UV therapy

Several weeks since I returned from holiday and The Splodge has not returned. It's tried once or twice - the odd bit of itching and small rash - but no sign of it making a come-back. So that's the benefits of sunlight therapy.

On holiday I ate fish and seafood and drank wine and ate olives and swam in the sea and was mostly healthy. Now back in the real world, small abuses build up. I've tried keeping fish in my diet and tried drinking wine. I blame the wine for the arthritis creeping up my left side. For there is the question of maintaining fitness. Walking is fine but time-consuming and not possible daily. Jogging is out of the question as my left knee gives way fast. So I tried some upper body exercises. I had done this successfully before going away but now all of a sudden my left elbow has gone stiff and swollen. I'm pretty certain it's salicylate because there's also a slight rash on the elbow, my left eye is a little sore and the left index finger is a little painful.

RAS

Sunburn?

On holiday in a hotter place than normal and pushing the limits. White wine every night. Liberal doses of children's hypoallergenic suncream.

Then at the end of one day my left shoulder and left chest glowed bright red with a specific pattern of redness stretching around the Splodge. It was odd as nowhere else was sunburnt and I wasn't conscious of having sat still in one position, although it was possible my left side had more sun exposure than the right after swimming.

It seemed to have something to do with the Splodge, which was unaffected. In fact a red pattern, roughly the shape of a stag's head, with antlers, spread around it. Now if I'm right part of the redness you get from sunburn is an inflammatory reaction, caused by the body seeking to prevent damage from burn. So I wondered, in view of my slack attitude to the Diet, whether there was an extra inflammatory reaction. Probably a bit of both - the shoulder has browned while the stag's head remains - and what was The Splodge seems a lot better.

I took a montelukast but did nothing else. However yesterday a flea bit me under the same shoulder. I maybe scratched it once or twice and by the end of the day a huge red weal had emerged, as if stung by a jelly-fish. I wondered if something was going on earlier as the index finger on my left hand started to become stiff and sore. That's usually a sign something's swelling somewhere.

 I thought for a minute it might be a jelly-fish - but once I mouthed the word "weal" I remembered this had happened before. As I didn't feel great, emergency procedures swung in - montelukast plus a fast acting anti-histamine plus a ban on alcohol. I don't feel great today.

RAS

Ear clear!

I was thinking of getting some Swim-Ear, which apparently you administer before swimming to protect your ears. Then I was in Tesco and saw some earwax remover drops. The ingredients are based on  camomile - which is okay - so I thought I would give them a try.

I tried in my left ear, which tends to be worst. Half the drops spilled out over my face. I tried swallowing to open the eustachian tubes to see if anything would flush through. I think something came.

Later, as instructed, I rinsed the ear with warm water. Some definitely dribbled through to the mouth. But then the ear hurt, quite a lot.

Whether there was any wax there and whether it's been cleared I have no idea. However a few hours later the pain has subsided. So I'm testing it by playing some music. I like music with mandolin, dulcimer and flute, which is ideal as it's the high frequencies you lose when the ears are blocked - I think. I've put headphones on for max quality and it sounds great!

RAS

Giving up a dream

I've almost given up the idea of going scuba-diving. It's been a life-time dream. I did a trial run round a Cornish bay once - but this year we were going to a location where I could go on a course.

Firstly there is the problem of getting a medical certificate. Secondly I've begun to question whether I should really attempt it, that in fact having symptoms of sinusitis and blocked nose may be the worst possible thing for a diver.

British divers seem to have adopted a new medical certificate system which looks very good on paper. It should hook you up to a doctor who is reasonably expert.

Problem 1: I emailed a local doctor who is on the list of the UK Sport Diving Medical Committee and have had absolutely no response.

Cashews and spices

I was walking round with a splitting headache this morning and wondering why. Eventually it subsided and I realised it centred on my left eye, which was yet again sore and bloodshot.

Then I remembered I visited a lovely Asian family last night and they insisted on giving me hospitality. Brown rice, I thought, and tucked in - only to discover it was highly flavoured white rice. They assure me their food was quite plain - but the word is relative. They produced some meat which they told me was unspiced. Maybe - but highly flavoured.

The food was delicious and I tried not to eat too much of it. When I got home I took a montelukast.

Sadly someone had also stocked the house up with cashew nuts, which I also snacked on yesterday. Cashews are meant to be okay but are in fact rich in omega-6 oil, which, of course aggravates any reactions.

When I got up this morning I felt utterly drained and could not manage my normal morning exercises. Then the headache. Thankfully it seems to have passed and I have stocked up on bananas and cheese for lunch.

