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Allergic to cleaning? 13 ways to keep allergies in check when Spring cleaning

<p><strong>Wear gloves and a mask</strong></p> <p>Before you start cleaning, put on a face mask and rubber gloves, recommends board-certified allergist Dr Neeta Ogden. The mask will help you avoid breathing in allergens, and the gloves will keep them away from your whole face. </p> <p>“Even quickly touching your eye or face can lead to allergens reaching your eyes and portals to your airway through the nose and mouth,” says Dr Ogden.</p> <p><strong>Clean one window at a time</strong></p> <p>Spring-cleaning is the time to hit spots you don’t clean every week, like windows. But keeping the panes open too long could let pollen, mould, and other allergens inside. </p> <p>“I would do one window at a time,” says Dr Stephen Kimura, an allergist and immunologist. “Open it, clean it, and shut it right away.” Keep the AC running as you go so the air can filter, he says.</p> <p><strong>Let clothes dry inside</strong></p> <p>No matter how much you love the idea of letting clothes dry in the natural sunlight, stay away from an outdoor clothesline. </p> <p>“If you’re pollen or mould allergic and have clothes out there, they will attract those pollens and you’ll be exposed in high quantities to those allergens,” says Dr Kimura. Any clothes that can’t go in the dryer should hang dry indoors.</p> <p><strong>Pick the right vacuum</strong></p> <p>Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, which is designed to keep dust in the vacuum instead of blowing back up into the air, says Dr Ogden. </p> <p>Also look out for new models with complete seal technology to keep even more allergens in, she suggests. “You definitely don’t want to go with a regular old vacuum,” she says.</p> <p><strong>Leave carpet shampoo to the pros</strong></p> <p>Shampooing a carpet obviously means getting your carpet wet. The problem is, dust mites love spots with more than 50 per cent humidity and might start gathering in the damp wood or padding under the carpet, says Dr Mark Aronica, an allergist. </p> <p>“It should be done by a professional cleaner, where things are cleaned up and dried as quickly as possible,” he says.</p> <p><strong>Don't dust dry</strong></p> <p>Dusting with a dry cloth could work against you, says Dr Ogden. “Dusting in and of itself is not very helpful if you’re just disseminating dust back in the air,” she says. </p> <p>She recommends using a damp cloth or a vinegar solution when wiping down surfaces to actually trap the dust.</p> <p><strong>Pay attention to clutter</strong></p> <p>Don’t ignore your usual decluttering when you’re spring cleaning. “Piles of books and magazines and things collect dust,” says Dr Kimura. </p> <p>Toss the junk while you spring clean to keep the allergens in your home low.</p> <p><strong>Clean mould hands-off</strong></p> <p>Mould can trigger allergies, so cleaning it out effectively can be a challenge. The last thing you want is to hover over the shower scrubbing away at the allergen, so Dr Ogden suggests using a product you can spray. “You can hold them away from yourself and spray into the shower,” she says. </p> <p>“You return in 15 minutes and run the shower, and that’s it.” Use a solution that’s 10 per cent bleach, which is strong enough to kill mould but weak enough for your allergies to tolerate, says Dr Aronica.</p> <p><strong>Run a fan</strong></p> <p>Opening windows to air out fumes will just bring allergens in, but running a fan can help. </p> <p>“Make sure you’ve got the exhaust hood running in the bathroom or kitchen to keep strong odours from bothering you,” says Dr Kimura.</p> <p><strong>Use natural products</strong></p> <p>Stick with fragrance-free cleaning products because scented options can make allergies worse. “It’s not a direct allergic reaction so much as an irritant to a nose that’s already inflamed or irritated,” says Dr Aronica.</p> <p>Use natural cleaning products when you can, like mopping with a vinegar and water solution, suggests Dr Kimura.</p> <p><strong>Invest in a mattress cover </strong></p> <p>Make sure you use an allergy cover on your mattress, pillows and quilt. “The covers are impermeable to dust mites,” says Dr Aronica. </p> <p>“What does accumulate during the week gets killed in the laundry.” Wash your sheets in the hottest setting, or at least 48.8°C, to kill any mites, he says.</p> <p><strong>Give your dog a bath</strong></p> <p>Spring-cleaning doesn’t have to mean your house only – make it an opportunity to give your cat or dog a good wash, too. </p> <p>“That cuts down on whatever pollen they have on their fur or coats, and also cuts down on dander,” says Dr Kimura.</p> <p><strong>Clean our your dehumidifier</strong></p> <p>A dehumidifier will help avoid mould at bay in basements – but only if you clean it regularly. </p> <p>“Rinse it out and use a weak bleach to kill mould spores,” says Dr Kimura. Make sure to refresh it during your spring-cleaning chores.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/allergic-to-cleaning-13-ways-to-keep-allergies-in-check-when-spring-cleaning?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Woman shares terrifying reaction to eyebrow lamination

