Seen At 11: Vacationing With Allergies
More And More Hotels Creating Special Rooms That People With Various Ailments Can Use And Have Peace Of Mind
NEW YORK (CBS) ― Anyone with allergies knows how miserable they can make you feel. But for people with chronic allergies, taking a vacation can literally make them sick.
Reporting
CBS 2 HD has information to help you breathe easier the next time you leave home.
From poor in-flight air quality to mold, mildew and dust mites lurking in hotels rooms, allergy sufferers never know when they'll come under attack when they're on vacation.
"You name it I'm allergic to it," Magdalena Augustyn said.
Medications keep Augustyn's severe allergies under control. When she leaves town she takes extra precautions.
"I travel a lot and when I book my hotel room I request non-smoking and non-pet pet friendly room," Augustyn said.
Both Angelina Uhler and her 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, suffer from life-threatening allergies. For them there's no such thing as packing light.
"I bring her nebulizer or her inhalers the EpiPens and the oral antihistamines. When we travel I'm especially concerned about cross contamination and things that are beyond my control. I know instantly, as soon as I walk into a hotel room my nose starts to itch," Uhler said.
Dr. Hale Yarmohammadi said she hears it from her patients all the time.
"Every time I go I get sick. Every time I'm traveling my vacation is ruined. Every time I go what should I do? I get a sinus infection every time I travel," Dr. Yarmohammadi said.
But now there's a growing trend where hotels offer allergy friendly rooms.
"We're very careful to make sure the rooms are spotless, but it's the things that you don't see that can be as troubling for these customers as the things that you do see," said Sam Grabush of the Doubletree Hotel.
These so-called "pure" rooms can help travelers with respiratory or environmental allergies breathe a little easier.
"We found that there was a huge need for it. People, when they travel, they're kind out there at the mercy of the environment that they're in," said Brian Brault, CEO of Pure Solutions.
Every surface is deep cleaned and sanitized. The air is re-circulated using super-sensitive filters. And all the bedding is completely encased to keep it protected.
If you can't book an allergy friendly room there are some things to do that will help you stay comfortable.
* Run the air conditioning when you're traveling by car or in your hotel room
* Use saline or antihistamine nasal spray when flying
* Take a portable air purifier or nebulizer
* Pack extra doses of medicines and especially your EpiPen. You don't want to be without it if there's an emergency
"There are some things that you can control and, unfortunately, others you can't with hotels. The UV in sun light kills dust mites, so the sunnier your room is the better it is. If you are allergic to molds I tell them to pick a room in the hotel that is away from the indoor pool and the humidity," Dr. Yarmohammadi said.
"It sounds very naive but we hope for the best. We try to monitor it as much as we can. I'm trying to do damage control," Uhler said.
Allergy friendly rooms are becoming more common. Hotels charge a premium for staying in the "pure" environment, but guests say it's a small price to pay to get allergy relief and a good night's sleep.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar