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Whether we start sneezing in a dusty room, or get itchy from wearing a wool sweater, allergies affect most of us sooner or later. Fortunately there are ways to control these symptoms. Seasonal or year-round allergies affect an estimated 86 million people in the U.S. If you are one of these individuals, you know the symptoms - nasal congestion, sneezing and itching of the eyes (in about half of cases), nose, throat or skin. For those with asthma, an allergic reaction can also trigger an asthma episode. Allergic symptoms range from mild to debilitating.
Causes & Development
Exposure to any number of different allergens can cause allergy symptoms. These allergens are everywhere, with a surprising number in your home.
Diagnosis & Tests
Knowing what causes your allergies will help you to focus your efforts in controlling them. When you visit your doctor, he or she will begin by taking a detailed history of your symptoms and when they occur. Are they seasonal or year-round? Are they worse when you are indoors or outdoors? Are they more of a problem during the day or night? To confirm suspected allergies, allergy testing may be conducted by an allergist.
Treatment & Prevention
The best way to prevent allergies is to avoid the allergens that trigger your symptoms by making changes to your indoor environment, and by choosing your outdoor environment more carefully. Reducing exposure to the offending allergens through indoor environmental controls is usually the least expensive and, in many cases, the most effective method for managing allergies. Even if your allergies require medications and/or immunotherapy, environmental controls should always be an integral part of your treatment plan. The most common of the indoor allergens are house dust mites, cockroaches, indoor molds and animal dander.
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that live in our homes. Their waste products and decaying bodies are a year-round problem. To reduce your exposure to dust mites, it is most important to focus on your bedroom. You spend more time in this room than any other in the house, so it is here that your efforts will have the greatest impact. Some of the likely sources of exposure are your pillow, mattress and bedding where they tend to live. The following steps are essential to reducing this exposure:- Encase your mattress and box spring in an allergen-impermeable cover.
- Encase your pillow in an allergen-impermeable cover or wash it weekly in hot water (130°F is necessary to kill mites.)
- Wash sheets, blankets and comforters weekly in hot water.
- In a child's bedroom, stuffed animals can be a significant source of dust mite exposure. Sleeping with stuffed animals should be limited for a child who has a dust mite sensitivity. If one or two are necessary, they too should be washed regularly in hot water.
- Helpful too is reducing indoor humidity to less than 50% (dust mites thrive in areas of high humidity.)
- When possible, remove carpets and use washable rugs, especially in the bedroom.
- Avoid sleeping or lying on stuffed furniture.
Regular vacuum cleaning is important. It should preferably be done by someone other than the allergic individual and while he or she is not out of the room. If this is not possible, the allergic individual should wear a dust mask while vacuuming. Essential is a vacuum cleaner with a good filtration system and/or special vacuum bags that have two layers to keep dust from escaping. These bags are available for most brands of vacuums from allergy supply companies.
Cockroaches have become increasingly recognized as a potent indoor allergen, especially in inner cities. If someone in your household is sensitive to cockroaches and roaches are present in your home, it is essential to eliminate them. After removing them, keep them away by cutting off their food supply. It is also important to do a thorough leaning of the areas they inhabited. The allergens from cockroaches are their waste product, decaying bodies and saliva. Once the roaches are gone, these will continue to cause allergic reactions if they are not removed by cleaning.
Pets produce dander (flakes of dead skin), saliva and urine, all of which can be allergenic. The most effective way to get rid of these allergens is to remove the pet from the home and many allergists would argue that this is essential. Although giving away a pet can be an upsetting experience, it is often the only solution that eliminates the allergic person's discomfort and allows him or her to live a healthier life. This is particularly important for those whose allergy triggers asthma. If removing your pet is not an option then the next most effective solution is to keep the animal out of the allergic individual's bedroom. If you have forced air heating or air-conditioning, cover the air ducts that lead into that person's bedroom with a filter or, even more preferable, close off the duct with plastic and heat the room with an electric heater. Having a non-allergic person wash the pet weekly (washing in water works as well as expensive pet shampoos) also helps.
Indoor mold sources include damp basements, showers stalls and curtains, room humidifiers, refrigerator and dehumidifier pans, and houseplants. Mold grows best in places that are damp and dark. To reduce mold growth in these areas, provide lots of light and adequate ventilation and make sure bathrooms are properly vented. Dehumidifiers can be helpful, especially in damp basements. A simple method to remove mold is to clean surfaces with a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water.
