Prologue : This blog is neither meant to hurt anyone nor for sympathy. This is just for people who are struggling for some fresh air/breath. This is meant for those who want to find a way to deal with mold. This is for people to whom I have turned down their requests whether it is a trip, house visit, a casual meet up for a coffee or even shopping.
Human body comes with an expiry date and its best before one reaches 30. It depends on how you nurture it before 30, which is going to help in your life post 30. Once you have any kind of ailment or hormonal imbalance however small it be, it is going to decide the rest of your life till your expiry. Your body has an ability to recover from any kind of small variations if you give time & take proper care. But this self-healing capacity depletes as you turn “wiser”.
I
started my journey with allergies especially mold almost a decade ago, during
my active years. I did have dust allergies during my childhood though not
severe. I took my early symptoms of allergies very lightly and at times I
sought help of antihistamines. Those helped me in suppressing the symptoms. But
when frequency of antihistamines intake grew, it felt like they are not working
anymore. But it was a late realization, as the symptoms had worsened and were
not light anymore. It worsened to such an extent that I had to take antibiotics
at least every fortnight or sometimes shorter than a fortnight. I did also try indigenous medicines
& other practices like washing face with hot water, eating rock candy –
ginger mixture etc. advised by so called wise people. None of these helped or
some gave temporary relief. Actual solution was to dealing with mold which was delayed
because of these trials & helped only in worsening of my health.
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| Pictures of my nasal discharges taken to show my doc |
Today
I have reached at a position where I don’t go for any house visit including the
one where I grew up. I never know what would trigger. It can range anything
from any linen including curtain, sofa or even the smell of a perfume or incense
sticks. I can’t even stand the smell of currency notes. Thanks to digital India
that I don’t have to handle cash anymore. An year back, I could neither take any flour
without a mask nor do the tempering which was critical for any dishes of my
cuisine.
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| Pictures of my nasal discharges taken to show my doc |
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| Signs of damp walls |
My
body gave enough signals which I tried to explain to people around me, but many
of them mocked or walked away smirking allergies are a common thing and
everyone you come across will have an allergy to deal with. That was an end or
a new beginning. I started to deal with things my own way as my health was only
my responsibility.
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| Mold on furniture |
After these many years, I have come up with my own ways of dealing with mold which has been listed below. May be this can help you either.
- Discard things which you don’t use anymore or have been kept for “FUTURE USE” especially things made of leather, cloth, alternatives of wood like ply, particle boards etc.
- Stop & prevent dampening of walls.
- If possible, replace all the furniture with hard wood or metal.
- Use dehumidifiers, silica gels, activated charcoal bags to reduce humidity. These can absorb humidity from the atmosphere, but cannot prevent growth of molds permanently. These has to be checked/maintained/replaced on regular intervals to keep control on moisture.
- Cleaning everything on regular basis. Everything includes each & every item in your house whether it be furniture, clothes, curtains, rugs, electronics & electricals etc. Even if you skip the previous step, it is fine. But this is a MUST. If you fear of dust allergy, then wipe off the surfaces with solutions containing mild alcohol like Vinegar or any herbal solutions. Remember this step is very important & repetitive. There is no one-time solution for removal of mold. The solutions like Astonish, vinegar etc. help in removing them which has to be done on a regular basis. I do it in 3 weeks as my dwelling place is susceptible to mold due to heavy humidity. Make sure to wipe with dry cloth and the surfaces are dry.
An
IgE blood test measures the amount of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in your
blood. IgE is a type of antibody that your immune system produces in response
to allergens or other perceived threats. This test helps determine if you have
allergies, the severity of an allergic reaction, and potentially identify the
specific allergens causing your symptoms. If this turns out to be positive, go
for skin prick test too so that you know what triggers your antibodies. Mine was 20 times higher than the acceptable/normal value. It is
always better to seek an expert advice before any medication. What worked out
for me may not work on you even though you have same allergy & same
symptoms. These tests just help you to prepare. During my last doc visit, I
asked her whether I could stop the medication at any point of my life. Her
response was that, there is no any preset medication/therapy for allergies and
neither you can get rid of allergies completely. Even the medication she gave
me was on a trial basis, but it worked out for me. What I want to tell you is
that, don’t go for any self-medication or traditional medicine. Don’t ignore
your symptoms either. Listen to your body and act accordingly. Seek medical
help and explain your symptoms clearly. Don’t try to classify the symptoms yourself
or assume things by your own. Prevent exposures to the allergens if you know them.
References
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8610-allergies
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergies/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mold-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351519
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22309-mold-allergy