I think I'm allergic to my computer!

[1piano4joe]

Hi all,

So, lately I have been having sneezing fits. I wake up from a sound, restful sleep, get dressed and then sit on the couch with the computer on my lap. So far, so good.

And yet it happened again! I decided to google, "Can my computer make me sneeze"?
Evidently, there is a chemical, triphenyl phosphate, often used as a flame retardant in the plastic of the video monitors which can cause an allergic reaction!

Anybody else having sneezing bouts? What do you do to stop them? I read somewhere that saying, "pickles" works. It didn't work for me.

I finally managed my hiccups and now this comes along.

Thank you, Joe.

[j_tour]

Evidently, there is a chemical, triphenyl phosphate, often used as a flame retardant in the plastic of the video monitors which can cause an allergic reaction!

Anybody else having sneezing bouts?

Yes, but I always have those.

I don't think it's the plastic housing of computers:  counting phone, and stupid toy tablet, there are always at least four active machines on at my place.

Most modern people with TVs and "smart" appliances have many more actively burning PCBs (printed circuit boards) near them.  And display screens in their transportations, their watches, and whatever. 

The video screen thing sounds suspicious to me.  Why would you believe that? 

I just chalk my constant nasal congestion to deliberately inhaled irritants, such as tobacco, and living in basically a forest of nearly constantly flowering vegetation.

I use 10 mg of loratadine each day, which is helpful, when regularly taken, regardless of season, in addition to 60 mg of pseudoephedrine taken three times a day, spaced out regularly during waking hours.   

You could just be allergic to something that is seasonal in the flora around you. 

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Actually, upon consideration, when one is thirty-nine years young like I am, one cannot rule out the big C, cancer.

Meh, it's been a good life.

See you over there.

[Bob]

Not just dust from the computer fans moving air around a little?

[1piano4joe]

Hi all,

Yes, this is still happening but now I suspect that it's an allergic reaction to dust mites! And I have been donning my fleece jacket in the morning, which when I just googled it, discovered that dust mites love fleece.

"Dust mites can create health problems in homes
When thinking about dust mites, consider these three numbers: There are a thousand dust mites in a gram of dust. A single dust mite defecates 20 times a day, creating 200 times its body weight within two months. 54,000,000 Americans suffer from allergies."

Evidently, they are in your carpets, drapes, couches, pillows, clothing, seemingly everywhere. I never knew that.

Being overweight, I wear fleece lounge pants in the house. The wife bought these. I use to wear sweat pants. I think those were a cotton/polyester blend.

Well, these are going in the wash. And I am making a few changes.

We shall see, Joe.

[lelle]

I think I have developed an allergy to dust within the last 2 years. What can you do against the dust mites except vacuuming the floor and dusting shelves and similar surfaces?

[1piano4joe]

Hi lelle,

I read online that washing fabrics in HOT water kills over 99% of them but WARM water only like 6%! Who Knew?

When it's time to replace some clothes I hope I remember to buy some that are NOT hospitable to these little suckers. Online it says they're arachnids! Wow, very creepy.

Thanks, Joe.

[quantum]

Not just dust from the computer fans moving air around a little?

This is something you should look into. 

Fans move a lot of air through your computer to cool it.  There is a surprising amount of dust than can accumulate inside, even if you have a room that you clean frequently. 

It is a good idea to open up your computer and clean out the dust every few months. 

[j_tour]

These are all good ideas:  yes, I live in basically a forest, and am used to seasonal allergies....and by "season" I mean year-round.

For me, the dust mites is a good call:  I have hanging cobwebs, a modest private library of printed material which is never dusted, and wall-to-wall carpeting which I've never vacuumed once in probably ten years.

I use two computers regularly, laptops, not serious "gaming" rigs, but for idle moments and the occasional bit of writing in whatever code and modest processing.

The fans on any of my computers are pretty small.

I like the dust mites allergy idea best:  that really has some explanatory force.

Not that one can do much about it.

Could be worse!  One could have bedbugs!