Aah! Spring 2020 has been all things extravagant. A pandemic putting us on house arrest, a non-existent social life before hitting 30, and a nose that has done more running than I have. *sneezes*
Allergies are those uninvited guests who come visit you, and then forget to leave. So while we’re staying at home, it’s a party for the indoor allergens. And like this wasn’t annoying enough, we like to spice it up by making ourselves believe that we’ve contracted Coronavirus. *sneezes again*
Listen! Stop googling your symptoms and freaking out. Because we have drawn up a list of 7 indoor things which could be giving you that red nose! *Bless me*
1. Carpets
If you’re cleaning the house, then how could you possibly be still getting allergic to dust? Well the answer is dust mites, which are still feeding on the dead flakes of your skin and giving you a running and a stuffy nose. Beware! They’re also found in mattresses and furniture.
2. Linen
Listen to your mother when she asks you to change the bed sheets next time. Because you’re probably too busy sneezing and wiping your watery eyes to notice what the dirty linen is doing to you. The dust mites are all over your bed and are now giving you a scratchy throat. They’re present all year round, although their numbers tend to peak during the winter.
3. Pollinated fruits
So you love Kiwi and peaches? That’s nice. But do you also get an itchy throat, a runny nose and start sneezing on having them? Damn! We’re sorry to inform you that you have pollen-food syndrome. Interestingly, eating apples could also give you this allergy. Looks like eating apple a day will not keep the doctor away this time.
Ok. First things first, you have to get that damp wall fixed in your bedroom. Or you can simply bid a tearful goodbye to the idea of living without a nasal congestion. Ouch! Doesn’t need a science wizard to crack that it’s the mold spores growing on your wall, that is giving you a hard time. And how long were you planning to live with the unpleasant smell anyway?
5. Pets
Oh how we wish this was untrue! Who doesn’t like to get cuddly with their little furry friends at home? But if you almost instantly start sneezing and get red-watery eyes after playing with them, then you should start maintaining a safe distance from them.*Sobs* The allergic reaction is not caused by animal fur, but flakes of dead animal skin and their urine and saliva.
Jumping on top of your bed will not help your case here. Cockroaches are meant to be gotten rid of, and here’s another reason for you to be disgusted of it. Cockroaches are also a powerful indoor allergen and could give you a serious asthma and nasal allergy. So do yourself (and me) a favour, and do the needful.
7. Laundry detergent and Sanitisers
The fear of the pandemic has certainly made me a cleanliness junkie. If we’re not doing anything else, chances are that we’re scrubbing the life out of something. But like they say, too much of anything can be not nice. In this case, the various liquids we’re using for laundry and sanitising are damaging our skin. If we use too much of it, then the chemicals could react and give us a rough and itchy skin with rashes and redness.
Allergies are annoying, especially now when such hard times are upon us. That’s why, on the occasion of World Allergy Week (28th June – 4th July), Sanofi took the initiative to spread awareness and educate us all on how to remain healthy and allergy free.
Sanofi conducted an online event with health experts Dr. Samir Bhargava and Dr. C. Suman Kumar who were joined by Bollywood celebrity and fitness expert- Malaika Arora. You can check out the event here.
