#1 ·
Help!
My son has been allergic to pollen since he was 11—he’s 17 now. It runs in our family; I have pollen allergies, and my dad did too—so, his grandfather...
His allergy tests showed he’s most sensitive to tree pollen, then grass, and by far the worst is ragweed... Basically, his allergies kick in around March or April, and once the trees (like birch or hazel) finish blooming, things settle down for a bit since he isn't as reactive to grass. But then, by late August or September, the ragweed madness starts all over again. However, the testing also revealed that he's allergic to humidity and mold (and I mean REALLY allergic—it caused quite a stir during the appointment). The doctor was genuinely baffled because we don't live in a damp place, and we've never lived in an apartment with moisture or mold issues. Everything is dry, modern, and bright—we're in a nice, well-lit unit on the third floor. She said looking at his results, she’d assume he was some poor kid living in a basement apartment filled with mildew... He's also allergic to dust (though not as much as the humidity) and certain foods (mostly chocolate and nuts like peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.). My doctor explained that these other sensitivities—the mold, dust, and food—only seem to flare up when his pollen allergy is active, because his system is just hyper-sensitive during those times.
It all fluctuates—sometimes it's intense, sometimes it's manageable. Honestly, overall, he seems to struggle less than he did when he was younger. Still, the last few days have been driving me crazy listening to him in the bathroom—both in the morning and at night while showering—sniffling and sneezing like crazy. Obviously, the ragweed is still a thing, but I haven't noticed him reacting to the bathroom humidity like this before (I mean, obviously there's steam when you shower, but we don't have a moisture problem). This morning, he was actually STRUGGLING to breathe in there; he was sneezing so hard I thought he might choke or throw up... He walked out looking totally flushed, and the second he hit the fresh air, he felt better! On top of that, a few days ago he developed a rash under both armpits—an allergy to the deodorant he’s used forever. I told him to ditch it and bought him a new one that's alcohol and aluminum-free, but the redness (kind of like hives) is taking forever to fade. At first, it didn't even bother him or itch, but yesterday he mentioned it was getting pretty itchy. It's clear he's just incredibly irritated by his allergies right now and is in this phase of total hypersensitivity where everything triggers him.
For his allergies, he takes Flonase, which works best for him. Nothing else, not even Allegra, really did the trick. Interestingly enough, Flonase works best for me too—in my entire "allergy career," it’s basically the only thing that helps, though my own pollen allergies have calmed down significantly over the years.
During those first years when he had allergic bronchitis, they prescribed inhalers and a good nasal spray (I think it was Nasonex). Now, the doctor doesn't prescribe those anymore, just the pills. I did buy him that nasal powder—the kind meant to coat the membranes to create a barrier against pollen—but I'm not sure how much it actually helps.
We manage the pollen okay, but this whole sensitivity to humidity and the breathing issues in the bathroom are driving me nuts. It doesn't happen every single time, but the last few days have been extreme, plus that hives situation under his arms! (About two weeks ago, when the ragweed season was just starting and the pollen count was higher, I noticed dust bothered him more. Then that died down, and the sensitivity seemed to 'switch' over to humidity, which is hitting him way harder than the dust did).
What should I do? Has anyone dealt with something similar, or does anyone know anything about this humidity allergy 😕?
My son has been allergic to pollen since he was 11—he’s 17 now. It runs in our family; I have pollen allergies, and my dad did too—so, his grandfather...
His allergy tests showed he’s most sensitive to tree pollen, then grass, and by far the worst is ragweed... Basically, his allergies kick in around March or April, and once the trees (like birch or hazel) finish blooming, things settle down for a bit since he isn't as reactive to grass. But then, by late August or September, the ragweed madness starts all over again. However, the testing also revealed that he's allergic to humidity and mold (and I mean REALLY allergic—it caused quite a stir during the appointment). The doctor was genuinely baffled because we don't live in a damp place, and we've never lived in an apartment with moisture or mold issues. Everything is dry, modern, and bright—we're in a nice, well-lit unit on the third floor. She said looking at his results, she’d assume he was some poor kid living in a basement apartment filled with mildew... He's also allergic to dust (though not as much as the humidity) and certain foods (mostly chocolate and nuts like peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.). My doctor explained that these other sensitivities—the mold, dust, and food—only seem to flare up when his pollen allergy is active, because his system is just hyper-sensitive during those times.
It all fluctuates—sometimes it's intense, sometimes it's manageable. Honestly, overall, he seems to struggle less than he did when he was younger. Still, the last few days have been driving me crazy listening to him in the bathroom—both in the morning and at night while showering—sniffling and sneezing like crazy. Obviously, the ragweed is still a thing, but I haven't noticed him reacting to the bathroom humidity like this before (I mean, obviously there's steam when you shower, but we don't have a moisture problem). This morning, he was actually STRUGGLING to breathe in there; he was sneezing so hard I thought he might choke or throw up... He walked out looking totally flushed, and the second he hit the fresh air, he felt better! On top of that, a few days ago he developed a rash under both armpits—an allergy to the deodorant he’s used forever. I told him to ditch it and bought him a new one that's alcohol and aluminum-free, but the redness (kind of like hives) is taking forever to fade. At first, it didn't even bother him or itch, but yesterday he mentioned it was getting pretty itchy. It's clear he's just incredibly irritated by his allergies right now and is in this phase of total hypersensitivity where everything triggers him.
For his allergies, he takes Flonase, which works best for him. Nothing else, not even Allegra, really did the trick. Interestingly enough, Flonase works best for me too—in my entire "allergy career," it’s basically the only thing that helps, though my own pollen allergies have calmed down significantly over the years.
During those first years when he had allergic bronchitis, they prescribed inhalers and a good nasal spray (I think it was Nasonex). Now, the doctor doesn't prescribe those anymore, just the pills. I did buy him that nasal powder—the kind meant to coat the membranes to create a barrier against pollen—but I'm not sure how much it actually helps.
We manage the pollen okay, but this whole sensitivity to humidity and the breathing issues in the bathroom are driving me nuts. It doesn't happen every single time, but the last few days have been extreme, plus that hives situation under his arms! (About two weeks ago, when the ragweed season was just starting and the pollen count was higher, I noticed dust bothered him more. Then that died down, and the sensitivity seemed to 'switch' over to humidity, which is hitting him way harder than the dust did).
What should I do? Has anyone dealt with something similar, or does anyone know anything about this humidity allergy 😕?