Seek medical attention if
A general rule of thumb relating to eye problems is: "if it itches, it's allergy; if it burns or stings, it's probably dry eye; and if the eyelids stick together in the morning, with crusts on the eyelashes, it's bacterial conjunctivitis." Some of these conditions don't call for a doctor's visit but severe pain or loss of vision warrants an immediate call to the eye doctor.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Indoor Allergies:
Conditions that suggest Indoor Allergies:
Risk factors for Indoor Allergies:
Recommendations and treatments for Indoor Allergies: | | | | | Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |  Test for Manganese Levels |
Mineral |
Colloidal Silver |
Nutrient |
 Essential Fatty Acids | Replenishing a deficiency of Omega-3 type fatty acids in the diet has resulted in fewer allergic and inflammatory reactions. |
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Oxygen / Oxidative Therapies |
Ozone / Oxidative Therapy |
Vitamins |
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)| | Pantothenic acid supplementation may reduce allergic reactions, especially allergic rhinitis. 500mg per day often produces satisfactory results. Pantothenic acid is quite effective in treating nasal congestion caused by allergy. However, if the dosage is too high, it can cause nasal dryness and pruritus (Roger Williams, U. of Texas at Austin - personal communication to Wayne Martin, quoted in Martin W. Pantothenic acid for allergies. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients June, 1997: p.108).
Szorady conducted allergy skin tests on 24 children injecting them with histamine to induce symptoms. Pantothenic acid reduced the intensity of skin reaction by 20-50% in all children. (Marz, p.209, 1997)
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Bioflavonoids| | May reduce IgE formation, inhibit the release of histamine, and reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | Strongly counter-indicative | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Allergen (Allergens)
A substance that is capable of producing an allergic response in the body.
Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever)
Inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes that is caused by specific allergen(s). It is an allergy characterized by sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, a runny or stuffy nose, coughing and a burning/scratchy sensation of the palate and throat.
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Asthma (Asthmatic)
A lung disorder marked by attacks of breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing, and thick mucus coming from the lungs. The episodes may be triggered by breathing foreign substances (allergens) or pollutants, infection, vigorous exercise, or emotional stress. Extrinsic Asthma is triggered by pollen, chemicals or some other external agent; Intrinsic Asthma is triggered by boggy membranes, congested tissues, or other native causes… even adrenalin stress or exertion.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Conjunctiva (Conjunctivitis)
Mucous membrane covering the posterior surface of the eyelids and the anterior surface of the eyeball. Conjunctivitis: An inflammation of the conjunctiva, either from environmental irritation, allergies, viral or bacterial infections.
Fatty Acids (Fatty Acid)
Chemical chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are part of a fat (lipid) and are the major component of triglycerides. Depending on the number and arrangement of these atoms, fatty acids are classified as either saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. They are nutritional substances found in nature which include cholesterol, prostaglandins, and stearic, palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentanoic (EPA), and decohexanoic acids. Important nutritional lipids include lecithin, choline, gamma-linoleic acid, and inositol.
Histamine
A chemical in the body tissues, produced by the breakdown of histidine. It is released in allergic reactions and causes widening of capillaries, decreased blood pressure, increased release of gastric juice, fluid leakage forming itchy skin and hives, and tightening of smooth muscles of the bronchial tube and uterus. Histamine is the chemical that drives the initial acute allergic reaction, causing itching, swelling and congestion.
IgE (Immunoglobulin E)
Immunoglobulin E is a type of antibody produced by IgE plasma cells. These are specialized B-cell lymphocytes that make free-floating antibodies for what is termed humoral resistance. IgE is not made to be specific against only one antigen, like other gamma globulins, but instead can bind with a number of dangerous proteins. IgE travels to mast cells, sticks to their surfaces, and when antigens get stuck to the IgE, the mast cells secrete inflammatory compounds such as histamine. Since IgE is a generalist, coded for a number of potential toxins, it can decide for example that grass pollen and cat dander are antigens... and you have an allergy. Elevated production of IgE is often inherited, which is why allergies run in a family.
Immunotherapy
Techniques used to stimulate or strengthen a patient's own immune system.
Manganese
An essential mineral found in trace amounts in tissues of the body. Adults normally contain an average of 10 to 20mg of manganese in their bodies, most of which is contained in bone, the liver and the kidneys. Manganese is essential to several critical enzymes necessary for energy production, bone and blood formation, nerve function and protein metabolism. It is involved in the metabolism of fats and glucose, the production of cholesterol and it allows the body to use thiamine and Vitamin E. It is also involved in the building and degrading of proteins and nucleic acid, biogenic amine metabolism, which involves the transmitting of nerve impulses.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Pantothenic Acid
A B-complex vitamin necessary for the normal functioning of the adrenal gland, which directly affects growth. It is also essential for the formation of fatty acids. As a coenzyme, it participates in the utilization of riboflavin and in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Pruritus
Severe itching, often of undamaged skin.
Saliva (Salivary)
The watery mixture of secretions from the salivary and oral mucous glands that lubricates chewed food and moistens the oral walls.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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