Allergic reactions caused by dust mites, mold spores, cockroaches and pets are among the leading causes of allergy symptoms in Americans today. Such allergens can trigger symptoms including rhinitis, nasal congestion and breathing difficulty as well as increase asthma risks.
Allergists specialize in diagnosing allergies and prescribing medications to alleviate symptoms, while they may also offer advice regarding immunotherapy – an extended treatment that helps build tolerance of allergens.
Dust
Millions of people suffer year-round from allergy symptoms caused by indoor allergens like dust mite droppings, animal dander and cockroach droppings. Allergens cause your immune system to release chemicals that irritate the nose, throat, eyes and ears and this leads to symptoms like sneezing, runny noses and itchy patches around their nose, throat, eyes or ears – producing symptoms such as sneezing, runny noses, itchiness in these regions causing symptoms such as sneezing runsny noses as well as itchiness within these regions.
Dust mites are tiny creatures that thrive in warm, humid environments and are one of the leading sources of allergy and asthma symptoms. They attach themselves to bedding, mattresses and furniture and feed off dead skin cells before shedding their bodies and emitting allergenic particles that become embedded in household fabrics and dust where they can easily be inhaled by humans.
Household dust may contain pollen, mold spores, fur and hair from pet animals and skin flakes from dogs or cats. Mold and mildew spores tend to collect in damp environments like bathrooms, kitchens and basements.
The severity of allergy symptoms depends on several factors, including your exposure time in specific environments and how sensitive you are to allergens. Consulting a qualified allergist/immunologist is key in identifying triggers and providing advice on ways to control or avoid allergy/asthma symptoms such as skin tests which involve placing potential allergens onto your skin and monitoring its reaction in real time.
Insects
Fleas, cockroaches and dust mites can trigger allergic reactions in some people. When exposed to their allergens, our immune systems produce antibodies against them which cause symptoms like itchy skin patches, runny nose and sneezing.
Perennial allergy symptoms differ from seasonal ones such as those caused by tree, grass and ragweed pollen that contributes to hay fever in spring, summer, and fall. Seasonal allergies often manifest themselves with runny nose, itchy eyes, post-nasal drainage that only persists while outdoor allergens exist.
Indoor allergies are typically caused by substances such as pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and cockroach parts and body fragments – they tend to be more persistent than outdoor allergens and can even trigger asthma symptoms.
IOM committee sought to meet the growing need for more and better information about indoor allergens’ impact on human health by convening an expert multidisciplinary panel, comprising allergy/immunology/epidemiology experts from allergy/immunology/epidemiology/industrial hygiene/mycology/pulmonology, general/family medicine, anthropology and public policy fields. Their report provided greater clarity into this complex subject area.
Chapter 2 provides an overview of what is known about indoor allergy problems nationally, affected populations and causative agents; testing methods are reviewed here as well. Chapter 3 discusses characteristics of indoor allergens; Chapter 4 reviews mechanisms related to immune function response to them; while Chapter 6 assesses exposure and risk.
Pets
Allergies can strike at any time and from any source, but if runny nose, itchy eyes, and postnasal drip is something that plagues you on an ongoing basis, it could be due to indoor allergens like pet dander, dust mites and mold spores.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies (hay fever), symptoms should generally manifest themselves during spring, summer and fall when pollen from trees, grass and ragweed becomes airborne. But if your runny nose and itchy eyes persist throughout the year despite this trigger being removed – such as dust mites, cockroach parts or mold spores – nonseasonal allergies could also be to blame (also called perennial allergic rhinitis).
Pet allergy symptoms can be caused by saliva, dander (dead skin flakes) and urine produced by fur-bearing animals such as cats, dogs and reptiles; contrary to popular belief, there are no “hypoallergenic” breeds of cat or dog available today.
Vacuuming carpets and furniture regularly, washing bedding, pillows and stuffed toys in hot water weekly as well as using anti-allergen mattress protectors can help eliminate pet dander from carpets, furniture and mattresses. Furthermore, visiting people with cats that you have an allergic reaction too could reduce allergy symptoms as can washing and grooming of pets can help reduce allergy symptoms as well.
Other Causes
Pollen, mold and pet dander that cause outdoor allergy symptoms can also be found inside of our homes, leading to runny noses, itchy eyes and sneezing that interferes with everyday activities. Sometimes even more serious reactions arise such as sinusitis affecting one or both sinus linings resulting in inflammation affecting everyday tasks – such as an impaired sense of smell.
If year-round runny nose, itchy eye, watery eyes and constant postnasal drip are symptoms that plague you, it may be nonseasonal hay fever or perennial allergic rhinitis affecting you. While its symptoms resemble those caused by seasonal allergies, they usually last longer and may be caused by various indoor allergens like dust mites, cockroach parts, pet dander and mold spores.
Dust mites are microscopic insects that thrive in warm, humid environments and feed off dead skin cells to cause allergy symptoms in many people. Dust mites can be found in bedding, carpets and upholstered furniture and many people also experience cat dander allergy due to its proteins found in fur, saliva and urine – another allergen often linked with asthma. Immunotherapy (exposure of small amounts over an extended period) may help desensitize someone to allergens but this approach may be expensive and require significant commitment – which allergists often recommend.
Comments are closed