont have watery eyes, itchiness, etc. just horrible sneezing. here are two pictures. what kind of plant is this? i know that it periodically flowers and produces quite sticky "sap". Can this be the source? i also have a wandering jew plant in my room, could that be it? thanks for any help!

posted by yonation to health & fitness (10 comments total)

There could be mold growing in the soil of the plant that you are allergic to. It also could be time to wash your bedding or even get a new mattress- it could be a dust mite allergy.
posted by Eringatang at 8:19 AM on May 17, 2007

Second the dust in mattress issue.That will do it every time.
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 9:07 AM on May 17, 2007

Do you have a feather pillow? Down comforter?
posted by defreckled at 9:26 AM on May 17, 2007

i do, yes, have a feather pillow. the comforter is hypoallergenic wool, though, so i dont think thats the problem
posted by yonation at 9:31 AM on May 17, 2007

Hypoallergenic wool?

Wool is usually anything BUT hypoallergenic, unless it is alpaca or camel. Or Musk Ox.

Wool can be treated down to be LESS allergenic, but it will always have lanolins in it that can be very irritating and cause sneezing or swelling and even eye irritation. Detergents and other natural soaps (aloe or eucalyptus) can help with wool, but in the wool blanket will have to be treated with these items over and over, or else the lanolins and itchiness will recur.
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 9:40 AM on May 17, 2007

go to the doctor/allergy clinic and get them to do a allergy test which will tell you definitively what you are allergic to. Or you could just lob the plant out and see how you get on
posted by criticalbill at 12:20 PM on May 17, 2007

Looks like star jasmine to me. It definitely could be the cause of your sneeze. Put it outside for a few days and see if the sneezing goes away.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 12:25 PM on May 17, 2007

It's probably dust causing your sneezing. Your pillow would be the worst offender, since you lay your head on it. The mattress and comforter may also be full of dust mite "matter." It doesn't matter if the materials and filler have been treated or are made of non-allergenic fibers, because any of those can still harbor dust, dust mites, etc. When an allergist told me this I was skeptical, but I grudgingly took his advice and had pretty remarkable results.

You can buy covers for the pillow and the mattress -- and possibly the comforter, though I've never used one. I have bought anti-dust mite zippered pillow cases from Lands' End, and I know they're sold elsewhere. I've used dust-protector covers on my mattress and pillows for years, first to protect me from mites and later to keep a new mattress/pillow from getting contaminated. These covers are easy to wash and some are quite comfortable. (Some others make a rustling sound or or are hot.) I even bring a pillow cover with me when I vist my parents' house, where the feather pillows are decades old and have never been washed.

Try it with the pillow. If you notice an improvement, you can then spend the money for the other covers. If you find out that dust is the culprit, get as much dust as you can out of your bedroom without buying expensive equipment. I have a hepa vacuum and a hepa air filter and they don't make a bit of difference.
posted by wryly at 12:27 PM on May 17, 2007

True elimination is taking everything out of the room. Sleep on a clean sheet on the floor. If you still sneeze, it is either the clean sheet or the floor.

Reintroduce things one by one - probably starting with the bed, reusing the same sheets if they did not offend the night before. Then the pillows, or in the opposite order. I would agree with wryly that it will probably be your mattress or pillow.

I'd also, though, look at your ductwork, stuff in your closet, etc. Because the flower should only cause sneezing when it is in bloom and has something dislodging the pollen.
posted by valentinepig at 3:47 PM on May 17, 2007

That plant looks like a Hoya to me- though people may be allergic to the flowers, I don't think you'd have a problem when it was not in bloom. Could be mold in the soil, but I'm betting it's something else. Put the plant in another room, and see what happens.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:58 PM on May 17, 2007