<p dir="ltr">A woman has shared a tale of caution <a href="https://style.nine.com.au/beauty/womans-horrible-allergic-reaction-to-brow-lamination/da7baba1-cede-4570-95cb-43157fbb0729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">following</a> her horror eyebrow lamination experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eyebrow lamination, the beauty treatment that offers the same full and feathery look as microblading without needling or pain, has become quite popular recently, seeing women such as Elizabeth Stirba give it a try.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Ms Stirba took to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@elizabethstirba_/video/7053842175850941742?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> to reveal that she had a horrible allergic reaction after her first treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a montage of progress photos, Ms Stirba showed how her eyebrows went from looking slightly red and irritated to completely swollen and inflamed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Never getting a brow lamination ever again,” she captioned the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of the photos showed that Ms Stirba’s eyebrows were so swollen that she could barely open her eyes, and that the swelling seemed to continue below her eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr">The clip was quickly swamped by commenters sharing their horror and concern for Ms Stirba.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh no!! Dear friend… so sorry. Hope you’re back to 100 %,” one person commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You poor thing! Ouch!” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others asked if she had gotten a patch test done before her full treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Were you allergic to the solution? How long did you symptoms (swelling) last?” one concerned user asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I guess so!! got a test patch in December but still had this. It’s been over a week and I’m just red now but took lots of meds!” she wrote in response.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eyebrow lamination <a href="https://www.elle.com.au/beauty/eyebrow-lamination-22517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uses</a> a chemical solution to soften the eyebrow hair and allow it to be shaped so they can grow in a way that makes them look fuller and tidier.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is supposed to be a painless treatment, but a patch test is usually done before a full treatment to ensure clients don’t react.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite claiming she had a patch test, Ms Stirba still experienced a painful reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some shared similar experiences they had with the treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What meds did you take (because) I had a similar reaction with the chemical burns and it’s still visible,” one fellow beauty lover wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sorry you experienced this! I just did mine and they’re slightly red.. I’m worried..” another shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also had an allergic reaction but not as bad. Glad you’re ok,” a third said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e498921e-7fff-54fc-357f-847bf9e85c6b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @elizabethstirba_ (TikTok)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“Like a monster”: Extreme reaction triggered during pandemic

<p>Lauren Rigby, a 22-year-old training to be a vet nurse, was one of many lives dramatically changed by the coronavirus pandemic.</p> <p>But not in the same way as everyone else.</p> <p>After a seemingly innocent trip to her local shops, Lauren's life was thrown into disarray as she noticed a rash forming on her hands.</p> <p>"They were saying please use hand sanitiser so I just put a little bit on and it started burning," she said.</p> <p>"I asked mum 'are your hands burning'? she said, 'no'."</p> <p>In the following weeks, Lauren developed severe eczema, which was impacting her everyday life.</p> <p><span>"I started noticing at the shops they were spraying disinfectant, even on the clothes, and then I noticed my body was covered in a rash after trying on clothes," she said.</span></p> <p><span>Her fragile skin started to peel off and her hair began to fall out, as her body had an extreme reaction. </span></p> <p><span><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844688/lauren-rigby.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a235e027209e4af2b2496e47870439ba" /></span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Channel 9 - A Current Affair</em></p> <p>"I was so swollen that it if you touched my arm it would leave a dent and my skin peeled off into piles that we had to vacuum up," Ms Rigby said.</p> <p>Lauren was hospitalised after her eczema triggered a genetic condition called Erythroderma, all caused by hand sanitiser.</p> <p>More than 12 months on, Lauren has a strict skincare regiment that is helping to slowly bring her eczema under control.</p> <p>"How can something so tiny change my life," she said.</p> <p>"I've never used hand sanitiser this year and I'll never use it again."</p> <p>Melanie Funk from Eczema Support Australia said there had been an increase of people seeking help during the COVID-19 period.</p> <p>"Certainly hand eczemas and facial eczemas are increasing with the pandemic measures," she said.</p> <p><span>"You shouldn't suffer in silence, there are others that understand, get support, get help, get treatment."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Channel 9 - A Current Affair</em></p>

Body

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Bride blinded by her own wedding flowers