RAS

Rash about radish

For some reason I got it into my head that radish is okay. I even picked up a bag of the round red crunchy vegetables at the supermarket. I like them but, boy, did they sting my mouth.

That may explain why for the last couple of days the Splodge - which is now the Strawberry - has been itching quite a lot and why my left eye got quite sore and blurred. In fact my left jaw also got quite sore and I began thinking, yet again, it was probably a tooth infection.

Then as I crunched a radish for breakfast - sometimes I do desperate things - I thought I had better check. The list does not say radishes are low in salicylate. In fact it says they are "very high". So I've had to abandon the bag of radishes and try and persuade someone else to eat them.

The list does say beetroot is low and I've tried it recently without obvious effects. I think I should try more beetroot.

RAS

Montelukast!

Montelukast - at last!

I popped in to the doctors' at midday and there was no queue. Nor was there a repeat prescription waiting. The receptionist admitted there had been some problems with email - in fact I think they've changed the address.

However she was very helpful and printed off a repeat prescription and then went off to find a GP to sign it. So I take everything back.

I popped a pill as soon as I got home. I certainly feel better now - the eye's not so sore, the jaw's barely aching and the Splodge is hardly itching. Maybe another tomorrow.

RAS

Summer problems

It all started when we went to a wedding in rural England at the weekend. It was in  the heartland of rural England, green, lush fruit-growing country and rolling hills. Wonderful - but as we drove out my left eye began to itch. When I touched it, I could feel it swelling. And I hadn't had a chance to take montelukast.

It seemed to calm down but today is awful. The eye is sore, so's my left jaw and the Splodge (on my upper left chest) is itching. I emailed for a repeat prescription last week but haven't had an acknowledgement. This morning I tried to pop into the doctor's surgery to see if they had it - but there was a queue stretching out of the door at  reception. It always amazes me how long it takes GP receptionists to log that people have arrived and invite them to take a seat. It might not be their fault - it might be a patient.

I've tried a salt mouth-wash in case there's a gum or tooth infection aggravating it but it's not made the slightest difference. I don't want to take anti-histamine as I have a busy day and need my wits about me.

And I've still got to get my scuba-diving medical sorted out. I need the montelukast.

RAS

Strawberries and splodge

One or two people have noticed I've been a little erratic in posting over the last few weeks. In fact I had wanted, time permitting, to do some commentaries on some of the allergy news that has been around. I thought the report that burgers aggravate asthma - but fish relieves - it, was interesting and relevant, especially as the researchers did not really get to the bottom of  the causes. The study found no link between meat and IgE allergy - the kind you can detect with a blood test and which causes normal hay fever. But the link between burgers, fish and asthma was strong. That may simply mean that children who eat lots of burgers tend to be overweight and do their asthma no good at all. Or it could reflect the impact of a smaller group whose problems are caused by salicylate sensitivity. Does anyone know how many people have problems with salicylate?

I've also been inattentive to myself. I've noticed over the last few days that the Splodge is no longer the shape of a reverse Australia. In fact it's beginning to itch a little. This may have been aggravated by a rare bout of sunshine and heat in England. Last night I was at a buffet and the "dessert" was a kind of chocolate-topped meringue nest with a strawberry cream in it - topped by a strawberry. I removed the strawberry and spooned out the strawberry cream. Not all of it, of course. Then I tried to eat around the edges. It wasn't very nice - like cardboard - so I had no qualms about giving up. But the reactions were almost instant and my left eye got quite sore for a short period.

Last night the Splodge was really red and itchy. This morning it had calmed down a little but still itches. I went to get a montelukast only to discover I had run out. The Splodge is now a splodge-shape, like a squashed strawberry. I think I had better measure it to make sure it's not growing. And must get some more montelukast.

RAS

Seaside!

A week of glorious weather, by British standards, and I found myself at the seaside. I had no sun-tan lotion so I popped into the beach shop. As always the ingredients on the bottles of lotion are far too small to read. However I took a chance on a bottle of Aloha premium suncare, which claimed to have been "dermatologically tested". As it's been tested on a random and decent-sized sample of people I guessed any problems of salicylate sensitivity might have been exposed. Does anyone have any idea how many people suffer from reactions to salicylate? What sort of general sample would detect problems?

 I sprayed it on my face and arms with no obvious reactions. It might have helped that I ate lots of fish during the week and hardly any border-line food so was enjoying quite a lot of tolerance. Also I suspect a bit of sunshine helps!

Later I put my glasses on and discovered it contained aloe. However no problems following the day out.

RAS
PS the spellchecker on my blogger has highlighted two words as doubtful: dermatologically and salicylate. Curious.