Mold | Hay Fever | Animal Dander | Dust Mites

Scientific studies suggest fifty million people suffer from assorted allergies.

What is an Allergy? Allergies are a response by the immune system to a particular food, inhalant, or chemical. Often the terms "allergy" and "sensitivity" are used interchangeably. A "sensitivity" tends to be more general, and may include a true allergic reaction, but may also include reactions that do not produce an immune response. These types of non-allergic responses are really intolerances to a particular substance, food or toxin. Detecting allergies and other sensitivities involves eliminating or reducing exposure to the sources and can be a time-consuming and challenging task. Supporting the immune system is a healthy alternative to reducing the possibility of allergies and sensitivities.

What are some of the symptoms of Allergies?
Common symptoms may include:

• itchy, watery eyes

• sneezing

• headache

• fatigue

• postnasal drip

• runny, stuffy, or itchy nose

• sore throat

• dark circles under the eyes

• an itchy feeling in the mouth or throat

• abdominal pain and nausea

• diarrhea

• the appearance of an itchy, red skin rash.

Types of Allergies:

Hay fever is a common seasonal allergy during this time of year when trees are pollinating. The pollen grains released by plants become airborne and settle in your nose, causing itchy, watery eyes, and runny noses. In allergy-prone people, a well-meaning immune system produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight pollen invaders. These antibodies stimulate an inflammatory response which causes histamine to be produced and released into the bloodstream which causing the symptoms of itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, etc in response to the allergen, which the body considers an invader. Read more on Hay Fever here.

Dust Mite Allergies:

Lots of people are allergic to the droppings of the house dust mite, a microscopic insect that lives wherever dust collects, such as on upholstery, pillows, stuffed animals and carpeting. To decrease contact with dust mite droppings, you'll have to make some modifications in your furnishings and probably change the way you clean the house.

Vinyl-wrap the bedding. Encase your mattress, box spring and pillow with vinyl-backed covers available at many discount and department stores. Allergy supply companies make fancy ones that you can order, but the inexpensive vinyl covers should work fine.

Tape the zippers. Finish the vinyl treatment by putting tape over the zippers of all the vinyl covers. That way, the dust mites within the bed and pillow can't get out. Either duct tape or wide, heavy-duty plastic sealing tape will do the job.

Get rid of feathers and down. Feather and down pillows and quilts are a haven for dust mites. Instead, switch to cotton blankets and foam or polyester pillows that are washable.

Use hot water. Wash all of your bedding frequently in very hot water. The hot water kills the mites and gets rid of the droppings. Use the hot water wash and rinse, and make sure you do all the bedding, mattress cover and blankets as well as sheets. It's best to launder bedding every one to two weeks.

Beware of floor coverings. Carpets and rugs are a favorite mite hideout. Take the carpet out of your house or at least out of your bedroom. Instead, use a cotton scatter rug, which can be washed regularly in hot water.

It may not be practical to strip the carpets from your entire house, but you can keep them allergen-free. Treat your rugs and carpets with Allergy Control Solution, a 3 percent tannic acid solution. It's often used along with Acarosan, a product that actually reduces the mite population in carpets. Both these products must be applied every three months to be effective, following instructions on the package. Both products are available by mail from Allergy Control Products, 96 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877.

Change vacuum cleaner bags. While it's important to vacuum frequently, you first need to make an important change. 'Replace your usual disposable vacuum bag with one that's made of special paper that actually traps allergenic mite particles. When you use a conventional vacuum bag, you're actually picking up the allergenic particles and blowing them into the air, making the situation worse. The allergen-trapping bags--one brand is Hysurf--can be found in a few stores where vacuum cleaners are sold or from National Allergy Supply, 4400 Georgia Highway, 120, P.O. Box 1658, Duluth, Georgia 30136.

Ditch the drapes. Drapes and blinds are big dust collectors. It's okay to replace them with washable curtains, but it's even better if you just install a pull-down shade that can be wiped off.

Rid stuffed animals of mites. Because dust mites can abound in the fur of stuffed animals, it's best to move them out of your child's bedroom. But if your child is attached to one special toy, you can de-mite it with a cold treatment. Dust mites can't live in extremes of temperature, put it inside a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer overnight.

Pay attention to closets. Closets are rarely cleaned and aired, and they tend to be dust mines. Every closet should be vacuumed every time the rest of the room is vacuumed. Keep all closet doors closed all the time.

Dry up. Mites love humidity. If you can keep the humidity below 50 percent, you can go a long way to reduce mite problems. Invest in a room dehumidifier for the rooms your frequent most, especially your bedroom is it is damp.

Mold Allergies:

Buy a humidity gauge. Mold also flourishes anywhere there's high humidity. To stop mold allergens, measure the humidity in your home and use a dehumidifier.

Ventilate. Get some fresh air circulating in the house, especially in the bathrooms and kitchen where mold tends to grow. Use window fans or ceiling fans help to circulate air. (This is not recommended if you have hay fever)

Mold spores are known to inhabit books. If you are allergic to molds, it's best to keep books in a glass-door bookcase. Dust the books frequently.

Use mold-killing cleaners. Choose cleaners such as Lysol that inhibit mold growth. Also, you can make a mold-fighting mixture by adding a few capfuls of commercial bleach to a bucket of water. Just scrub damp areas and other surfaces with the bleach mixture to discourage mold. ( Use rubber gloves to protect your hands.) Never mix bleach with any other cleaning product.

For Pet Allergies:

Move pets out. You can be allergic to dander, the dead skin from your pets. Cats, in particular, cause some of the worst problems because they lick themselves often and when the saliva dries, the allergens from the saliva become airborne.

Ban pets from bedrooms. If moving a pet outside isn't practical and your family can't bear to give up the animal, put some limits on its territory. It's most important to keep the pet out of the bedroom. Getting a good nights sleep is most important to your health. Never sleep with your pets.

Pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils should be removed from the bedroom, too, because their droppings can get mold or fungi growing in them, which some people are also allergic to. Even birds can pose a problem for allergic reactions because the flapping of their wings releases a fine powder of bird allergen into the air.

Keep Fluffy out of the basement. Don't relocate your cat to the basement if you have forced air heat. In a home that has forced air heat, the cat allergen, which is very light, would go right up through the heating system and be blown around the whole house.

Smoke:

If you smoke, you should try to stop. Everyone is allergic to smoke. It is not a natural substance for us to inhale. If you don't want to stop smoking try cutting back. Read this article: Cut your smoking in half or more, Instantly! If you are going to smoke, try to make it an outside activity. If you have other household members who smoke, ask them to do it outside as well. Also consider a smokeless ashtray and a good air filter system. NEVER smoke around babies or children!