Indoor allergen facts
- House dust is a mixture of components that can cause allergies.
- Particles and debris from dust mites are common causes of allergies from house dust.
- Dust mites thrive in warm, humid places.
- Cockroach allergy can be a major factor in serious asthma and nasal allergy.
- Symptoms of hay fever ( allergic rhinitis) and asthma can be caused by the inhalation of airborne mold spores.
How should I clean my house if I have allergies?
Reduce allergens where you can
- Remove your shoes at the door or in the mudroom
- Invest in a HEPA air filter
- Avoid scented cleaners, candles and air fresheners by knowing how to get rid of odors
- Cut down on dust-collecting clutter by embracing a minimalist look
- Water plants with ice cubes to prevent lingering pools of water that lead to mold
Could you be allergic to Your House?
Your home is your castle -- except when you’re allergic to it. A recent nationwide survey found that over half of all Americans test positive for at least some allergens, and many of these are indoor allergies such as dust, mold, and pet dander.
How to prevent common allergies at home?
- Avoid burning scented candles in your home or wearing perfume.
- Use hypoallergenic beauty products, such as lotions, shampoos, etc.
- Use laundry detergent that is fragrance-free and dye-free (or hypoallergenic). ...
- Use a humidifier to help cleanse the air in your home. ...
- Vacuum regularly to remove dust, and wash things like sheets, towels and blankets often.
What are the most common indoor allergies?
The following is a list of some of the most common indoor allergens:
- House dust
- Mold spores
- Pollen
- Fabrics
- Dust mites
- Cockroaches
- Cat dander
- Dog dander
- Pet rodents
- Horsehair
How do I get rid of allergies in my house?
Close doors and windows during warm weather and use air conditioning and dehumidifiers. Remove nonwashable contaminated materials such as carpeting. Clean washable material with a solution of 5 percent chlorine bleach, and wear a protective mask when cleaning away mold. Check the roof and ceilings for water leaks.
Why do my allergies get worse when im home?
The dust in your home may contain pollen as well as a cocktail of year-round allergens - pet hair and dander, mold and dust mites - that could make your allergies flare up. Taking the time to clean can help you enjoy spring rather than suffer through it.
Why are my allergies acting up in my room?
Bedrooms tend to have the highest concentration of dust mites in a home. Bedrooms adjoining bathrooms may have mold and mildew spores. Lying down can increase congestion. Pollen that lingers on your skin and hair can move to your bedding.
How do u know if u have dust mites?
Common dust mite allergy symptoms include:Sneezing.Runny nose.Itchy, red or watery eyes.Stuffy nose.Itchy nose, mouth or throat.Itchy skin.Postnasal drip (a flow of mucus from behind your nose into your throat)Cough.
How do you check for dust mites?
Depending on the severity of your dust mite allergies, this condition may also trigger asthma. You may notice wheezing, coughing, and chest pain as a result....What do dust mite 'bites' look like?sneezing.coughing.postnasal drip.runny or stuffy nose.itchy, water eyes.red, itchy skin.itchy throat.
What does dust mite allergy look like?
A mild case of dust mite allergy may cause an occasional runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing. In severe cases, the condition may be ongoing (chronic), resulting in persistent sneezing, cough, congestion, facial pressure, an eczema flare-up or severe asthma attack.
Do air purifiers help allergies?
For people with allergies, scientific studies have shown that air filtration reduces these airborne allergens and may provide some relief. Experts recommend two types of filtration: For a single room, look for an air cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
How do you know if you have dust mites in your pillow?
If you wake up covered in itchy, red bumps, you may be allergic to dust mites. Symptoms vary between people and some suffer more than others. However, common indications that you have a dust mite allergy include getting an itchy or running nose, sneezing and sometimes getting sore, itchy eyes.
Can you have allergy symptoms in the house?
People with dust mite allergies often suffer the most inside their homes or in other people's homes. Dust mites are tiny organisms that can barely be seen by the naked eye. They feed off house dust and the moisture in the air. They are one of the most common indoor allergens, and symptoms can be present year-round.
Why are my allergies worse in my bedroom?
The bedroom is home to a slew of allergens including dust mites, pet dander, chemicals, dust, and molds. Here you may spend 6-8 hours a day sleeping, getting ready for the day, or simply relaxing—which means you have a longer exposure to microscopic critters and particles that cause allergies and allergy-like symptoms.
Do allergies get worse the longer you live somewhere?
"Ironically, allergies are worse in cities than in the suburbs because of air pollution and higher levels of ozone," Parikh says, even though people in the suburbs may be exposed to more plant allergens.
Do air purifiers help allergies?
