# Allergic to my 'tiel



## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

Hello, first post and all that jazz and it's an issue (blargh)-

Timeline of events-
Late spring- Initiate bird! Okay, that's when we got Phoebe-Bird, and all was well in the world. About 2 weeks later I got some water in my ear swimming and ugh, that's a pain. I was having issues getting my ear to dry up and noticed I was having my spring/summer allergy attack (this is normal for me). 
Early summer- Initiate congestion! My ear felt like it had cotton stuck in it so I thought I was still having water issues, except my ear was dry, so no go. I spent a huge chunk of June away from home and my ear didn't bother me at all. 
July to present- Initiate annoyance! My ear still feels like crud, not painful though. I also have stuffy head, nose, and a wet feeling in my ears every morning which feels gross, btw. The wet feeling dries up within an hour of waking and I have managed to drug myself of almost every.single.med in the allergy section of Wal-greens. 

Notes- I absolutely have allergies to dust mites, kitties, and housework (the last one usually happens when something fun is going on). I have a doctors appt on the 18th of this month and will be crying, begging, and pleading for relief. I will even pretend to get "the vapors" if it's not going my way, let me tell you. 

Getting rid of Phoebe-Bird, not going to happen. So while I don't know if I'm actually allergic to Pheebs, but nothing else in my environment has changed since I started feeling like dirt. We have a small bungalow style house so we definitely "share the air" around here. So I need suggestions. Phoebe-Bird stays in our living room for the time being, hoping to have her sleep in the office once it's finished and have her manzanita stand in the living room long term. The carpet is going out this month to reduce dirt/dander to see what that does. 

In essence of my TL;DR tale, the bird is the only new thing. I have had my dogs for 5 and 3 years respectively, we have minimal fabrics, I have known allergies that do not act like this and I'm out of viable OTC options. Suggestions? 

Gratuitous bird photo-


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## SunnyandChickie (Jul 9, 2012)

Awe, fingers crossed that you aren't allergic to Phoebe! Have you tried an air purifier?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

an air purifier will GREATLY help reduce allergies. also daily mist baths for phoebe will really help keep the dust down, thats usually what people are allergic to.

living with an animal that gives you bad reactions isnt always easy 

i get irritated eyes from my chinchillas and have to take eye drops for it. i also have asthma and still keep birds but i dont have problems with it. its possible to live with the reactions, just have to be more creative and understanding. 

an air purifier and more baths will help with the allergies


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

SunnyandChickie said:


> Awe, fingers crossed that you aren't allergic to Phoebe! Have you tried an air purifier?





DallyTsuka said:


> an air purifier will GREATLY help reduce allergies. also daily mist baths for phoebe will really help keep the dust down, thats usually what people are allergic to.
> 
> living with an animal that gives you bad reactions isnt always easy
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. Any brand recommendations for air purifiers?


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Just make sure there is no ionizer on it. If it does, make sure you do NOT use the ionizer on it.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I have the Whirlpool Whispure and I like it a lot. It was a bit on the expensive side, but it takes care of my whole apartment and makes a very noticeable difference in my allergies.


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## prettywreckless (Aug 20, 2012)

You know, I've heard a lot of different things about birds and allergies. Some people say they are very bad when it comes to allergies. And then I've heard that they are one of the least allergenic pets. Fortunately I don't have much of a reaction to birds, even though I tested positive on my allergy test. I am horribly allergic to anything with fur, but feathers don't seem to bother me. 

I hope your birdie (if it is infact her) doesn't pose too much of a problem. Fingers crossed that it's just the bad allergy season with the pollen and mold.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

meaggiedear said:


> Just make sure there is no ionizer on it. If it does, make sure you do NOT use the ionizer on it.


Can do! Why is that exactly?



enigma731 said:


> I have the Whirlpool Whispure and I like it a lot. It was a bit on the expensive side, but it takes care of my whole apartment and makes a very noticeable difference in my allergies.


Duly noted as well. Phoebe-Bird has already cost us an arm and a leg, what's the other leg at this point?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

The ionizer sends ions out for dust to attach to..the idea is that the dust will then fall onto surfaces so that you can then wipe it up, rather than it being in the air. I'm assuming the reason birds can have adverse reactions to it is because their respiratory system is incredibly sensitive..so a "bundle" of dust going through their respiratory system will likely cause difficulty breathing.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

bjknight93 said:


> The ionizer sends ions out for dust to attach to..the idea is that the dust will then fall onto surfaces so that you can then wipe it up, rather than it being in the air. I'm assuming the reason birds can have adverse reactions to it is because their respiratory system is incredibly sensitive..so a "bundle" of dust going through their respiratory system will likely cause difficulty breathing.


I see. Well that works for me, because I certainly don't want to be sweeping up more dust. I do that enough.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

My apartment had a heavy smoker in it before I moved here, and I'm violently allergic to cigarette smoke. I tried to air it out for weeks and weeks unsuccessfully, which is why I finally caved and got the air purifier. Ever since I started running it, I can't smell smoke at all. It also catches a ton of 'tiel dust in the filter when I change it, which I appreciate, although I'm not allergic to my birds.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

prettywreckless said:


> You know, I've heard a lot of different things about birds and allergies. Some people say they are very bad when it comes to allergies. And then I've heard that they are one of the least allergenic pets. Fortunately I don't have much of a reaction to birds, even though I tested positive on my allergy test. I am horribly allergic to anything with fur, but feathers don't seem to bother me.
> 
> I hope your birdie (if it is infact her) doesn't pose too much of a problem. Fingers crossed that it's just the bad allergy season with the pollen and mold.


