Allergy testing types?

Question

I wake up every morning sneezing and if I don't have a tissue ready (messy)! I was tested by an allergist using the skin scraping method but everything that he tested me for came back negative. He told me that the only things they could test me for are things that have a protein in it. What if I am allergic to my mattress or my pillows? I have suspected for a long time that I am allergic to filling in pillows etc... How do they test you for that? Is there another method of testing available because I am going to make another appointment with another doctor and I don't want to go through that again and come up with nothing?

Answer 1

I was tested on my back by being pricked with 68 allergans. I reacted to 65! Some react worse than others. I would start by ditching the pillows and buying new (I cannot sleep on feather or down pillows). Do you only wake up that way? You're not that way during the spring/fall or any other time during the day or night? If not then it's either your bedding or something in your room or outside your window (a certain bush or plant perhaps). If ditching the pillows does not work and the bedding isn't the problem, seek out another allergist!

Answer 2

You're more likely to be allergic to the dust mites in your bedding rather than the bedding materials. Buy new quilt and pillows, with polyester/ cotton filling only, feathers trigger allergies in lots of people.

Once beding is a few months old it's full of dust mites, so best to change as often as possible. It's also advisable to replace old mattresses, people sleep on the same bed for years, imagine all the dust mites in them after so long.

Are you in the UK? you can have your mattress cleaned by specialised mattress cleaning operatives, possibly found under Carpet cleaners in the yellow pages.

Answer 3

if you really think you might be allergic to your bedding, either sleep somewhere else or take all the bedding off your bed for a few nights. if it gets better, then you're right. eliminating things one by one from your surroundings might help more than any test by a doctor.