These six allergy scoundrels are the frequent household allergens in charge of 25.7 million cases of allergic rhinitis and 8 million visits to the physician in the U.S. every year. Learn more about how to deal with the effects of the common household pollutants and how to maintain household allergens at bay in your dwelling.
Ragweed
Named for the ragged shape of its leaves, ragweed is the most frequent plant germ – and a most stubborn weed! A single plant can produce a million grains of pollen in one day and a billion grains throughout its growing season. And that pollen is made for drifting. Samples have been collected 400 miles out to sea and up to 2 miles in the atmosphere.
Unlike a number of other seasonal allergens, ragweed begins pollinating in late summer, around mid-August, and continues until a heavy frost. Seventy-five percent of people that are allergic to pollen are allergic to ragweed – a member of the Compositae family – which also includes sage, burweed marsh elder, rabbit brush, mugworts, groundsel bush and eupatorium. People with ragweed allergy may also get symptoms when they eat cantaloupe and banana. Chamomile tea, sunflower seeds and honey containing pollen from Compositae family members sometimes cause severe reactions, including shock.
Dust Mites
These nasty, microscopic cousins of spiders are the prime source of allergies that are yearlong. Researchers estimate that 20 million Americans suffer from dust mite allergies. Perfectly adapted to the warmth and humidity of a normal residence, dust mites survive on the very small flakes of skin which all people shed each day. An adult typically sheds enough skin every day to feed a million dust mites.
A protein in the mite’s waste products-not the mite itself – is what arouses allergic reactions. A single dust mite may produce up to 200 times its own body weight in waste. Bedrooms have been proven to be the primary repository of dust mites in a normal home.
Animal Dander
Although a lot of individuals with allergies to pets believe that animal fur is the offending culprit, it is not. Researchers have discovered that the allergens are actually proteins secreted by oil glands in the pet’s skin and drop in its dander. Proteins in urine and saliva are also powerful allergens. When the substance carrying the protein dries, it may become airborne. Because they lick themselves so much and are often housebound, cats often cause more allergic reactions than dogs do. Proteins from the urine of pet rodents like guinea pigs, gerbils, rats and mice can also cause allergic reactions.
Pet allergies may not grow immediately; in actuality, they can take at least two years to develop. Air, furniture and carpeting may harbor allergens for months after the pet has been taken out of the house. For those who have pet allergies, make sure that the previous tenants or owners didn’t have pets.
Mold
Molds, like mould, are fungi, which reproduce by releasing spores into the air. While allergies to mold are most common in midsummer to fall, triggered by molds that grow on rotting logs, falling leaves and composts piles, mold allergy symptoms may occur year-round thanks to molds that grow indoors bathrooms, kitchens and basements.
Grass Pollen
Lacking the showy flowers that attract insects to pollinate themgrasses trust the wind to disperse their pollen. Of the 1,200 or so species of grass in North America, however, just about 20 cause allergic reactions. The most common are:
- Perennial Rye
- Bermuda
- Redtop
- Fescue
- Salt grass
- Johnson
- Sweet Vernal
- June
- Timothy
If your yard is made of at least one of those grasses, have someone else mow your yard or put on a mask to decrease the quantity of pollen you breathe in. Also make certain to keep grass mowed short to stop seeds. You might also need to choose other kinds of grass to help lower your summertime discomfort. Consider doing outside chores later in the day, when pollen concentrations are lowest and if there is very little breeze, or soon after rain. Shower and change your clothes immediately after mowing and leave shoes at the doorway to reduce your contact with clinging pollen.
Tree Pollen
Of the 650 trees indigenous to the U.S., the pollens of roughly 100 are allergens. Some of the most common culprits are: Alder, Ash, Beech, Birch, Chestnut, Cypress, Japanese Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Elm, Hazel, Heath, Hickory, Maple, Myrtle, Mulberry, Oak, Olive, Pine, Plane, Poplar, Ti, Wattle, Walnut, and Willow.
During tree season, keep windows shut tightly and use the air conditioner as opposed to window or attic fans. Most people are allergic to one species, but individuals might be allergic to several members of particular families, especially these:
- alder
- beech
- birch
- walnut
- juniper
- cedar
Conclusion
When planting trees in your yard, consider choosing varieties which don’t trigger allergies. Some applicants are: catalpa, crape myrtle, dogwood, fig, fir, palm, pear, plum, redbud and redwood trees.
