Allergies are your body’s immune response to normally harmless substances in the environment. When exposed to allergens, your immune system overreacts, producing antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE), which then cause symptoms in your nose, throat, eyes or lungs that can be uncomfortable or even cause more serious health conditions such as asthma attacks.
Indoor allergens such as animal dander, cockroach droppings and mold are present year-round and can produce symptoms similar to those caused by outdoor allergens such as pollen or grass pollen; they may even mimic those experienced with hay fever when present inside the home or workplace.
Air Filtration
Allergens can be airborne particles such as pet dander, mold spores, pollen, chemicals and off-gasses from new carpet, paint or furniture that cause allergic symptoms in some people. Air filtration systems can help eliminate these contaminants from indoor environments to decrease allergy symptoms.
Search for filters with a high MERV rating, which indicates their ability to capture allergens of all sizes. MERV ratings range from one to 16, with higher numbers indicating greater effectiveness; for optimal results use filters between 13-16 on this scale.
Air filtration devices may not be the magic bullet for allergy sufferers, but they can drastically enhance indoor air quality. “Most importantly,” states Mathew Varghese MD FACAAI “a good filter will reduce allergen levels circulating throughout your home.”
These tiny particles can irritate respiratory tracts, leading to allergies or other health concerns. A HEPA air filter can remove these harmful particles from indoor air quality while helping keep them from being recirculated throughout your home.
However, you may need to take additional measures in order to reduce allergen levels in your home. Closing windows and doors can prevent outdoor allergens from entering, while decreasing humidity reduces dust mite and mold growth according to Live Science. Scrubbing surfaces regularly is another effective way of eliminating allergens as well as their associated odors from your space.
Cleaning
Millions of people suffer year-round indoor allergies caused by dust mites, mold spores, animal dander (both from pets and rodents) and cockroach droppings. The good news is that with regular cleaning efforts many of these allergens can be eliminated completely.
Along with regular vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting, it’s also essential to regularly and thoroughly clean underneath furniture and in nooks and crannies. Also make sure that counters and shelves are regularly wiped down, wiping down extra storage items regularly that collect dust as these could provide cover for dust mites or cockroaches to hide in.
Mold prevention requires ongoing vigilance in humid areas of your home. Be sure to use a dehumidifier in the basement, inspect ceilings for leaks that might lead to mold growth, remove wet bath mats and shower stall liners from bathrooms that provide breeding grounds for mold growth, replace wall-to-wall carpeting with tile or wood flooring and protect mattresses and pillows with mite-proof covers.
Be mindful that if your allergies persist despite taking daily allergy medication, it may be worthwhile visiting an allergist for a skin test. Your physician will prick your skin with various allergen extracts and observe whether this causes either an adverse or positive response in you.
Medications
Many people suffer from indoor allergies caused by house dust mites, mould, and pet dander, making life very uncomfortable for many people. While allergens such as house dust mites, mould, and pet dander are hard to avoid, air filters, reduced cleaning regimens and allergy medication may help. Antihistamines (Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec), nasal sprays with pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed); for severe cases; specialist may prescribe stronger medications or steroids as necessary.
To effectively treat allergies, the key lies in identifying and avoiding allergen triggers; however, this is often impossible. Allergies occur due to your immune system overreacting to harmless substances known as allergens; this triggers release of immunoglobulin E from body cells to cause inflammation; leading to symptoms like sneezing, runny noses, itchy throats, ears or eyes resulting from this.
Allergies can be seasonal or year-round depending on the allergen that has caused it, like grass pollens in spring and summer or tree pollens in fall. Year-round allergies typically result from indoor allergens like pet dander, dust mites or mold spores. Immunotherapy – also known as allergy shots – may desensitize people against these substances to reduce symptoms that cause reactions.
Allergy Shots
Allergy shots target allergens that irritate your symptoms, such as pet dander or mold spores. Allergy shots have proven highly effective for many individuals and offer long-term relief – especially useful for people suffering from year-round allergies that don’t respond to medications.
Allergen immunotherapy is a tailored solution, so the exact schedule depends on your situation. Patients typically go through two phases in allergy immunotherapy; first is the build-up phase where shots are administered regularly – usually once or twice each week – until your body adapts to allergens; once this has taken place, maintenance phase begins and shots will only need to be administered once or twice every month.
Immunotherapy treatments typically last three to five years. By year three, most people become immune to allergens found in shots and experience significantly fewer and milder allergy symptoms.
Reactions to allergy shots are uncommon but may occur. Local reactions, like swelling or itching near the injection site, are the most frequent side effects. Systemic reactions are less frequent but more serious; symptoms could include sneezing, nasal congestion or hives. Anaphylaxis can occur suddenly and result in low blood pressure, difficulty breathing or even life-threatening shock.
If you decide to undergo immunotherapy, make sure you heed your physician’s advice exactly. Failure to attend scheduled appointments could derail the course and allow allergens back into your system, so keep a diary of any symptoms or allergens present to help your doctor create the optimal shot plan. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers may need their allergy shots monitored more closely for safety during gestation or lactation;
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