Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Is An Allergic Reaction Possible To The My Furniture?
Question: I’ve been trying to figure out if I’m allergic to my new furniture. Here is what has happened. I had a cold and had ear, nose, and throat congestion for about 10 days before getting my new sofa, love seat, and ottoman. But for a couple of days before the furniture arrived, it felt like I was a lot better. Then the furniture got here and I got immediately worse, but I would feel better when out of the apartment. That pattern lasted for a few days. It may just be that the furniture needed to air out. I’m not sure. Now, my nose and throat are fine but my ears sometimes feel clogged and feel pressure. However, it does not seem to have any relation to whether I’m near the furniture. Sometimes I feel fine when near it and sometimes the ears feel bad when I’m away from home. I’ve had the furniture for about 3 weeks now and other than those first few days, I don’t seem to be worse when near it. However, it is puzzling that the ear issues have persisted this long. I do notice that when I drive up and down hills my ears feel worse and sometimes I have a feeling of mild disequilibrium unless I chew gum. I have had a couple of periods in my life with the same ear symptoms. Both times the symptoms lasted for a couple of months and then went away. Just a few more things to add: The furniture fabric is hemp (which I’m not allergic to – I have a hemp shirt). The sofa has no formaldehyde or flame retardants. However, the foam inside is partly (about 20%) soy based. I do know that many years ago I had a sensitivity to legumes (all beans and I think including soy). It didn’t affect my ears at all but I was a vegan and I ate a lot of beans every day and I had joint pain. The pain went away when I stopped eating legumes and has never come back. If I have just a serving of beans now, nothing bad happens though. I think it’s just if I eat large amounts.
So I can say that I don’t seem to be any worse around the furniture other than those first few days. But I did have that legume sensitivity and I don’t know for sure if I’m sensitive to this furniture. I don’t want to send it back and be without furniture but if it is harming me, I must decide soon. I have about a week left in the 30-day trial period.
Thanks for your advice.
So I can say that I don’t seem to be any worse around the furniture other than those first few days. But I did have that legume sensitivity and I don’t know for sure if I’m sensitive to this furniture. I don’t want to send it back and be without furniture but if it is harming me, I must decide soon. I have about a week left in the 30-day trial period.
Thanks for your advice.
Brief Answer:
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I too have allergies and know that this is a hard situation to sort out.
First thing - I recommend calling the sofa company's customer service and ask if you can have an extension of another month due to health concerns. They may or may not allow it, but it is worth a try while you sort this out.
Here is a guess of what has happened. Your upper respiratory tract (ears, nose, throat) was somewhat inflamed from the previous cold when you got the furniture, which may have been out-gassing something, and because of the inflammation, you were more sensitive to the furniture. You wrote no formaldehyde or flame retardants (good!) but what about surface stain protection treatment?
It doesn't sound like you are still reacting to the sofa, although I am sorry I can't say for sure. But given that your nose is now clear and no throat irritation, it is less likely that you are reacting to the furniture.
Ear congestion due to fluid in the ear and eustachian tube dysfunction, which you described well, can persist for some time after there is fluid in the nose and throat. The throat is connected to the ear by the eustachian tube, so that's how this can get started. It is not an uncommon problem following anything that has caused drainage down the throat (colds, allergies)
Treatment for this fluid in the ear and eustachian tube dysfunction are variably effective but worth a try. You can start with a decongestant (pseudoephedrine) but don't use it for more than 5 days as it can result in the secretions just drying up but still being in there if used too long. Safest is to use it for 3 days and see if it is helping. You may want to skip it in the hours before going to bed as it can make people more stimulated. Another thing you can try is an over the counter steroid nasal spray such as Flonase. This can help decrease inflammation indirectly. Also consider trying guaifenesin (such as Mucinex) plus drinking a lot of water (2 glasses) with it to thin out secretions which can allow them to pass more easily. Guaifenesin is a safe drug that has been around a long time.
But as you noted, in the past when you've had the ear problem, it has gone away on it's own in a couple of months.
So I think this is less likely a reaction to the legumes in your furniture but I can't say with 100% certainty.
Do you have an allergist who can do a RAST test for soy?
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I too have allergies and know that this is a hard situation to sort out.
First thing - I recommend calling the sofa company's customer service and ask if you can have an extension of another month due to health concerns. They may or may not allow it, but it is worth a try while you sort this out.
Here is a guess of what has happened. Your upper respiratory tract (ears, nose, throat) was somewhat inflamed from the previous cold when you got the furniture, which may have been out-gassing something, and because of the inflammation, you were more sensitive to the furniture. You wrote no formaldehyde or flame retardants (good!) but what about surface stain protection treatment?
It doesn't sound like you are still reacting to the sofa, although I am sorry I can't say for sure. But given that your nose is now clear and no throat irritation, it is less likely that you are reacting to the furniture.
Ear congestion due to fluid in the ear and eustachian tube dysfunction, which you described well, can persist for some time after there is fluid in the nose and throat. The throat is connected to the ear by the eustachian tube, so that's how this can get started. It is not an uncommon problem following anything that has caused drainage down the throat (colds, allergies)
Treatment for this fluid in the ear and eustachian tube dysfunction are variably effective but worth a try. You can start with a decongestant (pseudoephedrine) but don't use it for more than 5 days as it can result in the secretions just drying up but still being in there if used too long. Safest is to use it for 3 days and see if it is helping. You may want to skip it in the hours before going to bed as it can make people more stimulated. Another thing you can try is an over the counter steroid nasal spray such as Flonase. This can help decrease inflammation indirectly. Also consider trying guaifenesin (such as Mucinex) plus drinking a lot of water (2 glasses) with it to thin out secretions which can allow them to pass more easily. Guaifenesin is a safe drug that has been around a long time.
But as you noted, in the past when you've had the ear problem, it has gone away on it's own in a couple of months.
So I think this is less likely a reaction to the legumes in your furniture but I can't say with 100% certainty.
Do you have an allergist who can do a RAST test for soy?
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
