Seasonal allergies and allergies to anything going.

[Doodski]

I was cleaning house, pulled out the refrigerator and found a nasty yucky mouse infestation. There was crusty crystalized urine all along the wall about 2" wide and mouse droppings everywhere where the fridge had been. It had been about 1 year since I cleaned there. So I vacuumed the stuff up, sprayed tile cleaner sterilizer all over it and wiped it as clean as can be. Checked the inside of the bottom of the fridge where the compressor is and found nothing there. I cleaned my entire suite top to bottom. The building handyman Stephan came to my 8th floor suite and checked out the area and found a mouse hole in the wall where the hydronic heating pipe comes into my suite so he plugged it with steel wool. Then within several hours my nose was clogged, my voice near undecipherable and I was constantly coughing like a barking dawg. I was sure I had a respiratory infection. I went to the Dr and was advised it is a allergic reaction to the mice and stuff.

The Dr prescribed 30, 10mg Rupall / rupatadine fumarate. Cost me ~CDN $45.

Within 2-3 days I was much better, could talk and the coughing was not as severe etc.
I usually do not have issues with allergies but I seem to have more asthma attacks and more allergies as I age.
How is others' experience with this kind of stuff?
Words of wisdom?
Should I buy a respirator filtration protection mask?

 

[Dunring]

We use MIRV 13 filters which is the highest for residential since higher ones strain the air handler. A HEPA air filter will help, but shop for replacement filters at the same time since it's an expense too.

 

[Doodski]

We use MIRV 13 filters which is the highest for residential since higher ones strain the air handler. A HEPA air filter will help, but shop for replacement filters at the same time since it's an expense too.

Yes, I need a vacuum HEPA filer. I telephoned the vacuum company and they told me the supplied bags are not HEPA rated. So now I must wash the vacuum and replace the filter.

 

[Blumlein 88]

We use MIRV 13 filters which is the highest for residential since higher ones strain the air handler. A HEPA air filter will help, but shop for replacement filters at the same time since it's an expense too.

You are right about using above MIRV13. However, if you wanted you could get a higher rated filter and use it for a week or two to clear things out. Especially as this time of year you likely aren't having your HVAC run a whole bunch presuming it isn't terribly cold or hot. I don't think that amount of usage would present issues for the fan.

 

[Mikig]

garlic!
my enemy at the table. Luckily I can always find dishes that don't contain them or have dishes made without them. The only problem is pre-prepared foods...but I can do without those if I can...

 

[Blumlein 88]

You also could make your own Corsi-Rosenthal box filter good enough for Covid.
https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk261/files/inline-files/DIY Air Purifier Directions_English.Spanish_0.pdf

 

[Doodski]

You also could make your own Corsi-Rosenthal box filter good enough for Covid.
https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk261/files/inline-files/DIY Air Purifier Directions_English.Spanish_0.pdf

Very cool!

 

[Doodski]

After I finally had my Covid-10 episode last November, I encountered long-term lung symptoms which the doctors believe could be manifestations of allergies I had »ever« before and which had grabbed the opportunity then to happily go berserk ...

I had covid 2 times confirmed with a test each time. You might be onto something here. But I don't want to do the post hoc ergo propter hoc.

 

[Mikig]

After I finally had my Covid-10 episode last November, I encountered long-term lung symptoms which the doctors believe could be manifestations of allergies I had »ever« before and which had grabbed the opportunity then to happily go berserk ...

despite not being covid in that period, October-January, many of us in my area had prolonged infections. It took me a month to heal completely.

 

[EERecordist]

I have new potential indoor allergies I am trying to discover. They are accompanied by some eyelid chalazion which drain into allergy symptoms. You might look into very inexpensive cetirizine hydrochloride 10mg daily. A full eye, ear nose and throat, and allergy workup is great if you can get it, along with your ongoing medication details, home details, and pest details, will help your practitioner. I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.

Most brand allergy drugs are available as generic.

 

[Doodski]

I have new potential indoor allergies I am trying to discover. They are accompanied by some eyelid chalazion which drain into allergy symptoms. You might look into very inexpensive cetirizine hydrochloride 10mg daily. A full eye, ear nose and throat, and allergy workup is great if you can get it, along with your ongoing medication details, home details, and pest details, will help your practitioner. I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look for this and Walmart has it too so the price should be good.

 

[Doodski]

Didn’t you doctors tell you to use inhaler/nebulizer stuff? Mine did.

I use my white and red asthma puffer. Symbicort.

 

[GD Fan]

Made it to age 45 without a hint of allergies and then, boom!, horrible springtime seasonal allergies out of the blue one year. Only relief was sitting next to an air purifier running on high all day long for two weeks.

Honestly it felt like I'd been scammed - if you make it into your 40s without allergies you should be in the clear!

 

[Doodski]

So you have asthma?

Yes, I have usually mild asthma.

 

[Salt]

Cool down.
Before You had recognicioned mouse shi... there was no problem, or?

 

[Doodski]

Cool down.
Before You had recognicioned mouse shi... there was no problem, or?

No issue. Other than near vomiting 5 times while cleaning the mess. It was after I vacuumed that the reaction started. The vacuum was a wet'n dry model. Not a hypoallergenic model. I am guessing I pumped poo dust into the air.

 

[Salt]

Mouse shit is harmless except incorporating hazardous things ... but that would not provoke only coughing
My wife usually drowns mouse shit in Sagrotan an after 2 ours drains them via Kärcher... outdoors, of course.

Basically: don't think You'r harmed seriously.

Of course the vacuum cleaner was not the best idea, except filters are very clean and fine...

Besides: there's a well explaining Meme of it concerning black rice in the "Call for humour" section.

Cool down.

 

[Chrispy]

I've cleaned up mouse stuff, but not as bad as yours sounds. Made me think of the hanta virus https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...lmonary-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838

 

[Doodski]

I've cleaned up mouse stuff, but not as bad as yours sounds. Made me think of the hanta virus https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...lmonary-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838

Yes, exactly. The virus is in deer mice I think they are that live outside the city. In the city we have mice that do not carry the virus. I am downtown in a city of a little over a million peeps. The handyman said they roam the building in the walls. I thought I saw some blurs of motion at night as I was chatting at ASR and maybe that was a mouse investigating me.

 

[blueone]

Even before COVID came around, I always kept a supply of 3M N95 masks in the house. I work on cars quite a bit, and N95s are the ticket for brake jobs and cleaning out the engine compartment. Serious paint work requires a respirator, which is a more serious contraption, but an N95 is pretty good for spray can overspray for household uses. I also wear an N95 even when servicing the cat's litter box too. Dustless litter is BS, IMO, and inhaling cat dropping dust is gross.

I recommend ordering a small box of name brand N95s to keep around the house, since you never know when a dusty opportunity to mess up your lungs comes along.