<p>After picking wildflowers from her Nebraska, US, property for her upcoming wedding day, Christine Jo Miller had a reaction that sent her entire Big Day spinning into chaos.</p> <p>In a series of TikTok videos, Christine explained how those wildflowers caused a violent poisonous reaction on her wedding day. She thought it would be romantic to use the beautiful flowers, so in the days leading up to the wedding she picked enough to fill an entire truck – completely unware of how poisonous that type of Snow-on-the-mountain wildflower can be.</p> <p>The night before the wedding, the bride and her girlfriends spent the evening arranging the wildflowers with white roses and baby’s breath. And when Christine woke up on the wedding day, she found her face covered in a dreadful rash caused by the sap residue.</p> <p>Posting a photo of herself lying on the floor, she wrote: “I started feeling sick and feverish from the pain. So I did the cucumber trick and slept while I got my hair done.”</p> <p>But while she’d covered her eyes in slices of cucumber, Christine was horrified when she realised she’d lost her vision because her face was so swollen.</p> <p>After being rushed to the nearest emergency room, matters only got worse for Christine as it was Labour Day weekend and the ER wasn’t open. Despite receiving no treatment for the allergic reaction, Christine was determined to go ahead and walk down the aisle.</p> <p> “I wasn’t dying,” she wrote, “So I thought I just needed to suck it up. Tried to do make-up – was in too much pain so I ended up sleeping until my mum said it was time to put my dress on.”</p> <p>Once the vows were complete, Christine was immediately taken to hospital and given eye drops, pain medication and a steroid shot. Later at the reception, Christine admitted: “We didn’t want to do a first dance because I didn’t want to be the centre of attention out of embarrassment.”</p> <p>When a guest tried to get her to dance, Christine screamed in pain and said she spent most of the rest of the day under a table to avoid any attention.</p> <p>A week later after the swelling went down, the photographer arranged a surprise wedding reception for the couple where they were able to get the shots they wanted – and finally have that all-important dance.</p> <p><strong>Images:</strong> @christinejomiller/TikTok</p>

Relationships

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Completely natural ways to nip spring allergies in the bud

<p>If spring’s blossoms have left you red-eyed and runny-nosed, don’t rush straight to the medicine chest. Many drugs simply treat the symptoms of allergic reactions, which can often be easily prevented in the first place. Here are a few natural ways to keep your allergies at bay.</p> <ol> <li><strong> Avoid pollen </strong></li> </ol> <p>Most plants pollinate in the early hours of the morning, so try to postpone outdoor activity to the afternoon. Also, try taking a quick shower and changing your clothes every time you come home to rinse off stray pollen.</p> <ol start="2"> <li><strong> Find the triggers in your home </strong></li> </ol> <p>Mould, dust mites and pollen in your house can all inflame allergies. Use a diluted bleach solution to clean mould in basements, garages and on old patio furniture.</p> <ol start="3"> <li><strong> Avoid using window fans to cool rooms </strong></li> </ol> <p>They can suck pollen indoors.</p> <ol start="4"> <li><strong> Turn on the dehumidifier </strong></li> </ol> <p>You should keep humidity levels below 50 percent to kill dust mites, but above 30 percent to avoid making your home too dry.</p> <ol start="5"> <li><strong> Improve the air indoors</strong></li> </ol> <p>Invest in a good air filter and change it every two to three months.</p> <ol start="6"> <li><strong> Stay contained in the car</strong></li> </ol> <p>Keep windows closed when driving. If it’s hot, use the air conditioner instead.</p> <ol start="7"> <li><strong> Consider your diet</strong></li> </ol> <p>Eat foods rich in omega-3s to aid with allergies. These include fish, eggs, walnuts and flaxseed oil.</p> <ol start="8"> <li><strong> Love your laundry</strong></li> </ol> <p>Wash bed linens at least once a week in 50 degree-plus water. That’s how hot it should be to kill dust mite eggs.</p> <ol start="9"> <li><strong> Don a mask</strong></li> </ol> <p>Wear a mask while doing housework, which can stir up allergens.</p> <ol start="10"> <li><strong> Get wrapping</strong></li> </ol> <p>Bedroom items that can’t be washed, such as pillows, mattresses and box springs, should be covered in tightly woven, hypoallergenic dust-mite covers. Stuffed animals and throw pillows should be eliminated or kept to a minimum.</p> <ol start="11"> <li><strong> Pet protection</strong></li> </ol> <p>Clean your pets. Wipe off their paws when they come home and wipe down their fur after they’ve been outside.</p> <ol start="12"> <li><strong> Rinse and repeat. </strong></li> </ol> <p>Rinse out your nose with a simple saline solution. Clear the pollen from your passages using a Neti pot or a spray bottle.</p> <ol start="13"> <li><strong> Turn to herbs</strong></li> </ol> <p>Instead of drugs, take a few herbs. To alleviate a runny nose and sinus congestion, try freeze-dried stinging nettles. Eyebright can soothe red, itchy, watery eyes. And the supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid often found packaged with Vitamin C, can also be an effective antihistamine. Butterbur can alleviate symptoms of grass allergies.</p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/conditions/allergies/zap-spring-allergies-with-these-natural-remedies" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p>

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Woman's head swells to incredible size after severe allergic reaction to hair dye

