Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jeunesse]

Hey all,

I've lived in Korea for about 3 months and last week, I all of a sudden started having serious allergic reactions that don't appear to be food-related. I'm breaking out in hives on my arms and my back - seemingly at random. It seems to be happening more when I'm teaching in hagwon.

The hives fade pretty quickly, but they're recurring. I'm also pretty sure it's not stress related.

Could this be related to the industrial "Yellow dust", or something else spring related? Anyone else experiencing this?

[candyteacher]

Hey Op, i had a similar problem when i first arrived. I changed the milk i was using and it went away. It may not be whats causing yours but it could be worth a try. I'v known other people that certain milk affected like this also.

[the ireland]

[Jeunesse]

[Jeunesse]

[candyteacher]

[sshemma]

Maybe its insect bites

[ChilgokBlackHole]

You get the perfect storm of allergies here.

All the flowers bloom at the same time, that's pollen. The humidity brings on new mold. The wind blows pretty hard, that brings up dust. Then the hoang-sa comes in bringing in pollution. And you can be all 'but i dont have allergees back home!!!' but then ill be all 'have u ever been 2 asia b4?'

[Captain Marlow]

soju gives my gf a rash the day after she drinks it... also, the cheapo laundry detergent my be the cause...

[complex303]

I don't know if you went and saw the doctor yet, but the same thing happened to me. Mine started about a month after I got here. I changed my shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, and still no luck. I started getting sick all the time, probably cause it's winter, but I got hives too.

It's definitely the food. I went to the doctor three weeks ago and got my MAST test results last week. Apparently I'm allergic to eggs, wheat, rye, mugwort, and dust mites. It was the eggs that threw me off. Eggs are in everything here.

The thing is.. I could eat all this stuff before I came to Korea. So, I don't know what happened. I keep reading online that it's the chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, MSG, and all the other confusing ingredients that messed me up. Add to that the stress of moving, teaching, and whatever else on my mind, my body started to break down.

Now, I'm trying to eat only organic fruits and vegetables. So far, fish, sweet potatoes, gluten-free granola, and bananas make me feel great. I get hives and a headache when I eat soy (anything soy!), strawberries, and lots of rice. I still don't know why.

[Globutron]

Oh, cool I have my chronic hayfever and allergic rhinitis to look forward to then.
Bring it.

[beetlejuice]

Interesting! I've had hives for the last six weeks, since moving to Bucheon. I was in Seoul for three months before that with no problem so I'm thinking it's either something in my apartment or something in the air here.

[nfld_chingu]

Being in Korea in the spring always makes me sick ... I blame the yellow dust. I had a cold for about three weeks (my colds normally last more like three days) and now I've had a constant headache for about 2 weeks.

[Murakano]

[Big Mac]

I had this problem my first year in Korea. I think it was the water in the area where I was living. I never drank it, but showered in it. As soon as I moved from Guri City to Seoul the problem went away.