Inner Sanctuary:

We are now going to talk about our sanctuary away from all our outdoor allergies - our cozy indoor environment we call our home. While inside we don't have to worry about the outdoor pollens, molds, piles of grass we forgot to dispose of after we last mowed and all the other nasty outdoor allergens that make us want to sneeze till our heads depressurize and explode. Whew, safe at last - right? You still don't believe in the Easter Bunny - do you? If you do, please sit down - you need a taste of reality. First of all......unfortunately, there is no Easter Bunny and if there was....he's living in an indoor environment that is usually much worse for allergies and asthma than anywhere outside. Get ready for another shock. These indoor allergies are not the 'we can hardly wait till the first freeze when pollens disappear' type (i.e., seasonal rhinitis). They are the dreaded year-round perennial or occupational rhinitis allergy types. This type generally comprises allergies to dust mite, pet dander, mold, cockroach droppings, house items, cleaning items, house dust,  and maybe cosmetics. They're the kind that the moment you get home and open your door and say "Honey, I'm home" - your home's allergen air pollution can attack you at the door. However, this could equally apply to your inside work environment.

Allergy Land Mines:

Our home - with its carpeting, fabric covered furniture and pillows, tightly sealed windows, dirty air filters, and warm damp spaces - is like a field strewn with allergy land mines. Research shows that indoor air pollution can be up to 10 times greater than outdoor pollution and its' effects are much more intense, since we generally spend more than 90 percent of our time indoors. But, there are preventative things we can do. Don't give up, there are a lot of measures you can take to allergy proof your house.  You can get some very informative allergy checklists in the Investigation Forms area - to help you know how to identify your allergies and then - how to get rid of the allergens causing them (Allergy Trigger checklists and  Home/Office allergy checklists). 
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House Dust:

House dust is present even in clean homes.  Allergenic components of house dust are a major cause of year-round runny or stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing for allergy sufferers.  Dust allergy can also make people with asthma experience wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.  Unfortunately, house dust is a mixture of many substances.  Its' content varies from home to home, depending on the type of furniture, building materials, presence of furry pets, moisture, and other factors.  A speck of dust may contain fabric fibers, human skin particles, animal dander, microscopic creatures called house dust mites, parts of cockroaches, mold spores, bacteria, food particles and even other debris.  WHEW!  That's a lot of  'garbage' to inhale - even for a non-allergic person.  'Kinda' makes you 'wanna' wear a filtration mask in your own house?  Of all these 'components' - animal dander, house dust mites, and cockroaches are the most common culprits.  A person may be allergic to one or more of these substances, and if exposed to the dust, will have an allergic reaction. The following are some ideas to get rid of house dust.  For a very complete list - use the whole house Room to Room checklist in the Home / Office allergy checklists.

* Wash sheets weekly and use very hot water - to kill dust mites.

* Vacuum with a HEPA filter equipped vacuum that traps allergens instead of blowing them back into your room (vacuum mattresses, rugs, curtains, furniture, etc.).

* Dust all hard surfaces with damp cloths that don't stir up mite allergens.

* If you have pet allergies, never allow pets in your bedroom.

* Use dust mite barrier covers (encasings) on mattresses and pillows in all bedrooms.

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Cockroaches:

Talk about a real war you might need to wage in your home.  You could have some creatures in your house that have been around since the dinosaurs.  That doesn't mean the particular creatures in your house are a few million years old - just their ancestors. These little 'critters' have survived various ice ages, meteor hits, and every conceivable chemical poison we could throw at them.  They're the dreaded cockroaches.  Their droppings are one of the top two causes of perennial allergies, plus carrying mites and diseases, such as dysentery, hepatitis, salmonella and typhus.  So, this is a war you need to win against these disgusting creatures - for breathing more easily.

Like dust, cockroaches aren't necessarily an indication of bad housekeeping.  Millions of New York City and other big city residents have them because the underground networks that bring utilities into their buildings are all connected and they're full of these nasty little bugs.   You might think...Okay..I'll just keep a spotlessly clean house and they won't have anything to eat and they'll just leave.  That's a good start but unfortunately cockroaches eat anything.  That 'anything' includes vegetables, meat, starch, grease, paper, soap, book bindings, ink, cardboard, dirty clothes and the most disgusting item - their own feces.  They might also have one thing in common with your loving husband or 'significant other' - they especially like beer - but not with the weekly football game that often accompanies the beer.  They can also go about three months without food and one month without water.  Don't be discouraged though.  Here are some general ideas to control them if you don't call an exterminator:

* Get rid of their favorite foods by putting all open foods in your cupboards into the refrigerator, freezer or in tightly sealed containers. Thoroughly clean any cabinets that are damp and dark - they love those places.

