![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sailorhathorWhat we learned from the skin allergy tests I took at the Immunologist's today...
Apparently, IMMUNE-ologists don't really deal with the symptoms of autoIMMUNE disorders, for some strange reason I don't quite understand. Those symptoms will be dealt with when I go see the Rheumatologist. *shrug*
If you ever have to have a skin prick allergy test, they're nothing to worry about. The tester puts 86(!!) drops of different allergens on your back, pricks your skin so the allergens can get under there, and then watches for 15 minutes to see if your skin reacts. The pricking felt like I was being pinched. Barely hurt at all. After that, she did it again on my arms with 11 more allergens. Those pricks actually felt like needle pricks, but still it was very brief and didn't bug me that much.
What we found out is that at least some of my sinus problems are caused by an allergy to dust mites. That was the only thing I reacted to, besides the "control" drop, which is a histamine that you're supposed to react to. Dust mites are microscopic bugs that like to live in your bed and feed off your dead skin cells. (All houses have them, even germophobe's houses.) I'm supposed to get covers for my mattress and pillows that completely encase them and try to wash/change my bedding really often, vaccuum every week, stuff like that, in an effort to keep the dust mites away from me. Noooo, my millions of little friends! How will I ever start my Dust Mite Microscope Circus now?!?!
The best part is that the literature they gave me says it is BAD for me to do the cleaning myself, that someone else should do the vaccuuming and dusting. Muah-ha-HA! A perfect excuse not to clean! (Wait, somehow that doesn't work... for if I don't do the cleaning, no one will. :( Damn.)
This shows that my allergy to perfumes and such has nothing to do with an allergy to perfumes, really. It's more related to the lupus-like symptoms, which is what I thought anyway. Otherwise, it would have shown up on the skin allergy test.
The doctor was really concerned with the low-grade fevers and made sure that I am still going to see the Rheumy as planned. My appt is currently for April fucking 17th, but that office called today trying to move the appt up. The Rheumy decided that making me wait until mid-April for an appt I first made in mid-February was cruel, and is willing to come in on a day she normally doesn't work to see me. We're trying to work out a day right now. I'm very glad for this, because I'm sick of waiting.
I kind of don't feel like we got a lot done today. I mean, it's good to find this stuff out, but I was hoping we'd get more info on my other symptoms. Oh well, maybe once I get my bed set up, it'll help with my sinuses a lot. :) I'm also supposed to keep almost no stuffed animals on my bed, and regularly vaccuum any that I do keep on it, hee.
Oh, another good thing - NO FOOD ALLERGIES!! YEEEEES!! *stuffs face with every food imaginable*
I can finally get back on my anti-histamines. I had to stop taking them for three days before the test because they would interfere with the test. My fingers, hands, toes, and tops of my feet started itching really bad. Then today, I woke up with my right eye totally red, itchy, just in pain. I need my anti-histamines really bad. My eye is still fucked up. I'm sure it will feel better after a good night's sleep and regular anti-histamine use, but right now, my vision is still blurry and the eye aches. This is the worst I ever remember it being.
The doctor said that my sinus problems are also caused by "non-allergic" sources, like sudden changes in weather. No shit, Sherlock. ;) I didn't need a medical degree to notice that. I'm the one who told YOU that, now you're acting like it was your discovery. But I kid! I actually like the allergy doctor.
I also found out that Def Leppard's "Let It Go" sounds really amazing in my headphones. Just never noticed it before, that it's a great headphones song.
Apparently, IMMUNE-ologists don't really deal with the symptoms of autoIMMUNE disorders, for some strange reason I don't quite understand. Those symptoms will be dealt with when I go see the Rheumatologist. *shrug*
If you ever have to have a skin prick allergy test, they're nothing to worry about. The tester puts 86(!!) drops of different allergens on your back, pricks your skin so the allergens can get under there, and then watches for 15 minutes to see if your skin reacts. The pricking felt like I was being pinched. Barely hurt at all. After that, she did it again on my arms with 11 more allergens. Those pricks actually felt like needle pricks, but still it was very brief and didn't bug me that much.
What we found out is that at least some of my sinus problems are caused by an allergy to dust mites. That was the only thing I reacted to, besides the "control" drop, which is a histamine that you're supposed to react to. Dust mites are microscopic bugs that like to live in your bed and feed off your dead skin cells. (All houses have them, even germophobe's houses.) I'm supposed to get covers for my mattress and pillows that completely encase them and try to wash/change my bedding really often, vaccuum every week, stuff like that, in an effort to keep the dust mites away from me. Noooo, my millions of little friends! How will I ever start my Dust Mite Microscope Circus now?!?!
The best part is that the literature they gave me says it is BAD for me to do the cleaning myself, that someone else should do the vaccuuming and dusting. Muah-ha-HA! A perfect excuse not to clean! (Wait, somehow that doesn't work... for if I don't do the cleaning, no one will. :( Damn.)
This shows that my allergy to perfumes and such has nothing to do with an allergy to perfumes, really. It's more related to the lupus-like symptoms, which is what I thought anyway. Otherwise, it would have shown up on the skin allergy test.
The doctor was really concerned with the low-grade fevers and made sure that I am still going to see the Rheumy as planned. My appt is currently for April fucking 17th, but that office called today trying to move the appt up. The Rheumy decided that making me wait until mid-April for an appt I first made in mid-February was cruel, and is willing to come in on a day she normally doesn't work to see me. We're trying to work out a day right now. I'm very glad for this, because I'm sick of waiting.
I kind of don't feel like we got a lot done today. I mean, it's good to find this stuff out, but I was hoping we'd get more info on my other symptoms. Oh well, maybe once I get my bed set up, it'll help with my sinuses a lot. :) I'm also supposed to keep almost no stuffed animals on my bed, and regularly vaccuum any that I do keep on it, hee.
Oh, another good thing - NO FOOD ALLERGIES!! YEEEEES!! *stuffs face with every food imaginable*
I can finally get back on my anti-histamines. I had to stop taking them for three days before the test because they would interfere with the test. My fingers, hands, toes, and tops of my feet started itching really bad. Then today, I woke up with my right eye totally red, itchy, just in pain. I need my anti-histamines really bad. My eye is still fucked up. I'm sure it will feel better after a good night's sleep and regular anti-histamine use, but right now, my vision is still blurry and the eye aches. This is the worst I ever remember it being.
The doctor said that my sinus problems are also caused by "non-allergic" sources, like sudden changes in weather. No shit, Sherlock. ;) I didn't need a medical degree to notice that. I'm the one who told YOU that, now you're acting like it was your discovery. But I kid! I actually like the allergy doctor.
I also found out that Def Leppard's "Let It Go" sounds really amazing in my headphones. Just never noticed it before, that it's a great headphones song.
