Allergies to pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and other allergens found inside your home may produce similar symptoms to pollen allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, sneezing and congestion.
Medication and making changes to your routine may provide relief; keeping a log of symptoms can help identify triggers, such as when allergies flare up.
Indoor Allergens
Most Americans spend most of their time indoors, where they may come into contact with allergenic substances that trigger allergy symptoms, such as dust mites, cockroaches, mammals (including house pets), fungi and certain chemicals. Thanks to molecular biology and proteomics technologies, allergens have now been identified, cloned and expressed for use in diagnosis and immunotherapy treatments.
Indoor allergens such as dust mite droppings, pet dander and cockroach fecal pellets are a major source of discomfort in homes, triggering our immune systems into producing antibodies against them as foreign substances in order to fight off any invasion – leading to symptoms like sneezing and itchy eyes, nose or throat.
Outdoor pollen may be the primary allergen that causes symptoms, but many also experience year-round symptoms due to indoor allergens like mold, dust mites, cockroach fecal pellets and animal dander.
Fungi thrive in warm, humid environments and produce tiny spores that can be inhaled, leading to mild irritation or itchy eyes and possibly running nose. Reducing humidity by installing air cleaning with certified asthma and allergy friendly devices will help curb their proliferation in your home or office.
Symptoms
Indoor allergies can affect any aspect of life – nose, sinuses and nasal passageways, eyes, lungs throat or digestive system. They can range from mild to severe symptoms and even cause life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions. Allergens can also trigger skin allergies that produce itchy or stinging patches; reactions vary from person to person based on which allergen causes their reaction.
Common symptoms may include sneezing, runny nose or itchy, watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis). Other symptoms could be itching of the nose or throat or hives-like welts on your body. In addition, sinus pressure headaches or earache, and difficulties breathing could all occur as a result.
Some allergy symptoms, particularly those related to mold, can lead to sinusitis. Sinusitis occurs when the lining of the sinuses become inflamed and swell up, making breathing difficult.
To better identify which allergens are triggering your symptoms, set up an appointment with an allergist or immunologist and keep a log of when and where your symptoms occur. This will enable them to determine what you’re allergic to and suggest ways of decreasing exposure – for instance if you’re sensitive to dust mites and mold spores, opting for wood flooring over carpet could reduce exposure by 10% while “mite-proof” covers may help protect pillows, mattresses and box springs against mites by 10%.
Treatment
Animal dander, dust mites, mold spores and cockroach droppings can trigger allergic reactions that require treatment with prescription allergy medication such as antihistamines, decongestants and inhaled nasal steroids to alleviate symptoms and keep them at bay. Immunotherapy may also be effective by slowly exposing your immune system to small doses of allergens over time in order to desensitize and lessen allergic responses over time.
Fungus spores such as mildew and yeast can also trigger allergies in those sensitive to them. These spores, small fungi that thrive in damp environments like bathrooms, kitchens and basements, tend to peak from July through early fall – although they could potentially remain year round – with patients often inhaling these inhaled particles that cause allergies in a similar fashion as pollen spores.
Keep a record of yourself or someone you care for’s allergies in order to pinpoint their sources and timing of symptoms. This may help pinpoint which allergens cause their reactions as well as when their symptoms emerge – for example if your allergies flare after home remodeling or water damage damage has been done to your house, keeping a diary may help identify and resolve the cause.
Prevention
Pollen may be responsible for most allergic reactions during spring and summer months, but indoor allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, or mold spores may still trigger symptoms throughout the year. Luckily, there are ways you can help protect yourself against indoor allergy symptoms by making smart choices at home.
First step should be visiting your doctor to get tested for allergies. A diary can also help document changes to allergy symptoms; such as whether they worsened after you repainted your house, or after the flood in your basement flooded. Your physician can use this data to understand what’s triggering your symptoms and find effective solutions to treat them.
Maintaining a clean home can be one of the best ways to reduce indoor allergies. Be sure to regularly vacuum and dust, including under and behind furniture, using HEPA filter vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. Wash bedding weekly in hot water using allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers, run a dehumidifier to control moisture buildup, reduce mold growth, limit houseplants to reduce exposure, etc.
Antihistamines and decongestants may help ease your symptoms. If they persist, talk to your physician about sublingual allergy drops (allergy shots). These injections gradually desensitize you to allergens that trigger them, helping prevent future episodes.
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