* Give them a 'beer party' - their last!  Really!  Soak a cloth in stale beer and place it on the kitchen  floor at night.  The roaches will drink the beer and get so drunk they'll pass out - in the middle of the floor.  Next morning, give them a good stomping and sweep them away. 

* A shot of hairspray will immobilize them so you can dispose of them.

*  Put together a natural poisoned concoction bait for them.  Mix thoroughly some flour, cocoa, oatmeal, boric acid and plaster-of-Paris - and leave out for them.  Be sure pets don't get into this. 

*  Give them an 'offer they can't refuse'.  Put about an inch of Gatorade or other syrupy food in a quart jar.  Then put masking tape on the outside of the jar so they can climb up it.  In the morning put the cap back on the cockroach filled jar and throw it away. 

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Dust Mites:

Dust mite allergy is an allergy to a microscopic organism that lives in the dust found in all dwellings and workplaces. These are pretty small 'creatures' but not a pleasant thought to have hundreds of these disgusting 'things' right next to your face every night when you sleep.  Right?  House dust, as well as some house furnishings, contain microscopic mites. Dust mites are perhaps the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis. House dust mite allergy usually produces symptoms similar to pollen allergy and can produce symptoms of asthma as well. House dust mites, which live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets thrive in summer and die in winter. In a warm, humid house, however, they continue to thrive even in the coldest months. The particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight include dead dust mites and their waste products. These waste products, which are proteins, are actually the substances that provoke the allergic reaction. Which is worse - having these small ugly things crawling on us or the 'poop' they leave behind?

Recent studies in the United States suggest that at least 45 percent of young people with asthma are allergic to dust mites.  Dust mite particles are just the right size to be inhaled.  Usually between 100 to 500 mites live in each gram of dust.  A gram is about the weight of a paper clip.  Egg laying females can add 25 to 30 new mites to the population during their lifetime.  Mites eat particles of skin and dander, so they thrive in places where there are people.  Dust mites don't bite and cannot spread diseases.  They are harmful only to people who become allergic to them.  While usual household insecticides have no effect on dust mites, there are ways that allergic people can reduce exposure to dust mites in the home.  A dust mite allergic patient who sleeps for eight hours every night spends one third of his life with his nose in direct contact with a pillow loaded with dust mite particles.  YUK!!!!! 

The following steps would help control allergies from dust mites.  For a very thorough list - use the Room to Room checklist in the Home/Office allergy checklists grouping.

* Encase your pillows, mattresses and box springs in allergen-proof encasings.

* Wash your sheets at least once a week and use very hot water, not warm or cold. A laundromat might have to do this if you aren't able to get your washing machine's water that hot.

* Wash your blankets regularly (this may preclude the use of wool blankets).

* Remove rugs, curtains, bed skirts, and stuffed animals from the bedroom, unless they can be regularly washed.

* Consider keeping a bedspread on the bed that can prevent dust from accumulating on blankets below. Carefully remove this bedspread from your bed (without shaking it) before you go to bed.

* Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity below 50 percent as a means of reducing dust mites and mold allergens.

* Someone who is not allergic should frequently vacuum upholstered furniture, curtains, mattresses and rugs to eliminate dust mites and animal dander. It would be helpful to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, if possible.

* Frequently clean hard surfaces, including frames around pictures, mirrors and windows. Dust with damp cloths since using a dry cloth just stirs up mite allergens.

