Pet dander, dust mites, mold and other allergens can make life unbearable for many people of all ages. Their allergies often result in year-round symptoms that cause significant distress.
Many Americans have become immunologically sensitized to indoor allergens. This fact carries severe repercussions and should be given much thought; we will focus on these concerns throughout this chapter.
Pet Allergies
Pets are an integral part of life for many families and they frequently live inside. Unfortunately, this makes maintaining optimal air quality more challenging as pets shed hair, urinate and defecate into the air; when inhaled they trigger an overactive immune response leading to symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes/nose/throat irritation, wheezing etc.
Dogs and cats are among the most frequent triggers of allergic reactions; however, other animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets and small rodents also often cause problems for some individuals. Their hair, saliva, dead skin cells and fur can trap allergens like mold spores pollens that may also trigger symptoms in some individuals.
Contact with animals should be avoided at all costs for allergy sufferers; however, sometimes that’s impossible, particularly if their pet is part of the family. When this is the case, allergy treatment options such as antihistamines or over-the-counter allergy medicines may help as well as immunotherapy or allergy shots could provide effective solutions.
Skin tests can quickly determine a person’s sensitivity to animals and whether or not they have an allergy. Blood tests may also help detect antibodies to various pet allergens; additionally, reactivity tests allow an allergen to be introduced and its impact recorded.
Dust Mites
Dust mites are tiny creatures that resemble tiny bugs. While they don’t bite, dust mites can still cause itchy rashes similar to eczema and other allergic symptoms. Dust mites thrive in warm, humid places where they can reproduce easily; their favorite habitat is bedding, mattresses and upholstered furniture as well as pillows, blankets and stuffed animals.
People sensitive to dust mites may experience symptoms including runny nose, sneezing, itchy watery eyes and wheezing coughing. Their allergies may become particularly bothersome at night when sleeping in beds where dust mites have been breeding; dust mite allergens could even contribute to year-round allergy symptoms for asthmatic individuals.
Dust-mite allergens can be identified using a skin prick test, which exposes small amounts of dust mite proteins to your skin before watching for reactions in terms of red, raised spots known as wheals on your body. This procedure typically takes less than an hour.
To manage an allergy to dust mites effectively, keep your home as tidy and free of dust-collecting clutter as possible, wash sheets and blankets in hot water (at least 130F), vacuum regularly, use a dehumidifier/air conditioner as necessary and if symptoms still persist consult an allergist who may prescribe antihistamines or decongestants as medication solutions to ease your discomfort.
Mold
Molds are common fungi found indoors and outdoors alike, yet can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people when their airborne spores are inhaled. Like other allergens, mold spores release histamine when exposed to the immune system causing runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and itchy skin (dermatitis) symptoms to surface resulting in runny nose, sneezing, wheezing or chest tightness for asthma sufferers.
Mold exposure may result in opportunistic infections for individuals with compromised or suppressed immune systems, particularly black mold, which produces mycotoxins which attack and damage body cells, potentially leading to organ failure and even death.
symptoms from mold exposure and allergies may appear immediately or later; to diagnose them accurately, see your physician who will likely conduct a detailed medical history and physical exam; they will likely ask you to keep a log of allergy symptoms that occurred over the last month, such as where and what actions or foods caused the reactions.
Your doctor may order a blood test to measure immunoglobulin E antibodies, chemicals produced by your immune system that respond specifically to allergens such as mold. These blood tests can help identify most forms of allergies including mold.
Other Allergens
Many allergy symptoms are brought on by allergens found in outdoor air, but indoor allergens can also trigger reactions in people. Allergens include pollen from trees, grasses and flowers; domestic pet dander as well as wild rodent dander; dust mite droppings; cockroaches; and mold spores.
When people breathe an allergen, their immune systems react by producing antibodies which serve as tags recognizing it and turning on certain cells called mast cells – these mast cells then release chemicals causing allergy symptoms like histamine release and swelling of nasal passages.
Over time, repeated exposure to allergens can aggravate an allergic response and increase its severity. About 50 million Americans are immunologically sensitized to indoor allergens; many suffer from related health conditions like asthma as a result.
Allergens found in the environment have long been linked with various disorders, including rhinitis (hay fever), sinusitis and asthma. Their cost can be considerable; as a response to requests from medical community professionals, IOM convened a committee comprised of experts from allergology, epidemiology, chemistry, industrial hygiene mycology pediatric family medicine pulmonology engineering education etc to investigate evidence on adverse health effects from indoor allergens as well as propose strategies for their control. This report presents their findings and recommendations as presented by IOM committee.
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