(no subject)

[raincitygirl]

This isn't even my pairing (I'm a Steve/Bucky fangirl), but it made me laugh so hard. By astolat, have a Captain America: The Winter Soldier fanfic, Breaking News, in which Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson get married, and the paparazzi go insane. As does Tony.

I think I'm allergic to something in my apartment, and it damn well better not be the cat. Is it possible to spontaneously develop an allergy to cat dander at the age of 37 after no previous symptoms? For the last few months I've been sniffing whenever I'm home. It doesn't happen at work, or anywhere around the neighbourhood, or at other people's places. Just at home. I'm getting tired of blowing my nose all the time!

Comments

[twistedchick]

It's possible to develop an allergy to almost anything at any age -- but what I have noticed in recent years is a sort of synergistic reaction to things. In other words, it's not just one thing -- like cat dander -- but two or three at once, like mildew and bush jasmine and cat dander. (To name three things that are near here, of which two bother me sometimes but if both of them bother me the third will also.)

[raincitygirl]

It's possible to develop an allergy to almost anything at any age

Oh great. That is not the answer I wanted to hear. Not your fault. But I love that cat. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I'd rather have myself adopted out than give her up. I guess I'm stocking up on Benadryl and Kleenex, and getting used to this.

Very interesting about the synergies. It could be a combination of spring pollen and cat dander. But there's no pollen *in* the apartment. It's worst when I go to bed, but I don't think i've changed detergents in the past few months, so it probably isn't the sheets. Mildew, maybe? Vancouver has a very damp climate, to put it mildly.

Thank you very much, and sorry to natter at you.

[twistedchick]

It's also possible for them to go away again. My mother had a wide variety of allergies over her life, and some stayed a long time and some only a little while.

Look at what other things are outgassing or giving off pollen or spores or smells in the area. The thing is, when one thing starts to irritate you, others jump in that you don't expect. My allergies here in Maryland are much different than when I was in New York state -- different climate, different local pollutants, much more humidity.

ETA: When we had Simba the Magnificent, the 18-lb Maine Coon cat with the thick fur, I was allergic to him -- but it was *much* less when he did not eat fish. There is apparently some enzyme in cat saliva when they have to digest fish that is not there the rest of the time, and that enzyme is an allergen -- and since they lick themselves, it gets on all of them and into the dander. No fish? Much less problem.

[raincitygirl]

Oh, that is INTERESTING about the fish. And that's something I can change very easily. Thank you!