Hey all, fairly new to this allergy thing. While in college I suffered from "a virus" every spring, finally I fgured out I had allergies, at the time I was prescribed Zyrtec & it worked wonders! I've since moved out into the country and have my own home with carpet, animals, and the whole nine. I saw an allergist back in the fall who has started me on immunotherapy. Helping some but not the dramatic results I was hoping for. Allergic to just about everything including cats ( I have two, long haired) & dust & Dust mites. Its not so bad in the winter (living in northern NY everything outdoors is pretty well dead) but now that spring is in bloom alleriges are back in full force. My allergist recommended to cover my bedding and rip out my carpet, and purchase an air purifier. Haven't thus far...feeling too cheap. Has anyone tried the bedding thing or air purifier? Does it show great results or not worth the extra cash?? Please help, any info would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank You Thank You!
Katrina :wave:

Hi,

I have an unusually horrific allergy to dust mites. Not only- did we purchase air purifiers for our home, we had to purchase the protective bedding encasings, dehumidifiers and replace all or our carpeting with wood/tile floors.
Anyone with a dust mite allergy of any significance should purchase encasings. You should also purchase sheets that are above at least 250 thread count. If you live in an area that has higher humidities- then a dehumidifier will help to prevent an overpopulation of dust mites. Dust mites can not survive in humidities of less than 40%. These measures have made a huge difference in my life. I still have extensive problems with the allergies- but not comparable to being sick all of the time for over a year.

The dustmite encasings are a must! If you do nothing else get these and change your sheets once a week and wash them in hot water.

A HEPA air purifier will also help you greatly. It will remove the pollen as well as the cat dander out of the air. 3M filtrete or Dupont high efficiency furnace filters also will help clean the air of your entire house.

Personally, I have not removed my carpets. I find that using a HEPA filter vaccum works fine for me.

Also, give your shots some time to work. Mine didn't give me maximum relief until about 2 years.

Another thing about dustmites, if you are really allergic you should use a special dustmite shampoo on furniture and carpet, on the spots where that cats like to sit. Dustmites feed off of their skin too.

I agree with everyone else! The mattress encasings are the way to go!

The Air filters, while they are a bit pricy, made a world of difference for me. I still have a lot of allergy problems, but have noticed a definite difference since I got the air purifier.