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Topic of the Month: February 2004: Fighting Indoor Allergies
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In this month's topic you will:
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 As the winter weather gets colder, people tend to spend more time indoors
cuddling up with a warm blanket or reading a good book near the fireplace. But
for some, staying indoors may provoke allergy symptoms of sneezing, coughing,
itching and wheezing. There are over 40 million people throughout the country
who suffer from indoor allergies 365 days a year. The body reacts to inhaled
airborne particles called allergens. These indoor allergens usually include
particles from dust mites, cockroach droppings, as well as indoor mold spores
and animal dander, which is the dead skin and dried saliva from pets. Perennial,
or year-round, allergy sufferers deal with stuffy or runny noses, itchy, watery
eyes, sneezing, and wheezing all year long.
Indoor allergy sufferers will often wheeze, sneeze, cough and hack their way
through the winter months, thinking they have a chronic cold. In actuality, they
probably don't. Some symptoms between a cold and allergies are similar: sneezing
and a stuffy or runny nose. But, if your symptoms are also accompanied with a
fever, sore throat, colored nasal discharge, and aches and pains, then you
probably have a cold. With allergies, there is never a fever, the nasal
discharge is clear, and eyes may become red and itchy. Furthermore, while a cold
usually lasts about a week, allergies can last all year.
Some other major differences between the two:
Colds:
- Result from a virus infection
- Symptoms may also include a fever and aches and pains
- Usually takes a few days to hit full force
- Symptoms should clear up within several days to a week
Allergies:
- Symptoms begin almost immediately after exposure to an allergen
- Symptoms last as long as they are exposed to the allergen
- If the allergen is present year-round, symptoms may be chronic
Poll Question: Do you know the difference between a cold and an indoor allergy?
View Results
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Treatment
The best thing you can do is to reduce or eliminate your exposure to
the indoor allergens in your home. There are differenct measures to
take that may reduce exposure to dust mites, indoor mold, cockroach
allergens and pets. First you must know which allergens or irritants
in your home provoke your symptoms. Evaluation by an allergist/immunologist
can help answer this question and start you on the road to allergy-proofing
your home.
Please visit an allergist/immunologist for more information on allergic
disease and your individual medical condition. If you need to locate an
allergist/immunologist in your area, visit the Academy’s online
Physician Referral Directory.
Take the following steps to reduce allergens in your home:
| Allergy Avoidance
Tips |
Dust Mites
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 Change and clean cooling and heating system filters once a month.
- Have your home, car and office vacuumed and dusted frequently.
- Wash blankets and bedspreads weekly and sheets and pillowcases more often.
Be sure that the water is above 130 degrees F.
- Try to regularly wash curtains.
Indoor Mold
- Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces dry, fix leaky plumbing, and seal
cracks where water can seep in to avoid mold buildup.
- Reduce humidity in damp areas by using a dehumidifier. Clean dehumidifiers
once a week.
Cockroach Allergens
- Remove all food sources and household food wastes. Food should be stored
in sealed containers
- Consider a professional exterminator
- Thoroughly and frequently clean to remove dust and cockroach byproducts
 Pets
- If you have a cat or dog, it might help reduce household allergens by washing your pet
once a week.
- Do not sleep with your pet. Sleeping with your pet, long or short-haired, greatly increases the amount
of contact with unwanted allergens.
- Make the bedroom a pet-free zone.
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 Filtering Out
Smoke
Not all allergy symptoms are triggered by allergens, such as dust, pollen or
animal dander. If you have asthma, irritants in the air, like cigarette smoke,
may trigger an asthma attack. People with asthma often have chronically inflamed
lower airways. This means the airways are very sensitive and can be triggered by
many things. When a person inhales tobacco smoke, irritating substances settle
in the lining of the airways and can aggravate this inflammation and bring on an
asthma attack.
 The
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) have come together to increase awareness about the
dangers of secondhand smoke through the Smoke Free Home Campaign. This program
offers you the chance to
take a pledge to keep cigarette smoke out of your home, allowing you to take
the first step toward a smoke-free life and keep harmful secondhand smoke away
from your children.
It is important to learn what causes your indoor allergies; so you can take
steps to make them easier to live with. An allergist/immunologist will take a
thorough history and conduct tests to determine what is triggering your symptoms
and work with you to develop a management plan, which may include medication and
certain environmental controls.
Additional Resources
Tips to Remember: Indoor Allergens
Search Allergic Conditions: Indoor Allergens
Childhood Asthma
Allergy & Asthma Advocate: Pollution and Asthma
Press
Release: Fighting Allergies from the Inside
This topic was reviewed on 2-01-04 for medical accuracy by
Stuart A. Friedman, MD, FAAAAI, Patients and Consumers Center Editor.
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