For people with allergies, scientific studies have shown that air filtration reduces these airborne allergens and may provide some relief. Experts recommend two types of filtration: For a single room, look for an air cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
What causes seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies will be caused mainly by pollen and the different types of pollen that are produced in the outdoor environment during certain seasons of the year. However, when it comes to the production of seasonal pollen is everyone allergic to these allergenic substance in the air? According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), nearly 8 percent of adults in the United States will experience hay fever or pollen allergies. Those individuals who suffer from seasonal pollen allergies are unlikely to go away once it develops, but there are remedies to alleviating these symptoms such as medication, allergy shots, and air quality products.
How do allergies work?
According to AAAAI, allergens are usually considered as harmless substances that when they enter into the human body will trigger a response that originates in the immune system and will produce an allergic reaction (allergy symptoms). When this reaction is elicited in the body’s immune system, it will also trigger the production of antibodies called IgE that works to defend your body against the allergen.
What are the most common allergens in the air?
Some of the most common allergens, that most people are aware of will include dust, dust mites, pet dander, mold, pollen, etc. These various allergens can be produced in both indoor and outdoor environments, depending on the specific allergen, and no matter where the allergen is created it can easily be spread from different environments through the air – thus, the reason behind seasonal allergy symptoms inside of your home.
What happens when the immune system responds to an allergen?
Once the immune system responds to the allergen in the body and releases the antibodies to attach to the harmful cells, the immune system will additionally release histamines. Histamines are chemicals that our bodies produce naturally, and these chemicals when faced with allergen exposure will be the chemical responsible for provoking the well-known allergy symptoms associated with allergies such as sneezing, itchy nose or eyes, runny nose, and watery eyes, according to WebMD.
How many Americans have an allergy to both indoor and outdoor allergens?
Did you know that one out of every five Americans has an allergy to either/both indoor and outdoor allergens? These allergens when you are exposed to them in an environment, whether that be inside of a home or outside in your yard, will provoke various allergenic symptoms that will overtake a person’s body during the time of exposure. What can you do when these allergy symptoms take place persistently inside of your home, and are there solutions to removing indoor allergens from a confined indoor air space?
When is allergy season?
Typically, seasonal allergies or hay fever will occur in late winter or spring. Whereas ragweed pollen will be produced during the summer and fall seasons. However, this schedule of pollen creation does not dictate the allergy levels in the environment, as some allergens can be year-round offenders and affect a person’s allergies sporadically throughout the year as exposure occurs.
How does the immune system react to an allergen?
Whenever an outside substance finds its way within the body, the immune system will be responsible for determining whether the substance is good for your body or if it is a potential threat to the body and health of an individual. As the substance enters into the body and is deemed to be a threat, the immune system will trigger and produce antibodies that will immediately attach to the harmful cells. In addition, these antibodies will also signal other cells to attack or destroy the invader (aka the allergen).
10 Allergy Triggers That Could Be Lurking in Your Home
You are constantly warned about how severe your allergies can get when outside; but did you know that allergy triggers can be found inside your own home?
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How can you allergy proof your home to make it a refuge, not a source of sneeze?
How can you allergy -proof your home to make it a refuge, not a source of sneezes? Take a tour of your house from room to room, find out where the allergens are lurking, and get relief from indoor allergies.
How to keep mold and mildew out of house?
Showers and bathtubs should be cleaned weekly and checked for mold and mildew. Refrigerator drip pans are another often-neglected source of mold. If your fridge has one, pull it out when you do your regular kitchen cleaning and scrub it down. The best way to keep allergens out of your house is to keep it clean and dry.
What to do if you have dust mites?
The single most important thing you can do for dust mite allergies is to put hypoallergenic casings on your beds, mattresses, box springs, and especially the pillows. “They’re right in your face all the time, so they particularly need allergy casings,” says Sublett.
How to get rid of dust mites in bed?
You can also reduce the presence of dust mites in your beds by using only washable bedding. Many people may pile their beds with fancy quilts, throw pillows, and wool blankets that aren’t washed regularly.
Can you breathe in an allergy-proof home?
It may be impossible to completely allergy-proof your home, but if you follow these tips you may find yourself breathing easier.
How to clean mold from a house?
Remove nonwashable contaminated materials such as carpeting. Clean washable material with a solution of 5 percent chlorine bleach, and wear a protective mask when cleaning away mold. Check the roof and ceilings for water leaks.
How to keep a box spring from getting dust mites?
Wash sheets, pillowcases and blankets at least once a week in water heated to at least 130 F (54 C). Remove, wash or cover comforters. Replace wool or feather bedding with synthetic materials.
How to prevent mold in refrigerator?
Discard moldy or out-of-date food. Regularly empty and clean the dripping pan and clean or replace moldy rubber seals around doors.
