This post is in regards to my ongoing adaptation to life with asthma and an attempt to rid myself of dependency on steroid inhalers. I speak more about my journey with asthma here.
It’s been a few months since my trip to the allergist and pulmonologist. And if you know me, you know that I don’t like being dependent on medicine, at all. But given the pandemic we are in right now, and the fact that it is a respiratory virus, I am not messing around. So while my lungs are still acting up, I am on 4 puffs of my inhaler a day. And since were home, I’ve been granted ample time to research how I can improve my current situation.
Rewinding a bit, there were a few recommendations that my allergist made a few months back that I haven’t implemented yet — like protecting my bedroom from dust mites (sounds gross, I know). Dust mites were one of two things I was pretty allergic to, ragweed being the other. So in attempts to keep allergens as low as possible in my home, I’d invested in an air purifier and found reason to bring even more plants into our home (great indoor air purifiers), but I had yet to address the easily overlooked area that was causing me problems— pillows and blankets.
It had become pretty apparent to me that any time I curled up onto the couch or in bed with blankets, I started coughing. And, as I said before, it was the bedroom that my doctor had put the most emphasis on improving. So rather than continuing to drag my feet about it, I took it as an opportunity to bring in some sustainable and non-toxic items to the bedroom.
Anyways, to make a long story short, I started researching and stumbled across the information that I needed. Who knew that pillows should be replaced every two years? Not me. I also learned that there are certain materials that harbor dust mites better, and for someone who is pretty allergic, it would be the smart choice for me to avoid the materials that they like. Preferred materials are latex, wool, hemp, cotton and kapok.
Parachute Home
I purchased the Cloud Cotton Quilt to replace my ever-so-dreamy down comforter. Given I really only seem to have reactions at night, when I am surrounded by feathery things, coupled with some articles about fungal and dust mites propensity to feathers, I decided to be done all together. Cotton seemed to be a more breathable material for me.
Avocado Green Mattress
I purchased their Avocado Green Pillow — which is made from organic latex, kapok and cotton.
Sustainability was pretty important to me while on this search. The more I bring into my home, the more I consider how it will eventually leave my home. Is it compostable? Is it easy to dispose of? Can I easily clean it? Can I repair it, if needed? The Avocado Green Pillow checked off a lot of these boxes for me, along with being an allergen and earth-friendly pillow.
I’ve been pretty interested and committed to keeping my house as ‘clean’ (low-tox) as possible over the years. I’ve switched out cleaning products, laundry detergent, our food, etc. Never once did I think about what I rested my head on each night and what I could potentially be breathing in — which is especially important for someone dealing with asthma, like me.
I’m currently still looking into some bed and pillow covers but, as an update, I can personally say that the Parachute quilt is very comfortable. The pillows haven’t come in yet, but with COVID-19, I have no idea when they will and I wanted to post my bedding now, because, well, it’s really comfortable and pretty.
I am really hoping that I will see some differences here over the next few weeks as we enter allergy season and I wean myself off of my inhaler, once again.
Stay safe and comfortable friends XO
