Avoid Your Triggers

Learning what triggers your allergies is an important first step, but in order to help keep your symptoms under control it's good to know where those triggers may be found and what you can do to avoid them.

Triggers in Your Home

The most common trigger of year-round allergy symptoms in the home are the tiny droppings of small microscopic creatures called dust mites. If you have symptoms that include a stuffy or runny nose with sneezing (particularly in the morning), there may be a dust mite problem in your house.

Dust mites thrive on a steady diet of common house dust, which consists of microscopic particles of dead skin. Keeping your home as dust-free as possible may help you reduce the dust mite population. Here are some other tips that may help:

• Keep humidity below 50%. Dust mites love high humidity, so use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to control humidity in your home
• Get rid of carpeting. If you can, remove all wall-to-wall carpeting and replace it with hardwood, tile, or linoleum. Throw rugs are okay to keep around the house, but only if they are regularly dry-cleaned or washed in hot water
• Keep your bedding clean. Many people spend more time in their bedroom than anywhere else in their home. So make sure to take extra precaution by putting mattresses, box springs, and pillows in airtight, zippered plastic or special allergen-proof fabric covers. You should also make sure to wash (use the highest temperature setting possible) and machine dry all bedding each week. Comforters and pillows that contain down feathers or cotton should be replaced with synthetics-filled bedding (or at least protected with allergy-proof covering)
• Vacuum your home weekly. If possible, use a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter, which may help to more efficiently reduce the dust mites that collect in areas such as carpets, drapes, or under beds. If a HEPA filter is not available, try using a double bag in your vacuum

You may be surprised to learn that you're not really allergic to the fur of your family dog or cat. In fact, your symptoms are probably caused by proteins found in the animal's dander (dead skin flakes). Carried in the air on very small, invisible particles, these proteins may land in your eyes or nose, or be inhaled into your lungs. Once they come in contact with your body, these proteins may cause symptoms that include:

• Sneezing
• Itchy, runny nose
• Congestion

Removing a pet from your home has been shown to be the most effective way to prevent symptoms. However, if this isn't possible, there are other ways to limit exposure to the animal that is causing your allergies. Here are some suggestions you might want to try:

• Keep the pet out of the bedroom or any other room in which you spend a great deal of time
• Have a nonallergic person brush your pet outside; this may help remove loose hair and allergens
• Cover mattresses and cushions with zippered, plastic casings to prevent the release of allergens

Vacuuming is not an effective way to decrease animal allergens, because it does not clean the lower levels of carpets and rugs. In fact, by stirring up small allergen particles in your home it may cause more harm than good. A hardwood, tile, or linoleum floor may be your best bet if there's an animal in the house.

Both pollens and molds are often present in the air we breathe, and both may wreak havoc on those who suffer with allergies.

Pollens are the male reproductive cells of flowering plants necessary for plant fertilization and most commonly flourish during spring and fall. Molds are microscopic fungi that often live throughout the year. The allergy-causing potential of molds seems to be affected by wind, rain, and temperature.

The National Allergy Bureau^™ (NAB)^™ provides a pollen and mold count as a service to those across the country who suffer with allergy symptoms.

If pollens or molds trigger your allergy symptoms, it may be helpful to limit your exposure to these triggers when readings are high.

Here are some other suggestions that may help you to control allergy symptoms triggered by pollens or molds:

• Always take your medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor
• Pollens are usually released between 5AM and 10AM, so you may want to reduce your early morning outdoor activities
• Keep your windows closed at night – this will prevent pollens or molds from finding their way into your home. Also, turning on the air conditioner will clean, cool, and circulate dry air
• Stay inside on windy days when dust and pollen are being blown around or when the pollen count or humidity level is high
• Wash all clothing and bedding in hot water and machine dry (pollens and molds may collect in washables when they are hung out to dry)
• During the height of pollen season, consider taking your vacation near the beach or sea
• Mowing stirs up pollens and molds, so avoid being around a freshly-cut lawn or grass
• Raking leaves also stirs up mold, so have a nonallergic person handle this chore
• Keep car windows closed when traveling (if it gets hot, use the air conditioner)
• Wet soil from indoor plants promotes mold growth, so don't over-water plants or keep too many plants in the house

Will My Symptoms Improve If I Move to Another Part of the Country?

Unfortunately, if you suffer from allergies, you'll probably have symptoms no matter where you live. Although people do sometimes try to minimize their allergic symptoms by moving to a different geographic area, most find that they eventually develop allergies to substances in the new area, too. Before you start packing your bags, talk to your doctor about whether relocating will help you to control your allergic symptoms.

Discovering the Cause of Symptoms

Allergy triggers may exist almost anywhere. If allergies seem to be flaring up, it may help to consult your doctor to find out what is causing your symptoms. Once you determine what triggers your allergies, you may be able to avoid your triggers and keep allergy symptoms from interfering with the things you want to do.