My partner is experiencing terrible allergies and they seem to really flare up when he comes home. It's to the point that he's talking about moving out if his allergies don't get better. His eyes are really itchy and sinuses are constantly plugged up. He's lived in the Portland area for 5 years now and has never had allergies like this.
Here's what I had upstairs, where his allergies were the worst:
I think these were part of the problem:
Peace Lily that had 3 6-inch blooms on it. I cut them off tonight.
Mulitple colored callas with at least 6 flowers (I moved them outside tonight)
Night blooming jasmine with 6 flowers in our bedroom. I moved it downstairs into my office.
Remaining plants that live downstairs and are blooming:
Very large night blooming jasmine (it's bloomed in the past and he didn't seem to have a reaction to it, but has at least 75 blooms on it now and that's 3x more than ever before)
Zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) with 2 blooms on it
These have no blooms on them:
1 Chinese Evergreen
4 Coleus
4 species of prayer plants
6 small banana plants
2 Monstera deliciosa (split-leaf philodendron)
7 Alocasias
1 very large Colocasia esculenta 'black magic'
10 orchids but only the 3 Phaleonopsis are still blooming
4 night blooming jasmine
3 Dieffenbachia
6 different cacti
5 various succulents
1 heart-shaped leaf philodendron
Anyone had seasonal allergic symptoms from any of these, especially the downstairs plants? The pollen count is high right now, but he says his allergies get better right after he leaves the house. A friend of mine came over and her allergies immediately flared up so I'm pretty sure the causes are indoors. It makes sense that blooming plants could cause allergies, but I don't understand how a foliage plant could. I keep my tropicals moist and I know that can cause mold, but with all of the rain we get, Oregon and Washington are considered the "mold and fungi" capitals. I would appreciate any help on this as the possibility of having to choose between my indoor plants and him breaks my heart.
Which of these cause allergies?
I would say that the jasmine is the cause.
I would bet on that one also, if any of them. Do you have scented candles or that type of thing??? When did it start? Can you think of any changes you made around that time? Do you sleep with your window open? Have you changed clothes washing detergents? Perfume? Deodorant? His Aftershave?
If any of the pots have moss, move them out.
Judy
Hi Judy,
His allergies started in February, but didnt' start getting bad until March. As far as the jasmine, he didn't have any problems before when it bloomed in September and then again in December and he went right up to the plant several times to smell it. His allergies really flared up after my huge peace lily put out blooms 6 weeks ago. I had no idea how much pollen those shed. I tried to clean the spathes, flower hoods, and leaves below them, but the next day, there'd be a nice coating.
No scented candles or scented air freshners. Detergents, deodrant, and aftershave are still the same.
Yes, we sleep with several windows open upstairs and our bedroom is upstairs. The only thing that's blooming below our bedroom window is a rhododendron bush. We have many elm trees nearby, but those were here last year too when there were no symptoms.
I have one orchid that has some type of spongy moss substrate, but his allergies didn't get any worse when he held it up to his nose for a few minutes. No other plants have moss on the soil, plant, or in the soil, unless peat moss counts.
I do have a bed full of blooming flowers that's below the upstairs bathroom window, but could all of that pollen come up 2 stories? None of the windows on the first floor are open.
--Emily
Check your pots for mold both on the dirt and under the pots. It may not be the flowers at all.
I found three plants with mold on top of the soil but none with mold underneath. All three are now living outdoors. He just left to go buy two ion filters to help clean the air so I hope those help.
My first guess would be the Peace Lily! I've heard horror stories about them. I seem to be allergic to almost anything, and find that they do bother me when in bloom.... but not real bad. Take it out of the house and see if that helps.
Aroids, I have been told, can cause all sorts of bad reactions at times. Including innocent Philos.
It could be the concentration of pollens your partner is reacting too...or a combination of two pollens. Can you create a "clean" room and bring them in one by one to see the reaction?
I've moved a lot of plants outside and have done a lot of cleaning. He picked up a hepa-filter on Sunday and put it right next to my collection of plants in the living room. His allergies have been better since then. With plants that I'm suspicious of that I don't want to put outside, I've been having him put them up to his face for 5 minutes and then watching to see if he reacts to anything. So far nothing. I think the main culprit was the Peace Lily. I was even having allergies from the pollen and I take allergy medication daily.
I've had my philos the longest and they've never bothered him. They've never bloomed though.
We have a philo here, grows everywhere...the sap eats away at your flesh OR causes severe reactions like swelling up like a balloon!!! Nasty stuff!!!
That's scary!
I would suggest moving all the plants outside, after a week, bring in one at a time, in weekly intervals, preferably the plant that has blooms, see what reaction(if any) your partner has to the plant......do this with each plant, and I'm sure you'll find the culprit....you sure don't want to cut all indoor plants out of your lives...just the one causing the problem~ Just a thought Debra~
Also remember that allergies are the kind of phenomenon that can develop at any time... My grandmother, for example, had only mild hayfever and developed severe food allergies in her mid-thirties. She still suffers now at nearly 70. I'm not saying that is necessarily the case, but perhaps part of the culprit? Just a thought from me as I'm now developing my *VERY FIRST* seasonal allergies here in the last few years, and just passed my 25th birthday. Hope your buddy gets to feeling better! :(
Sarah
My large and currently blooming Night Blooming Jasmine went outside this morning. His allergies seemed to get much worse at night right after the flowers would open.
--Emily
Before I tearfully snipped off the blooms, this is what my peace lily looked like. The bloom in front was 8" long. I'd never seen a peace lily bloom so large before.
In our MG course we had a lesson on Native Plants. The Prof. brought in all kinds of samples and the Naupaka was in full bloom.... I am NOT allergic to much (Spruce and Juniper pollen) but the sneezes started, eyes skratchy, and I was swollen way up. She took them outside...gone immediately. Allergies are wierd!!! But BFs are special!!!