Posted on 02/27/2007 12:19:23 PM PST by Darkwolf377
I moved into a great basement apartment a few months ago, AND I work with kids. Around that time I picked up a cold, with chest congestion, sinus pressure, etc. My doctor gave me two hours of tests, including for TB (I used to work with the homeless) and cancer--X-Rays, the works. In the end she said I had a cold.
After much research, I have come to find that the real source of my trouble MAY be that my basement apartment, which leaks when the snow melts, may be contributing to my woes with mildew. I have no previous allergic reactions, but I have had a cold and cough for months now, with NOTHING seeming to help.
I am getting a dehumidifier and then an air cleaning unit.
But in the meantime, any suggestions?
An glass of orange juice a day will keep the "stuffiness" at bay!
Move?
Thanks, am taking large doses of C. Also been told to drink lots of water, something I've neglected.
BTW, I'll just give a blanket "Thank you" to all who post here, so as not to keep posting thanks to each person who makes a suggestion.
A dehumidifier will work wonders. See if you can run a hose from it directly into a floor drain so it can run all the time (until you get drier weather.)
That way, you won't have a container of water at the back of it sitting and waiting to be dumped, defeating the purpose of removing moisture from the air. I've never understood that system. Seems silly to me.
Get a good smelling can of Lysol and spray that around, too. Kills germs. (I like their 'Fresh Linen' fragrance.)
Wash your hands a lot, and treat yourself to a nice tube of good hand cream, because you'll need it with all of that hand washing. :)
Drink lots of water each day and get a decent amount of sleep.
Good Luck!
Dehumidifier, some kind of safe fungicide, and dry-lok (if the owner will let you seal the walls. Also, get some good fresh air in the place.
Wash down any areas that have mildew with a "mould killer". You can get a bottle from a hardware store. I use a brand made by Polycell, it works.
Wash down any areas that have mildew with a "mould killer". You can get a bottle from a hardware store. I use a brand made by Polycell, it works.
The ZICAM oral spray and nasal gel (swab or spray) lessens severity and length virtually always.
I have had chest congestion for weeks and it has not helped that EXCEPT to keep my nose, sinuses and throat clear of infection. Which is very welcome.
Usually if I use it at first hint of any tickle in my nose or throat--it will prevent it.
Am taking herbal products for the chest--some antiviral and some antibiotic as a usual med anti-biotic just blunts my already genetically weak immune system. I prefer not to go there.
Spray a mixture of bleach and water on moldy areas. No need to saturate...a fine misting will do. (ventilate as required.
In addition to all the good advice from other FReepers, I'd also check with the manager as to what type of pest service has been used in the past in the apartment. You would be amazed at how many people react to pesticides (including fungicides), particularly the solvents in the delivery systems.
They diss the zinc preparations like Cold-Eze & Zicam, but I know people who swear by that stuff. But if it's mold that's causing your probs, in addition to swabbing down your apt. with clorox & getting that dehumidifier, you might benefit most from an antihistimine.
While we are on the subject of health has anyone out there in Freeperland received "sternal plates". I had a CABG back in Oct. 2006 and CPR 3 weeks later. My sternum never healed and is held together with the titanium wires only. My surgeon is suggesting the plates but I'm hesitant about another surgery.
I live in a semi type basement flat as well, and I just bought a Honeywell hepa air filter, it's made an immense difference.
I've been getting very little sleep lately, as I've been working a ton of hours. That and the water intake are probably the things I can work on immediately.
Again thanks to you and everyone else who's posted.
Wolf: I went through three rounds of antibiotics for sinus pain/headaches. Nothing worked.
An over-the counter mucus pill, Mucinex, finally gave me some relief.
Buy the Mucinex then call the health dept. for a habitability inspection.
My friend whose sister is a GP told me to forget about those Cold-Eze and "immune system boosters" because they actually tax the system once the cold has taken hold, but that might only be in my particular situation; they probably work in the earliest stages of aquiring a cold.
I only tried it once and the taste it left in my mouth was so extremely unpleasant I threw the box away - I decided I'd just as soon live with the cold.I do know other people who say they work. I just wasn't willing to stick it out.
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