* Clean your air conditioner's filters regularly.
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Mold:

There are thousands of types of molds and yeast in the fungus family. Yeasts are single cells that divide to form clusters. Molds are made of many cells that grow as branching threads called hyphae. With literally tens of thousands of different types, molds are among the most widespread living organisms. The seeds or reproductive pieces of fungi are called spores. Spores differ in size, shape, and color among types of mold. Each spore that germinates can give rise to new mold growth, which in turn can produce millions of spores. Molds can be found just about anywhere (nearly every room inside and outside) and unlike outside pollens - do not have any specific season. Anywhere with high humidity and warmth (basements, showers, dark closets, under your refrigerator, damp warm garages, etc) - can produce mold. When inhaled, tiny fungal spores, or sometimes pieces of fungi, may cause allergic rhinitis. Because they are so small, mold spores also can reach the lungs. Unfortunately, 30 percent of people with respiratory allergies seem to be particularly sensitive to molds, with children appearing the most sensitive. There's also a strong link between molds and asthma. In a small number of people, symptoms of mold allergy may be brought on or worsened by eating certain foods such as cheeses.  Remember, isn't cheese just moldy milk? The following steps can help control these nasty multi-colored fuzzy creatures:

* The best mold remover is simply 1 part bleach and 10 parts of water, or about 1 1/2 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water.

* Keep your house humidity below 50%. If you have a humidifier, keep it mold free by cleaning with a diluted bleach solution or white vinegar.

* Clean all visible molds from walls and ceilings. Add a mold-inhibitor to paint before applying.

* Mold is often present on the bark of wood. If using a fireplace or wood-burning stove, store any firewood outside.

* Avoid foam rubber pillows and mattresses as they are particularly likely to become moldy.

* Dry all shoes and boots before you put them away in the closet, since closets can already be damp and dark.

* Use the exhaust or open windows to remove any humidity after showering. Regularly clean the shower curtain, bathroom tiles, tub, shower stall, and toilet tank with a 'mold remover' (as previously described).
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Pets in the house:

As mentioned in our Outside Prevention section, pets can be a real problem both outside as well as inside our homes.  However, you probably won't find a more loving allergen source than your pets.  Obviously the best solution to this allergen source is to find a new home for your pet - whether it is a tiny guinea pig, loving cat or a German shepherd. But if you've become attached to your pet as most people do, this solution isn't always possible.  Some of this material is a repeat of the Pets part in the Outside Prevention section, because some of us have pets kept outside as well.  The same allergen precautions obviously apply to them. 

Don't blame the hair on your pet - for your pet allergy. You're really allergic to proteins secreted by the oil glands in the animal's skin, as well as proteins in their saliva, which sticks to the fur when the animal licks itself (especially cats). Still another source of allergy-causing proteins is the animal's urine. When the substance carrying the proteins dries, they're free to float into the air. These are some preventative measures you can consider:

*  Wash your hands every time you touch your pet. That way you can minimize carrying around your pet's dander and causing allergic reactions.  You can also get itchy red eyes if you accidentally rub your eyes after touching your pet.     

* Wash your pet regularly (although there's little evidence that bathing works for cats). Use a specially formulated pet shampoo that removes dander and saliva. Using 'people shampoo' tends to dry their skin, making the problem worse.

* Have someone else do your pet grooming. Pets should be brushed regularly, but not in the house and not by you. Have your non-allergic spouse or friend also clean the litter box.

* Keep your pets especially out of your bedroom.  This doesn't mean only at night, but all the time.  You could keep your bedroom door closed during the day to keep your loving allergen 'carriers' from wandering in and depositing their dander on your bed or floor. 

* Change your pet's diet if necessary. Talk to your vet or pet supply about the best diet for your pet, that will minimize hair loss, reducing dander indoors. 

*  Lastly, make sure your pets are housebroken.  When you are at work, you don't want Fido your dog or Rosey your cat to have accidents on your carpet.  This can cause mold and fungus to grow, in addition to the allergens in the urine.   

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Concluding:

The three basic treatments for dust type allergies are either:  Avoidance or limited exposure; Medications; and Allergy shots (immunotherapy).  Some of the avoidance procedures and cleaning are difficult and you may not be able to - or actually need to do all of them.  You need to know what you are allergic to (allergy triggers) and what actions will be the most helpful for your situation.  Work with your health provider so he or she can advise you what procedures would be the best fit for you.  As for dust mites, you spend about one-third of your life in your bedroom.  Special pillow and mattress encasings which zip-up, can seal dust mite particles inside your pillows and mattresses and keep them away from your face.  Thorough cleaning with HEPA vacuums and damp dusting to pick up dust with its combination of allergens - is another helpful action to prevent/avoid your allergens.  We can't forget to avoid pet allergens too, even as much as we love our 'fur-balls' - right?

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