Me too! This year has been fairly brutal allergy wise. I also have a record of having sinusitis to the point where it affects my vision, but this is different altogether. Ugh. I really, really, hope it goes away this fall and it was a fluke of some kind. 

We won't give her up, though. She's our birdie-butt and we waited 6 years to get her (DH was in the Army and we never thought it fair to move so much with a bird). I developed my cat allergy late but that's not a real concern, since cats aren't my jam anyhow. Cute though! Dust mites/dirt in the air- one miserable Fuzz for sure.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

@enimga731

Smoke smell would drive me insane! I'm running errands tomorrow, so I will definitely start looking at air purifiers!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I hope the air purifier helps. Although it certainly could be your tiel, I've developed allergies as I've gotten older. Pollen, etc. never bothered me when I was in my twenties but started after that. So it's good that you're checking with a doctor to make sure. Over the counter meds have worked for me though for the most part.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I literally cried when I moved into my apartment and smelled the smoke, but it's all good now.  I ordered my purifier from Amazon, so that's another source to keep in mind.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

A true-HEPA air purifier is best for allergy issues. You will have to change the filter from time to time, and if you have pets or more than the average amount of dust from other sources, it's a good idea to vacuum off the pre-filter from time to time. HEPA-type is not the same as true HEPA and won't catch tiny particles as well.

It's possible that you might have some kind of inflammation or irritation in your ear rather than bird allergies, and it's exacerbated by the local climate or allergen conditions. An allergist can run skin tests to find out exactly what you're allergic to, and feather allergy is one of the things that they test for. The allergist can also prescribe medications that are stronger than what you can buy over the counter, and can give a series of shots that literally takes years but will eventually eliminate or greatly reduce your allergies.

I did the allergy skin test a few years ago and I can tell you that it isn't fun. I came back as allergic to some degree to 23 of the 42 things they tested for, but I was NOT allergic to birds and other animals. I've been doing the shots for a while now, and when I re-did the skin test last year most of the allergies were completely gone and the few that were left were reduced. So now they're working on getting rid of the few that are left. It's made a big difference in my life.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

sunnysmom said:


> I hope the air purifier helps. Although it certainly could be your tiel, I've developed allergies as I've gotten older. Pollen, etc. never bothered me when I was in my twenties but started after that. So it's good that you're checking with a doctor to make sure. Over the counter meds have worked for me though for the most part.


I'm hoping it's just allergies in general, OTC meds have always helped but nothing is touching this, not even the kind the pharmacist puts you "in the system" for to make sure you aren't doing any "extracurricular" activities with. 



enigma731 said:


> I literally cried when I moved into my apartment and smelled the smoke, but it's all good now.  I ordered my purifier from Amazon, so that's another source to keep in mind.


I would have cried! I will probably buy from Amazon, but I like to see them in person, too. 



tielfan said:


> A true-HEPA air purifier is best for allergy issues. You will have to change the filter from time to time, and if you have pets or more than the average amount of dust from other sources, it's a good idea to vacuum off the pre-filter from time to time. HEPA-type is not the same as true HEPA and won't catch tiny particles as well.
> 
> It's possible that you might have some kind of inflammation or irritation in your ear rather than bird allergies, and it's exacerbated by the local climate or allergen conditions. An allergist can run skin tests to find out exactly what you're allergic to, and feather allergy is one of the things that they test for. The allergist can also prescribe medications that are stronger than what you can buy over the counter, and can give a series of shots that literally takes years but will eventually eliminate or greatly reduce your allergies.
> 
> I did the allergy skin test a few years ago and I can tell you that it isn't fun. I came back as allergic to some degree to 23 of the 42 things they tested for, but I was NOT allergic to birds and other animals. I've been doing the shots for a while now, and when I re-did the skin test last year most of the allergies were completely gone and the few that were left were reduced. So now they're working on getting rid of the few that are left. It's made a big difference in my life.


I'm going to ask to be referred to an allergist, I have never had a reaction to feather pillows/blankets before, but I also don't like them, so I generally avoid them if I can. We definitely have more than your average dust, since we live in a dessert valley. Which I hate, of course. We lived on the East Coast for 3 years and I had little to zero allergies up there. I do have a Dyson Animal, so that helps some with the filter in it. 

I will be buying an air purifier and giving Phoebe-Bird more misting baths while enlisting dusting/vacuuming/sweeping help so I can stop inhaling it while I'm cleaning. If all else fails, I can start my campaign to move back East anyhow. It's for my health, right?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Which desert valley do you live in? Lots of people have the impression that the desert is the place you go to to get away from allergies. Boy are they wrong!! I never had allergies until we moved to Tucson.


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## TheFuzz (Apr 23, 2012)

tielfan said:


> Which desert valley do you live in? Lots of people have the impression that the desert is the place you go to to get away from allergies. Boy are they wrong!! I never had allergies until we moved to Tucson.


Just a smudge south of Albuquerque, NM. I grew up in the Mojave desert and had fairly bad allergies growing up. When my DH was in the Army, we spent all of our time on the East coast, it was greeeeat for my allergies. No dust, dirt, sandstorms to be seen! Nothing but green trees and delicious humid air. If I could move tomorrow, I would.


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