Allergies can lead to a variety of symptoms including runny noses, itchy watery eyes and postnasal drip which leads to throat irritation. Allergy medication and immunotherapy (allergy shots) may help manage symptoms effectively.
Allergens such as dust mites, mold spores, cockroaches and pet dander can be found year-round, making a clean home and using minimal household cleaning products an effective way to combat indoor allergens and reduce indoor allergy triggers.
Pet Allergies
Pets exude allergens such as proteins in their dander, saliva and urine that can cling to walls, fabric furniture and clothing if you touch, brush or shake your pet. These proteins trigger our immune systems to produce IgE antibodies which attach themselves to allergens and release histamine causing symptoms such as nasal congestion, watery eyes and sneezing in people allergic to pets.
Pet dander and fur proteins often cause allergic reactions in people, though other sources like mites living on bird feathers or dust particles from horses could also play a part. People of any age can be allergic to multiple types of animal, making an allergy diagnosis possible.
Allergy tests can be an invaluable way to diagnose pet allergies. An allergy test involves injecting tiny drops of potential allergens under your skin and monitoring for reactions; in a skin prick test, an allergist will place these droplets onto the surface of your skin and use a lancet to scratch just enough so your skin itches; within 15 minutes this should show what allergens are responsible. Additional blood work may be necessary to determine your IgE antibody levels.
Mold Allergies
Mold is an airborne fungus that can provoke an allergic response in some individuals, similar to pollen and dust particles. Mold spores may enter your nose triggering rhinitis symptoms or reach your lungs causing asthma attacks. Mold allergy symptoms often mimic cold or sinus infections and worsen in damp or humid environments.
Mold allergies are an extremely prevalent problem and affect many different individuals. Common symptoms of mold allergies are runny noses, watery eyes and sneezing; while those allergic to certain molds such as Alternaria Aspergillus Cladosporium or Penicillium may experience more serious reactions such as itchy throat/mouth and nasal congestion/blockage; in extreme cases this could even result in fatal lung infections like Aspergillosis.
Mold allergy should ideally be avoided; however, when this isn’t feasible antihistamines and decongestants may help ease allergy symptoms. Individuals suffering from asthmatic episodes caused by mold can use quick-relief albuterol inhalers to manage their symptoms more effectively.
Doctors can diagnose mold allergies through skin and blood tests that detect immunoglobulin E antibodies specific for mold spores, in combination with reviewing medical history, family history of allergies or asthma and home/work environments that might contain allergens as well as activities which expose patients.
Dust Mite Allergies
Dust mites are tiny creatures that thrive in warm, humid climates. They live in bedding, carpeting, stuffed furniture, old clothing and toys and can often be found living there as well. Dust mites are among the leading triggers of allergies and asthma symptoms when inhaled through inhalers or when their droppings come in contact with sensitive individuals’ skin; their droppings cause allergic symptoms such as itchy eyes and runny nose as well as contributing to poor indoor air quality by producing allergens that increase susceptibility to disease-causing biological agents such as mold and bacteria in home environments.
Dust mite allergies tend to affect those with other health conditions, such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema, or who have a family history of “atopy,” the genetic predisposition to develop allergies. They’re more likely to affect children than adults, and can increase the risk of asthma if first identified early in life.
People suspected of dust mite allergies can undergo a simple blood test. Healthcare providers use thin needles to withdraw a small sample from a vein in your arm, then send it off for testing at a laboratory, which measures levels of IgE antibodies to dust mite proteins present in your blood – higher levels may indicate you’re sensitive to allergens present.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality can be affected by many factors in a home environment. These may include combustion byproducts from burning solid fuels (such as wood or coal), tobacco products and gas appliances; cleaning products and household chemicals; volatile organic compounds from building materials, furnishings, personal care and paint products and pesticides as well as natural pollutants like radon, mold and pet dander – some of which remain on carpets and furniture even months later – along with pollutants of natural origin like radon, mold and pet dander. Certain populations such as children, older adults and people living with preexisting health conditions are at greater risk from being exposed to certain airborne pollutants than others.
Indoor air quality can also be affected by outdoor climate and weather conditions, as well as building construction, heating, ventilation systems and spatial layout. Certain climatic conditions can promote the growth of biological contaminants like bacteria, fungi and yeasts which are known to compromise indoor air quality.
Occupants of commercial buildings have reported health issues attributed to specific characteristics and pollutants within their building; these have come to be known as “sick building syndrome.” Some examples include respiratory illness such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and Legionnaires disease; fatigue, weakness, headache and muscle pain as well as eye irritation – many seemingly caused by pollutants found within buildings such as environmental tobacco smoke, asbestos from fireproof building materials or formaldehyde from wood products such as pressboard products.
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