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NPCER - Anyone here ever develop an allergy to down?
I don't know why it's taken me this long to put two and two together, but I think I may be developing an allergy to feather down.
A couple of months ago, I woke up to crazy, red, swollen almost shut eyes. I attributed it to switching mascaras (I had switched to Diorshow, which has a lot more fragrance). I went to the doctor, she confirmed allergies, and prescribed a steroid drop and crazy amts of topical and ingestible antihistamines. The swelling gradually went down, and I switched back to Clinique. But the swelling returns (to a much lesser extend) most mornings.
I had started honestly wondering if I was developing an allergy to my bengals (again, weird, because bengals are notoriously hypoallergenic - it's why I have them), because I'd noticed that when I stayed with friends or family, I generally didn't have the puffy eyes. Then, Tuesday night I stayed with a friend (no cats) with a new down comforter and pillows in the guest bedroom. Guess who woke up with puffy eyes. And, of course, this morning, when I woke up in my own bed, same thing. Super puffy eyes.
I've been using "hypoallergenic" down pillows and comforters for years with no ill-effects, but I'm really starting to wonder if I could be developing an allergy to it.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'd rather not get rid of this stuff if I can help it (good down is $$$!), but if it's what's causing some of my bad allergy symptoms, I don't know what other choice I have.
"You don't get to be all puke-face about your kid shooting your undead baby daddy when all you had to do was KEEP HIM IN THE FLUCKING HOUSE, LORI!" - doctorwho
Re: NPCER - Anyone here ever develop an allergy to down?
Anecdote ahead:
I don't have this allergy but a friend has developed an allergy to latex within the past year (she's 36). No prior weird allergies at all. I share this because it was an adult onset thing with very little warning so I suspect that's it's possible for you too.
She figured it out through process of elimination but did get it tested by an allergist. In her case, the doctor indicated there was basically nothing she can do but avoid it.
I used to travel extensively and suddenly noticed I was miserable after waking up in certain hotels. When I stayed with a relative who gave me a down pillow and I had the same experience, I put two and two together.
Sleeping on or with down is positively brutal for me and I can't do it. All of my bedding is artificial filling, and my pillows and bed have hypoallergenic covers, which makes a huge difference.
Whenever I travel I have to ask the hotel to give me non-down pillows. If the comforter is down, it gets tossed on the floor.
As an aside, it may not be the down itself, but it's possible that natural materials like down harbor more allergens like dust mites.
You can get covers for pillows, mattresses and comforters that help block movement of things going in and out of the bedding if you want to keep the down. I do love it, myself. I think I got Encase brand covers... found them on amazon.com.
Our house is like the perfect breeding ground for environmental allergens in the summer because of the humidity, a pet, my lack of being a clean freak and it's in a forest pretty much. In the winter it's fine with all of the same bedding.
tbh, I can't really tell if the mattress case is making much of an impact because the comforter is still bare and I got it towards the end of the summer. The biggest impact I've noticed wrt allergies and immune system weirdness in general is actually getting enough rest. When I have enough good quality sleep, I have barely a sniffle (knock on wood!!!) and I have almost no breakouts of random hives that started a couple of years ago.
Yes, to be clear, I have always assumed it was dust mites in the down, rather than the down itself.
Hmmm...i have an allergy mattress protector, and pillow protectors. The only thing that isn't covered (except for the duvet cover) is the down comforter....
I don't think those covers would do anything to protect me if I was actually allergic to the feathers/down - would they? If so, do they make covers for comforters that I could put between the comforter and the duvet cover?
"You don't get to be all puke-face about your kid shooting your undead baby daddy when all you had to do was KEEP HIM IN THE FLUCKING HOUSE, LORI!" - doctorwho