Globally, so many people suffer from different kind of allergies. In America alone, about 50 million people are battling different types of allergies. It is therefore not surprising that a large number of people today are concerned about how to reduce allergens at home.
According to a survey conducted by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical immunology , more than 51 percent of homes have at aleast 6 different types of allergens. Allergens are found in almost anywhere we can thrive as humans: right from the bedroom to the seats and upholsteries of our cars. This explain why the prevalence of allergy related conditions are widespread in our world.
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This articles will take you through some of the common allergens that can be found in our homes, the symptoms of allergies and more importantly how to remove or reduce these allergens in our homes so as to be able to reduce the overall prevalence of allergy related conditions
COMMON ALLERGENS IN OUR HOMES
As mentioned earlier, allergens can be found in almost every part of our homes right from the bedrooms to living rooms and the kitchen.
Below are the top common allergens you are likely harbouring in your home all this while.
1. Cockroaches:
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Cockraches are among the common producers of allergens in our homes. They are exceptionally good at adapting to any environment; Cockroaches thrive almost anywhere including your washroom and the kitchen. You might live under the same roof with a cockroach for days without ever noticing its presence.
Some people have their allergies triggered when they come in contact with the cast-off skin of cockroaches. Such people may also likely react to the saliva and droppings of cockroaches.
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2. Pollenn:
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As you are probably aware of , pollen is a leading cause of allergy in many people. It is usually present during spring and fall. Pollen find its way in to your home through the doorway, the central air system and sometimes through your clothes or even the fur of animals.
Pollen can float in the air and as a result, it can easily get in to homes when windows and doors are opened ajar. That’s why pollen are among the common allergens you can find in the house.
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3. Animal Dander:
It is also commonly referred to as pet dander. Most of us love to have warm-blooded animals as friend especial the furry friends. In fact the American Pet Products Association once estimated that almost 65 percent of house holds in America own a pet. And that the vast majority of them are furry pets.
The fur, skin, saliva and urinal of these animals contain some allergenic proteins.
These proteins are very light, they have the tendency to float in the air for sometime and thus become airbone. From the air they are likely to settle on your bedding making allergy sufferers susceptible to attacks. If you happen to be sharing your bedroom with your warm-blooded furry friends then you might be exposed to theee allergenic proteins.
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4. Mold Spores:
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Another well known allergen at home is mold spore. Mold thrives well in damp and dark environments such as window moldings, closets and bathroom cabinets.
There are airborne allergens and can cause a series of symptoms that may be almost unbearable if it is not handled with apt. The good thing is that there are chunk of measures you can apply to get rid of these allergens.
We will discuss the measures in a moment.
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5. Dust Mites:
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Source wikimedia
Well, we were saving the toughest for the last! Dustmites can be very stubborn allergy causers. Almost 20 million Americans suffer from dust mite allergies.
Dust mites are very small in nature. They feed on our dead skin layers and can easily be found in any of your bedding or soft stuff including stuffed animals, curtains, pillows, upholstery and door mats or carpets.
The droppings of these microorganisms trigger unfavorable reactions in people with allergies.
In this POST we discussed extensively how to deal with these allergy symptoms triggering microorganisms.
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SIGNS OF ALLERGENS IN YOUR HOME.
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Most allergens are very small in nature. It is almost impossible to see them with the naked eye. You can only get to know thier presence if they start causing you troubles.
Below are the most common symptoms allergens at home trigger;
-Runny nose
-Watery eyes
-Itchy eyes
-Groggy and stuffy feeling
-Sneezing
-Rashes and headache
-Sore throat
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Even though the above symptoms are not sure confirmations for the presence of allergens in your home, but if you experience these symptoms often, chances are that you harbour a lot of allergens in your home.
So any time you rise from bed or you are in bed and you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above then you should start putting measures in place to reduce the presence of these allergens.
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BEST WAYS TO REDUCE ALLERGENS AT HOME
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There are some many different types of allergens and so many different ways of handling them. Some of the measures can be pretty effective.
There is no home that is completely allergen-free. So all you will have to do is try you best to reduce the number of allergens to the bearest minimum so as to avoid thier troubles.
Below are some of the effective measures you can use to achieve this ;
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1. Use Air Purifiers:
.Air purifiers are able to remove unwanted substances found in the air such as contaminants, irritants, pollen, dust and many other particles that cause allergy reactions.
Air purifiers do not only reduce the population of allergens in your bedroom or home, Also they improve the overall quality of indoor air making it pleasant and healthful to breath in.
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If you want to buy an air purifier, buy one that makes use of HEPA filters. This purifies are able to trap 99.97 percent of both large and tiny particles. Even particles that are as small as 0.3 micron can be captured by HEPA filters.
You can check out an honest review of this Air purifier
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2. Maintain the right humidity in your home:
Maintaining the right humidity can do the trick of reducing allergen population in your home, you can do this by getting a humidifier or dehumidifier for your home.
These days there are purifies on the market that comes with humidifiers or dehumidifiers. So purchasing it can help you maintain the right temperatures.
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Temperatures above 50 percent makes dustmites thrive well and very low temperatures can also encourage the growth of mold spores, so it is important you keep your home temperature at around 20 percent to 50 percent to be able to maintain a healthy temperature.
According to the American Lung Association, it is recommended that windows are opened for at least one hour every day in order to get the right humidity. But in opening your windows, you would want to use trickle vent prevent pollen and other toxic substances from getting into your home.
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3. Clear the clutter:
Being a minimalist is one of the best ways to effectively reduce allergens without necessarily incurring any expenses. Make sure you get rid of or at least reduce items that collect dust in your home. For example books, knick-knacks, toys and tabletop ornaments
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4. Control mold:
In the early part of this article we talked about mold and how they thrive well in damp and dark places.
You can remove them by fixing leaks, making use of your dehumidifiers, running ventilation fans and opening your windows when you are sure it won’t introduce any pollen in to your home.
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5. Handling pets with care:
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If you are allergic to pet dander and have a warm-blooded furry friend at home, you may want to designate a section of your home for it. Make your bedroom especially a no go area for your furry pets.
Bathing your pet regularly can also drastically reduce the allergen burden on it. If your allergy is severe, it is advisable to get someone to bath it for you.
And if you will not be able to do any of the above, then it’s important you do not pick any pet at all.
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7. Chosing house plants wisely can be sure way of minising the chances of getting allergic reaction from pollen, all you need to do is to pick pollen free plants.
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8. Keep your home clean at all times:
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It seems like we have been saving the best for the last. It is the best measure you can adopt yet sometimes it is over looked.
Keeping your home clean will reduce many allergens that might cause you and your family troubles.
Make sure you use natural fungicides such as vinegar and ethanol to take care of growing mold in your home, add few drops of tree oil when washing bedings and after doing so make sure to encase them in hypoallergenic casing. Especially if your dealing with dust mites.
In Conclusion
Yes, it is true that our homes are full of allergens. But controlling them isn’t that difficult. The above measures are effective at drastically reducing the number of allergens at homes.
Implement those measure and say good bye to all allergy related symptoms and conditions.
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Related Posts;
Best Air Purifiers For Dust Removal