Can't live in my new house... HELP

B

bgr

New member
This is my worst nightmare. I just bought a two year old house last Friday and after spending a couple hours in it realized I'm reacting to something inside the house and need some help on what it might be.

After I've spent 15-20 minutes in the house from being outside, I notice my eyes start to get a little puffy. After about an hour, they get really red and itchy and stay that way until I leave. Once I get outside, they feel better almost immediately. It seems like I'm reacting to whatever it is throughout the house, not just in a specific location.

I had about 15 frienRAB over on the night I moved in and only one of them mentioned something about their eyes being itchy, but it could have been from my cats.

I have no idea how I missed this during my walk-throughs and home inspection. The house is in Wisconsin and the previous owners built it new and lived there with their two children, but didn't have any pets. The upstairs is carpeted, downstairs is flooring and synthetic wood. My realtor had the carpets cleaned before I moved in, but the cleaners said they use an all-natural cleaner that is hypoallergenic.

I'm not allergic to anything that I know of, and it is only my eyes that are being irritated. No stuffy nose or sneezing. There may be a little tightness in my chest, but it isn't sever enough for me to say definitively.

I don't even know where to start to try to remedy the problem. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks a bunch. I'm sort of freaking out here.
 
It could be almost anything in the house, from Formaldehyde to Mold to various Plastics to off-gassing of other chemicals or materials. Hopefully, it is something that you can find and can remove, and not something big or difficult to test, like a refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, etc.



Whether you call it an allergy or a chemical sensitivity, the name of the game is the same, locate the offending irritant(s) and remove them from the house.



It could possibly be in just ONE room, if you are really sensitive, and the off-gassing is spreading throughout the house. What happens if you open up all of the windows on a breezy day? Any better?



The hypoallergenic, all-natural cleaners badly irritate my Asthma and allergies. I don't know how they can call a mix of cleaning chemicals "hypoallergenic". It isn't hypoallergenic to me. :rolleyes:



Once again, it doesn't matter if you call it allergies or chemical sensitivities, you have it, and you need a solution. You need to find the offending irritant(s). Any sign of water damage? Any dark spots on the ceiling or the walls? How about mold in the bathroom?



Try it with the windows open, for at least 15 minutes, on a breezy day, to relieve some of your irritation.

Start removing anything possible from your house, and then make sure that you air out the place good to insure all offgasses are aired out. Hopefully, you are just reacting to the all-natural cleaner that is hypoallergenic, and that once that offgasses, you'll be OK.

Good luck! :wave:
 
You might also want to consider having the home tested for Meth. The problem has become more widespread than most people know about.
 
Thanks for the responses. It's 2 degrees out here so I can't do much in the way of trying to air out the house. I did crack the windows and turn the furnace on, and it may have helped a little bit.

I doubt it is Meth... the previous owners were two teachers. Who knows though.

Although I thought I felt the reaction right away, I guess it could be the new sofa and bed I bought. I'm not sure how to test for those things and try to narrow it down though.
 
The sofa is a very likely culprit depending on the fabric. The store should be able to give you information from the mfg on the details so you can see what it's made of. And there are companies that can come in and test your house and furnishings for all sorts of environmental allergens, etc.
 
If my memory serves my correctly, I was experiencing the symptoms before the sofa got moved in. I guess I could put it in the garage for a couple days and see what happens.
 
With my Asthma, at times, the closer I get to the source of the "trigger" the worse the Asthma.

Have you noticed an increase in symptoms when you approach one area or one particular room over other rooms?

Sadly, if it is the inside paint, you are really in trouble!
 
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