<p style="text-align: left;">After attempting an at-home hair dye job, one French student was left with an extreme allergic reaction that made her head grow nearly twice its size, almost killing her.</p> <p>Estelle, 19, says before using the product, she conducted a patch test as recommended but only left the product on for 30 minutes instead of the full 48 hours.</p> <p>The dye contained a chemical PPD (paraphenylenediamine) which is an ingredient that is commonly found in many dyes.</p> <p>But despite the ingredient being mainstream, a reaction to the substance can be life-threatening, as it could cause renal failure, rapid swelling, respiratory failure and kidney damage.</p> <p>PPD is also commonly found in henna tattoos and dark-coloured beauty products.</p> <p>Speaking to <em><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/sante/defiguree-apres-une-coloration-pour-cheveux-estelle-19-ans-a-frole-la-mort-27-11-2018-7955175.php" target="_blank">Le Parisien</a></em>, Estelle said she noticed something was wrong almost immediately as her scalp felt irritated and started to swell.</p> <p>After taking a few antihistamines she didn’t see improvement, as the next day her head measured a whopping 24.8 inches instead of the average 22 inches.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HgiajBHmhFc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>“I could not breathe. I had a lightbulb head,” she said.</p> <p>She was then rushed to the emergency room after other areas of her body such as her tongue began to expand in size. Staff injected adrenaline and forced her to stay the night as her condition worsened by the hour.</p> <p>Since then, Estelle has fully recovered, but is sharing her story to advise others to be careful when using hair dyes at home.</p> <p>PPD is a chemical found in many hair dyes, especially shades that are on the darker spectrum. The law states that only 2 per cent of PPD can be used in hair dyes and the product Estelle used contained 1 per cent.</p> <p>Maybe this is a sign for us to rock grey hair?</p> <p>Will you still dye your hair after reading this cautionary tale? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

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Mum slams airline after her son nearly died during flight

<p>A family holiday almost turned to tragedy after 10-year-old Luca had a severe allergic reaction to a cashew nut served on an American Airlines flight from Aruba. Had it not been the quick-thinking actions of a nurse onboard the plane, Luca would have died.</p> <p>“My son had serious anaphylaxis symptoms on our flight home last night,” Luca’s mother Francine <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fvalorosoingrassia/posts/10212555999669591" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">wrote on Facebook</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“He ate one cashew from the nut mix he was served on our flight and within minutes he had severe stomach pain, chest pain and stridor breathing. If it was not for the quick-thinking stewardess on the plane, the nurse who administered the EpiPen and cared for him the entire trip and passengers who gave us their EpiPens this would have been fatal.</p> <p>“We were not aware of any allergies that our son had with cashews before this flight. The pilots were prepared to do an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic.”</p> <p>What’s worse, as Francine and Luca discovered, was that the flight was dangerously underprepared in the event of an allergic reaction.</p> <p>“The scariest thing was that American Airlines did not have an EpiPen in their medical kits and served nuts on a plane? We need to change this.</p> <p>“I am forever grateful [to] Nurse Kelly who saved my son’s life and sat with us the entire flight, the two passengers who gave us their EpiPens, the quick-thinking stewardess, the pilots and the paramedics who boarded the plane once we landed to check his vitals. Things could have been very different if it wasn’t for all these angels completely aligned.”</p> <p>Speaking to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/03/03/mom-slams-american-airlines-for-limited-response-during-son-s-near-fatal-allergic-reaction.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fox News</strong></span></a> after the terrifying incident, Francine criticised the airline for its lack of preparedness.</p> <p>“American Airlines staff had their hands tied because they were limited on what they could do to save my son’s life since they had no medication to offer us from their medical kits,” she said.</p> <p>“All they could offer was an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic, however it could have been fatal at that point.”</p> <p>Despite this, American Airlines claimed in a statement that their medical kits do indeed contain epinephrine.</p> <p>“We are grateful that Luca is OK and that our crew members and passengers, including a nurse, came together quickly to provide him the care he needed,” spokeswoman Michelle Mohr told <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/mom-boy-suffered-near-fatal-allergic-reaction-flight-says-airline-didnt-enough-203654081.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yahoo Lifestyle</span></strong></a>. “We hope he is feeling better and understand how frightening the reaction must have been for him and his mother.</p> <p>“The medical kits on board our aircraft comply with federal regulations and contain Epinephrine – the same medicine contained in an EpiPen. Our professional flight attendants are familiar with the contents of the on-board kits. They are able to provide general first aid and are trained in CPR and using an AED. But we require a licensed medical professional to administer more extensive forms of treatment like injections for the health and safety of our customers.</p> <p>“We are following up with our crew to thank them for moving quickly to take care of Luca and to learn more about the situation on board and how they managed it. We thank our crew members and our passengers on board for moving fast and working together to take care of Luca as quickly as possible.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Francine Val/Facebook.</em></p>

Travel Trouble