Allergies

When I was very young, I did a skin prick test at the hospital. The technician marked my left forearm with pen for 30 different allergens.She then 'pricked' the surface of my skin and put tiny drops of liquid containing the different markings on my skin. I remember waiting for a long time for the allergens to take effect. As I was allergic to almost ten of the allergens, that wait was torturous for me as I suffered tremendous itches to my arm. Finally, itchy bumps appeared on my skin next to the markings of what I was allergic to.

It seemed that I was allergic to canary feathers, kapok seeds, fungus, cat's hair, cow's milk, egg, shellfish etc. However, the doctor said that I was most likely only allergic to eggs. She also advised my mother against giving me anything that was artificially coloured such as sweets and anything that contained caramel which included Coca-Cola! So it began a most agonising period of my childhood where I could not eat one of my favourite food,eggs cooked in all its glorious forms. I could not eat cakes and ice-cream, pastries and lots of other food as eggs and colours are included in some form or other in the food. I could not eat sweets and could not drink coke... It must be the end of my childhood ...





I did not look forward to my next birthday because I thought I was not going to get a birthday cake. I was pleasantly surprised when my mother managed to get a 'heavenly' cake that did not use eggs. I thought it was the best cake I had ever eaten!

When I was six years old, I remember just as I was going to bed, I started to have difficulty breathing, my whole body broke into rashes and I was itching all over, my nose and ears were swollen, my eyes were itching terribly too. It turned out I was allergic to pistachios too so till today, "Pistachios, stay away from me!"

To relieve the symptoms, I would use a nasal spray before I slept and took an oral antihistamines in the morning.The first time I used the spray, it was like I could finally breathe in fresh air, as my nose was unblocked, my eyes and nose were no longer itchy.

In 2005, I went to see another allergy specialist. I had outgrown my allergy to eggs. Hooray! I could eat eggs again! I could eat cakes and pastries too! However another skin prick test and I was found to be allergic to dust mites.

It was a terrible feeling, having itchy and dry eyes all the time, itchy nose too, that is why I am often wrinkling my nose and blinking my eyes! My mother was also not comfortable about me having to pump my body with so much medicine. One day, while surfing the internet, she came across an article about the neti pot. It was actually used originally by yogists as a form of personal hygiene but has now become quite widely recommended by some western doctors as a good way to flush out excess mucus, viruses and allergens from the nose and sinuses. I use warm sea salt water with sodium bicarbonate as a buffering agent.  

However, the neti pot was losing its effects on me after a year and I often have to take 'Clarinase', an antihistamine, to relieve my dry itchy eyes and non stop runny nose. Then, in 2008, my mother decided to let me try reflexology and guess what? It works for me. Finally there is a short term cure to my problem without the inconvenience of daily having to 'wash nose' or taking medicine. However, it seems after an hour of reflexology session, I will be relieved of my symptoms for about 3 months. It is about three months since my last session, I am hoping that I might have finally outgrown all my allergy problems, but I think not because I do still have dry itchy eyes but I do not have runny nose yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed...