Wanted! These six allergy scoundrels are the common household allergens responsible for 25.7 million cases of allergic rhinitis and 8 million visits to the doctor in the U.S. each year. Learn more about how to cope with the effects of these common household allergens and how to keep household allergens at bay in your home.
Ragweed
Named for the ragged shape of its leaves, ragweed is the most common plant allergen - and a most tenacious weed! A single plant can produce a million grains of pollen in a single day and a billion grains during its growing season. And that pollen is made for roaming. Samples have been collected 400 miles out to sea and up to two miles in the air.
Unlike many other seasonal allergens, ragweed begins pollinating in late summer, around mid-August, and continues until a heavy frost. Seventy-five percent of people who 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 occasionally cause severe reactions, including shock.
Dust Mites
These ugly, microscopic cousins of spiders are the prime source of year-round allergies. Researchers estimate that 20 million Americans suffer from dust mite allergies. Perfectly adapted to the temperature and humidity of a typical home, dust mites survive on the tiny flakes of skin that all of us shed each day. An adult typically sheds enough skin each day to feed a million dust mites.
A protein in the mite's waste products-not the mite itself - is what provokes allergic reactions. A single dust mite may produce as much as 200 times its body weight in waste. Bedrooms have been shown to be the main repository of dust mites in a typical home.
Animal Dander
Although many people with allergies to pets think that animal fur is the offending culprit, it's not. Researchers have found that the allergens are actually proteins secreted by oil glands in the pet's skin and shed in its dander. Proteins in saliva and urine are also potent allergens. When the substance carrying the protein dries, it may become airborne. Because they lick themselves so much and are often housebound, cats tend to cause more allergic reactions than dogs do. Proteins in the urine of pet rodents such as guinea pigs, gerbils, mice and rats can also cause allergic reactions.
Pet allergies may not develop immediately; in fact, they can take two or more years to develop. Air, carpet and furniture can harbor allergens for months after the pet has been removed from the house. If you have pet allergies, ensure that the previous tenants or owners did not have pets.
Mold
Molds, like mildew, are fungi, which reproduce by releasing spores into the atmosphere. 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 can occur year-round thanks to molds that grow inside bathrooms, kitchens and basements.
Grass Pollen
Lacking the showy flowers that attract insects to pollinate them, grasses rely on the wind to spread their pollen. Of the 1,200 or so species of grass in North America, though, only about 20 cause allergic reactions. The most common are:
* Perennial Rye
* Bermuda
* Redtop
* Fescue
* Salt grass
* Johnson
* Sweet Vernal
* June
* Timothy
If your lawn is made of one or more of these grasses, have someone else mow your lawn or wear a mask to reduce the amount of pollen you breathe in. Also be sure to keep grass mowed short to prevent seeds. You may also want to choose other varieties of grass to help reduce your summertime discomfort. Consider doing outdoor chores later in the day, when pollen concentrations are lowest and when there is little breeze, or shortly after rain. Shower and change your clothes immediately after mowing and leave shoes at the door to reduce your contact with clinging pollen.
Tree Pollen
Of the 650 trees native to the U.S., the pollens of about 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 closed tightly and use the air conditioner rather than window or attic fans. Most people are allergic to a single species, but people may be allergic to several members of certain families, particularly these:
* alder
* beech
* birch
* oak
* juniper
* cedar
When planting trees in your yard, try choosing varieties that don't cause allergies. Some candidates are: catalpa, crape myrtle, dogwood, fig, fir, palm, pear, plum, redbud and redwood trees.
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