It sounds like a mold allergy.  I'm in IL and everyone I know
with mold allergies are having a really tough time this winter,
because the weather has been unseasonably warm and wet, and
without it ever getting cold enough for the ground to freeze, the
mold is alive and well.  They're also complaining of tearing eyes
and shortness of breath.  You might want to ask your doctor if
you can try Flonase nasal spray and an antihistime, to see if
that helps.  If not, you may need to be on asthma meds
seasonally.

    I tell people all the time that Hidden Food Sensitivities may be
triggering your asthma. Hidden Food Sensitivities can trigger asthma,
eczema, psoriasis, migraines, hayfever, fatigue, joint pain, and many
other health problems. For more info, you can talk to a naturopathic
doctor (Yellow Pages) or an alternative doctor (www.acam.org). Several
doctors have written books about this (public library). Once you find
your Hidden Food Allergies, your energy level may skyrocket.

    Brad_Chad

Sounds like mold allergies.  They have a tendency to be more prevalent
in the wet season, they usually wake the effected person at around 2am
when the spores release and cloth surfaces are a favorite place to live
and grow.  They get worse as the season progresses.  They start as a
runny nose which gets worse, then your eyes begin to itch, then you
feel hard of breathing and if it gets bad enough you break out in hive
like skin rashes that make you itch like crazy.

Here are some websites that I have found useful:
http://www.onlineallergycenter.com/airborneallergies/
http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/mold-center.html

We live in a home with hardwood floors, a hepa forced air heating
system, we have industrial strength black lights, and have begun using
ozone to treat the house.
Unless you are having a severe reaction I think you can start with the
ozone treatments and see if that helps improve your problem.

Here are a few sites that offer ozone generators:
http://www.jenesco.com/
http://www.air-zone.com/
http://www.longevityresources.com/htdocs/index.html

Good luck.

I'd start with replacing my pillows and getting a mite proof mattress
cover.
You probably are using chopped foam filled or something similar pillows.
They are a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and parasites
(mites for one) which is probably triggering your allergy. You say it
only happens when you lay on the bed or couch so logic says it's
something in, on or near them that is causing the problem.

check everything that is around your bed and couch and remove any
plants, air fresheners, potpouri, etc. that may be triggering the
problem. If you have pets, train them not to go on the couch or beds as
they leave hair, dander and all sorts of nasty buggers on whatever they
lay on.
The human body sheds millions of microscopic pieces of skin dirt, oils &
dander on the surfaces where we lay and sleep plus we sweat on them and
all sorts of nasty parasites that get inside the mattress and pillows
breed and feed on those things. the toxins they release (waste) builds
up and is what we are allergic to.

Bottom line get a northern nights non allergenic FEATHER pillow.
Feathers don't harbor these nasty things as much as man made foam or
polyfil type pillows do and they aren't real expensive. secondly I'd
invest in a mite proof mattress cover, that way the mess that may be in
your mattress can't get through to you. You also need to wash your
sheets, mattress cover and pillows often and use lysol or something
similar when you wash them to kill bacteria.

Most of us change our sheets regularly at least once a week but frankly
I never gave much thought to the pillow or the mattress beyond changing
the pillowcase. Since I added the mattress cover, changed pillows and
started washing and replacing the pillows regularly too I have far less
asthma problems. As for the couch probably the same problem. Probably a
cloth or material covered couch that you've had a while and has built up
bacteria and parasites within it. Regular steam cleaning with an
antibacterial added to the cleaning solution and perhaps using a tightly
woven fabric for a couch cover may help. If not, toss the couch and get
a new one, .  

Rain unfortunately triggers asthma as it brings all the pollen that's in
the air down to your level, on the ground. Not much can be done about
that except when it's rainy take lots of vitamin C, drink lots of waer
to keep the junk washed out of yer system and stay indoors as much as
you can with the air or heat running to filter the air.

Regards,
Jonboy


waking up with asthma type symptoms  

Group: alt.support.asthma Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2006, 6:23am (EST-3) From:
fatherplusfour@yahoo.com
Lately when I've been waking up (sometimes in the middle of the night) I
seem to have very definite symptoms of an allergy. My eyes itch badly, I
cough, my chest is very tight like I have the beginning of asthma coming
on, and my head gets congested (can't breathe out my nose).
As soon as I get up and get going it seems to go away though my
breathing still seems to stay tight throughout the day and if I jog or
exert myself I can feel it. At night it seems like it happens if I sleep
on the couch or in bed and it definitely seems worse now that it's been
really wet out.
Where should I start to figure out what's triggering this? I'm not a big
fan of going to the doctor and am not really keen on all of the allergy
tests that I hear people getting done though I suppose I could go that
route as a last resort.
I will say that when I lived near Portland, OR where it was really wet I
basically got asthma. It gradually got so bad that I had to have an
inhaler whenever I physically exerted myself. Before I moved to Portland
I was in superb shape (mountain climbing guide) so I was really blown
away to get asthma when I had been in such good shape.
When they tested me for asthma they put me in this chamber and had me do
a bunch of breathing tests and then they had me breathe this chemical
that instantly triggered the asthma and then they gave me an inhaler and
it went away. So I definitely know that Portland climate (or something)
was causing my asthma.
Then I moved to Central Oregon (very dry) and within a month my asthma
*completely* disappeared. No problems whatsoever.
Now I'm in another state where it's not super wet except in the spring
(and this winter for some reason).   I really haven't had a problem
until this winter when this *&^ rain won't stop. I can't move (job) and
I don't want to have to start using an inhaler again.
So it all points to something that is causing this and I really would
like to isolate the cause so that I can continue to live here
year-round.
Any ideas?
John

It could be a lot of things. The part about wetness could indicate mold. It
might be worse at night due to tree allergies (many produce spres at night),
dust mite allergies, or anything else in the room to which you may be
allergic. Then again, it may just be that you asthma is generally out of
control and tends to be worse at night, which is common.

You could try shutting the windows (and using AC if needed), getting a hepa
filter, and washing the sheets in hot water and getting matress and pillow
covers. You could also try leaving the house for a bit to see if it is your
house/room in particular or something in the general area. If it looks like
it is your house remove the carpets, Venitian blinds, cloth curtains,
stuffed animals, and anything else that catches and holds dust. Having an
inspection for mold might also help.

I undertsand that you don't want to see a doc but we all can't always have
what we want. You should do so sooner rather than later. An allergist would
usally be more than able to handle all of these symptoms.