I've also made a lot of dietary changes, but that wasn't relevant to the question that was asked of me. If you are interested, there is a website listed in my profile which talks more about what I've done.
The bookworm with respiratory problems/allergies is a stereotype in popular culture. I have concluded that being a bookworm helps cause those respiratory problems and it is not merely coincidental. Most paper is treated with strong chemicals, like bleach. Some books also have a lot of dyes in them (and I toured a printing company about 3 years ago -- it's quite a toxic environment and they openly acknowledge that). I react really badly to some things with heavy dye concentrations. Plus there is just the aspect of rotting, mold, mildew...etc.
As an interesting additional footnote: When my sons and I were sharing a single bedroom while living with relatives for nearly a year while I was going threw a divorce and job hunting, we stored boxes of soda and other foods in our room with us. We found that removing the cardboard boxes consistently lowered the temperature in our crowded little room by 5 degrees Fahrenheit and also lowered the humidity. Coincidentally, it also cured our problem with sometimes finding a large roach somewhere in the room. We have concluded that cardboard boxes are essentially a rotting compost heap, giving off heat and humidity like any compost heap. The temperature and "climate" in our apartment is dramatically more comfortable and stable than it has ever been now that upholstered furniture and cardboard boxes (and books and magazines) are not part of our local "ecosystem"
The bookworm with respiratory problems/allergies is a stereotype in popular culture. I have concluded that being a bookworm helps cause those respiratory problems and it is not merely coincidental. Most paper is treated with strong chemicals, like bleach. Some books also have a lot of dyes in them (and I toured a printing company about 3 years ago -- it's quite a toxic environment and they openly acknowledge that). I react really badly to some things with heavy dye concentrations. Plus there is just the aspect of rotting, mold, mildew...etc.
As an interesting additional footnote: When my sons and I were sharing a single bedroom while living with relatives for nearly a year while I was going threw a divorce and job hunting, we stored boxes of soda and other foods in our room with us. We found that removing the cardboard boxes consistently lowered the temperature in our crowded little room by 5 degrees Fahrenheit and also lowered the humidity. Coincidentally, it also cured our problem with sometimes finding a large roach somewhere in the room. We have concluded that cardboard boxes are essentially a rotting compost heap, giving off heat and humidity like any compost heap. The temperature and "climate" in our apartment is dramatically more comfortable and stable than it has ever been now that upholstered furniture and cardboard boxes (and books and magazines) are not part of our local "ecosystem"