Allergies

Try sleeping without the down comforter for a few nights & see if that helps.

The same thing was happening to my Mom when our kids were young. She was waking up every morning with a weird cough. Their house was spotless, no pets, mold, carpets... She came to babysit our five kids overnight. Had the best sleep she'd had in a long time! We had five kids, two cats, a wood burner, carpet, older house than theirs, you name it!

But something occured to me. They had gotten expensive feather pillows! Feathers have microscopic barbs on them, that break off & form a powder/dust, that becomes airborne when your head crushes the pillow! You said you have those pillow covers, so maybe it's the feather comforter?

Worth a try! Fingers crossed!

WOQ

I've had the same problem. For practically my whole life the scenario would be Monday allergy symptoms would be terrible but the pollen count was low, Thursday the pollen count high but I would be fine and I could never figure it out. Long story short you may have non-allergic rhinitus. The closest I could come to finding a trigger is watching weather patterns. Sometimes when the temperature changes by more then a few degrees I get symptoms for a time until I adjust. I'd watch the humidity and pressure as there does seem to be some correlation, at least for me.

Unfortunately, even allergy medications don't seem to work much. I've found deep breathing exercises to work along with alternate nostril breathing techniques. It's not perfect but it does help sometimes. You have my sympathies as they are pain to deal with!

Thanks for all the responses.

I slept down stairs on the couch and didn't have the same severe symptoms. Some very slight nasal drip this morning (almost imperceptible), but nothing like when I sleep in the bed.

I am going to try changing out the down comforter to see if that helps. The thing is I never have an issue with down comforter/pillows in hotels. However, our comforter is pretty old so maybe that is the issue.

The only thing that gives me relief in the morning is a scalding hot steam shower. I literally set it to scalding hot and get in a corner to make a ghetto steam shower.

originally posted by: Edumakated
Thanks for all the responses.

I slept down stairs on the couch and didn't have the same severe symptoms. Some very slight nasal drip this morning (almost imperceptible), but nothing like when I sleep in the bed.

I am going to try changing out the down comforter to see if that helps. The thing is I never have an issue with down comforter/pillows in hotels. However, our comforter is pretty old so maybe that is the issue.

The only thing that gives me relief in the morning is a scalding hot steam shower. I literally set it to scalding hot and get in a corner to make a ghetto steam shower.

This is going to sound weird, but stay with me on it.
When I lived in Illinois every single winter I'd get a respiratory infection. Nothing would help it, absolutely nothing, until...
We used to go down to Florida and I would swim in the ocean. Voila, I could breathe normal again. Something about the salty air cured me every single time. I would be fine for the rest of the winter. It was the weirdest thing. I no longer get them now that I don't live in Illinois. I do think it was somewhat pollution related.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: Edumakated
Thanks for all the responses.

I slept down stairs on the couch and didn't have the same severe symptoms. Some very slight nasal drip this morning (almost imperceptible), but nothing like when I sleep in the bed.

I am going to try changing out the down comforter to see if that helps. The thing is I never have an issue with down comforter/pillows in hotels. However, our comforter is pretty old so maybe that is the issue.

The only thing that gives me relief in the morning is a scalding hot steam shower. I literally set it to scalding hot and get in a corner to make a ghetto steam shower.

This is going to sound weird, but stay with me on it.
When I lived in Illinois every single winter I'd get a respiratory infection. Nothing would help it, absolutely nothing, until...
We used to go down to Florida and I would swim in the ocean. Voila, I could breathe normal again. Something about the salty air cured me every single time. I would be fine for the rest of the winter. It was the weirdest thing. I no longer get them now that I don't live in Illinois. I do think it was somewhat pollution related.

It isn't weird. I was discussing the issue with my wife and she mentioned she had a co-worker who literally had to move out of state. He was allergic to something in the air (I think she said it had to do with pig farms or something in Peoria). Basically, it was some pollutant in the air that is common to IL.

I don't think that is it though as I don't have the issue in other parts of Chicago / IL. So when I stay in a hotel down town or some other part of the state, I don't have the issue.

a reply to: Edumakated

Are in the city, or the northern burbs?

If you are in the northern burbs, I know there are industrial plants out there that spray stuff in the air.
I had to visit one day, all the cars near the plant were covered in a yellow particulate. (Somehow I was the only person that didn't think that was OK!)
The closer you are to Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, probably the worse it is.

I would do a little search to see what is around you and how the wind blows. You'd be surprised...

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Edumakated

Are in the city, or the northern burbs?

If you are in the northern burbs, I know there are industrial plants out there that spray stuff in the air.
I had to visit one day, all the cars near the plant were covered in a yellow particulate. (Somehow I was the only person that didn't think that was OK!)
The closer you are to Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, probably the worse it is.

I would do a little search to see what is around you and how the wind blows. You'd be surprised...

I'm west of city. Practically still in Chicago.

So I slept again downstairs on couch again last night. The nasal drip / hacking was basically non-existent when I woke up again. It is definitely something in the master bedroom.

Our current down comforter has seen better days, so I am ordering a faux down comforter and will see if that makes a difference at all.

Just a quick update.

So the past two nights I went back to the bedroom but removed the down comforter. My sinuses were noticeably better. I still had some nasal drip, but nothing like before. I think the down comforter might be a big cause.

I don't think I am allergic to down as I never have an issue at hotels, etc. My down coats don't bother me either. However, the comforter is older so maybe it is just keeping a bunch of allergens that a newer comforter may not have.

originally posted by: Edumakated
Just a quick update.

So the past two nights I went back to the bedroom but removed the down comforter. My sinuses were noticeably better. I still had some nasal drip, but nothing like before. I think the down comforter might be a big cause.

I don't think I am allergic to down as I never have an issue at hotels, etc. My down coats don't bother me either. However, the comforter is older so maybe it is just keeping a bunch of allergens that a newer comforter may not have.

Down is a big allergen trigger. I actually just wash my down inserts in the washer and have never had an issue. My daughter is completely allergic to down and can't breathe near it. The other thing you might want to consider is do you have your ac too cold and the air might be too dry. Adding some humidity and sunlight might help too.

I have an allergy problem but because of dust. I'm planning to buy an air purifier.