Breathing dust isn't good for you

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Breathing dust isn't good for you

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Started 3 months ago by Zora
Latest reply from bandicoot
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Zora
Member

I realized today that I have yet another sinus infection. I've been fighting it ever since I boxed up all my books and tore down the rickety home-made book cases that had been up for years. DUST. Even though I'm clean, and dust every week, and periodically remove all the books and clean the shelves.

First I thought "I have a cold", then I thought "it's just dust", and after days of blood-streaked green snot, and feeling more and more tired and feverish, I think I have a sinus infection.

Perils of uncluttering.

Have only decluttered one large bag of books, but more is coming. I ended up just throwing books in boxes rather than making a considered decision. When I put them back on bookshelves (downsizing from three to perhaps two) I can weed out the ones that shouldn't go back up.

Posted 3 months ago #
Ella
Member

Zora: I had a wicked sinus infection just like you describe. After several days of home treatments to no avail, I finally caved and went to the doctor for antibiotics. Knocked it clean out. In my case, it was very foolish to have waited so long. The infection drove my blood sugar up to dangerous heights, and that's not good for a diabetic.
I hope you can get relief asap.

Posted 3 months ago #
Astreja
Member

There might be mold, mildew or something else unsavory mixed in with the recently-disturbed dust, Zora. I spent a few weeks in one job running to and from the medical library in search of journal articles, and I did a lot of sneezing from book dust.

Definitely cover your face with a dust mask, or even a tightly-fitting scarf or bandanna, when you go to put the books back. Might also be a good idea to vacuum the books themselves as you put back the ones you're keeping.

Posted 3 months ago #
poodle
Member

Zora, do you use a face mask when you clean? That might help with your decluttering now, and prevent future colds/infections.

Posted 3 months ago #
smallLife
Member

I second Astreja, there might have been something else mixed with the dust on the bookshelf. My mom had been storing boxes of books in the garage from her parents house: they had mold before they came here but by the time she went through them everyone had a headache within 5 minutes of them coming in the house! Unfortunately paper is bad for that kind of thing.

Posted 3 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

dust can really make people sick.
i like to use a neti pot at the first hint of anything sinus-related and it knocks it on the head immediately.
nothing so soothing for irritated sinuses as lots of tepid salty water flushing dust and debris out.

Posted 3 months ago #
Conny
Member

oh goodness gracious, there are molds out there that can knock an elephant down!

please everybody, take care of yourselves esp. when you see mold.

My grandmother never recovered from a severe lung condition after she tried to clean up a moldy cellar. They said she had emphysema and it was due to her smoking, but others said it was that cellar, because the young woman who helped her also got the same symptoms and she was a non-smoker.
It had been after a very humid summer.
I keep thinking about all those very ill people in NewOrleans, that they might be dealing with the very same thing.

Posted 3 months ago #
Ella
Member

I'm going to start wearing a dampened bandana tied over my nose and mouth while I'm shredding papers. The shredder generates a lot of paper dust, and that can't be good for me. I wonder if that's partly why my cold and cough have lingered on for so long.

Posted 3 months ago #
Zora
Member

Bandicoot, I swear by my neti pot. I use it every night before I go to bed. In this case, I think I should have doubled or tripled the daily nosewashing. I've started doing that today. Should probably wear dust masks as well.

Have a doctor's appointment at the free clinic on Thursday. (State government tried to save money by cutting 3000 people from the Medicaid rolls. I was one of the lucky 3000. Wish I were Canadian rather than American.)

Posted 3 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

i hope the increased neti pottage is helpful, zora.
ramping up the frequency is a good idea.
you may still require antibiotics after everything.
so sorry about the medicaid....i really do not understand the american system. it is horribly inhumane.

ella, that is a good idea too.
i use a damp bandanna when emptying the vacuum cleaner....that thought of inhaling that dust just creeps me out!

Posted 3 months ago #
OnARoll
Member

Hope you get some relief, Zora.

I've been working in some unbelievably dirty, dusty archives, handling some boxes in a warehouse that haven't been touched for 50 years. Yuk. I finally got wise and started wearing a mask. There are nice ones sold a dozen in a box that work very well--not the hardshell, more like a soft fabric.

Also, at the end of a session around pollen or dust, i'll use saline nasal spray to get some moisture in there, blow the crud out, then spray in some fresh saline. Repeat towards the end of the day.

Posted 3 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

well i shall be dusting off my neti pot tonight after the builders have gone.
the amount of fine dust being created is just unspeakable.

Posted 3 months ago #

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