How to remove mold from a stove?
Stove. Install and use a vented exhaust fan to remove cooking fumes and reduce moisture. Most stove-top hoods simply filter cooking particulates without venting outside. Sink. Wash dishes daily. Scrub the sink and faucets to remove mold and food debris. Refrigerator.
How to keep rodents out of your kitchen?
Food waste. Place garbage in a can with an insect-proof lid and empty trash daily. Keeping the kitchen free of food crumbs will help reduce the chance that you'll have rodents or cockroaches.
What to do if you can't find a new home for your dog?
If you can't find a new home for your dog or cat, consider keeping it outside if weather permits. Fireplaces. Avoid the use of wood-burning fireplaces or stoves because smoke and gases can worsen respiratory allergies. Most natural gas fireplaces won't cause this problem.
How to get rid of cockroaches and mice?
If that's not effective, hire a professional exterminator. To remove allergy-triggering insect and mouse residue, thoroughly vacuum carpeting and wash hard surfaces. To prevent re-infestation, seal cracks or other possible entryways.
What is an allergen?
Learn about our Medical Review Board. Daniel More, MD. on September 08, 2020. An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction. Some examples of common allergens are dust mites, cat dander, and pollen. Sometimes people can have severe allergic reactions to these substances that can lead to breathing problems ...
How to detect an allergen?
There are two ways to detect an allergen that is making you sick: through skin-prick testing, considered by many experts to be the gold standard, and through immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood testing . Unfortunately, according to Dr. Robert Reinhardt, MD, associate professor at Michigan State University and senior director of medical and regulatory affairs and quality management at Phadia, U.S., Inc., both of these types of tests are underused by physicians who are more likely to simply prescribe medications to treat allergy symptoms.
Why is it important to dehumidify your home?
It is also important to dehumidify your home, since dust mites thrive in humid environments. Mold can be difficult to remove. Mold grows in moist areas, it may have grown in an area where you have had water damage from plumbing problems or flooding.
How to get rid of pet dander in bedroom?
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, this might mean that you just need to keep your pet out of the bedroom, or you may need to regularly deep-clean the room thoroughly to get rid of residual pet dander, including all of your bedding. 2 Steam cleaning and dry cleaning may be necessary. If these measures fail, and your allergies don't improve, it may be necessary to find a new home for your pet if you're really suffering—let your healthcare provider be your guide.
How to get rid of dust mites in your house?
3 This includes curtains, blinds, and all bedding. Some sources recommend encasing your bedding in a plastic or rubber wrapping. It is also important to dehumidify your home, since dust mites thrive in humid environments.
Can you test your home for mold?
By taking samples of the dust around your home, you can receive a detailed report telling what allergens are in your home.
Where are allergens found in the home?
Indoor allergens tend to be concentrated in the areas where we spend the most time. So, the bedroom and living room are likely the top allergen hotspots in many homes. Dust mites, pollen, and pet dander can accumulate in soft surfaces – mattresses, pillows, carpet, and window treatments – and can lead to uncontrollable dust in your house.
How to make your home allergy proof?
Here are 10 things you can do to allergy-proof your home: 1. Keep your carpet and rugs clean. Studies have shown up to 85 percent of dust, dander, and pollen comes in on the bottom of shoes. And while carpets can help keep your floors warm and comfortable, they tend to exacerbate indoor allergies. They can trap irritants like pet dander, dust, ...
How to prevent air pollution?
Try using a free air quality app to stay up to date with the air quality around your house. This will help you take preventative measures like closing windows and switching on an air purifier when the air quality gets particularly bad outside.
Can indoor allergens cause asthma?
Indoor allergens trigger the same reactions you’d expect from outdoor irritants, with one major exception — allergens in your home cause year-round allergy symptoms that are normally associated with hay fever or seasonal, allergy-induced asthma. Here are 10 things you can do to allergy-proof your home: 1.
Can mold cause itching?
Although they don’t bite, they can inflame the nasal passages, leading to itchy, watery eyes and nasal congestion as indoor allergy symptoms. Mold: Mold is another common household allergen. I t tends to grow in damp, dark places like basements, behind drywall, and in small, poorly-ventilated bathrooms.
Do dust mites bite?
These tiny bugs thrive in warm, moist environments, which means bedding and soft furniture are often filled with these invisible pests. Although they don’t bite, they can inflame the nasal passages, leading to itchy, watery eyes and nasal congestion as indoor allergy symptoms.
Can you use fabric spray on a couch?
Avoid using artificial air fresheners that may trigger indoor allergies and breathing problems among people who suffer from asthma. Natural fabric sprays can also help remove allergens from the couch and furniture.
