Allergen Avoidance

Allergy Dust Mite Proof Encasings: Dust mites are microscopic insects found on our bodies and thrive on dead skin cells. What we are allergic to is the protein in the digestive enzymes of the waste product. Dust mites live in warm, dark places like in our pillows and mattresses. It has been said that there are 10 - 20 million dust mites in a mattress depending on the size and age of the mattress, and number of people who sleep on it. There are approximately 2 million dust mites in a pillow. In fact, they say a 20-yr old pillow weighs twice the amount than its original weight because of dead skin cells, dust mites, and their waste products. That is why it is suggested to buy inexpensive pillows and replace them every 1-2 yrs. In between times of replacing them, you can put them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes which will kill any dust mites (doesn’t filter out all the waste product though). Encase all pillows and mattresses in dust mite-proof encasings. The encasing is weaved tightly with breathable fabrics that act as a barrier and keep additional dust mites from getting into your pillows and mattress. The encasings can be ordered online or purchased at any place that sells linens – (Bed, Bath, and Beyond and department stores such as Macy’s, Sears, JC Penny, Kohls, Target, Walmart, etc. Vacuum your mattress before encasing. If you sleep with any extra foam padding or a mattress topper, encase with the mattress. Put mattress cover/pad over the dust mite encasing. If you have a decorative comforter that requires dry cleaning, we would recommend that you replace it with a simple inexpensive blanket, and bedspread. Laundry recommendations are as follows: sheets – weekly; dust mite pillow encasings, mattress pad, blanket and bedspread - every 2 weeks; and dust mite mattress encasing every 6 months.  It is recommended that an allergy patient not have decorative pillows or stuffed animals on the bed; they harbor many dust mites.

Humidity/ HEPA Filter: Dust mites do not live above 5,000-6,000 feet elevation or below 45% humidity. If you do not take your pillow with you to the mountains you should not have a problem with dust mites while there. One way to determine the humidity level of your home is using The Weather Channel website (under the Home and Family section) which is found on the list of websites in your allergy packet. Enter your zip code and the indoor temperature of your home which will give you an approximate humidity percentage. The recommended humidity level is 40% - 45% in your home. If the humidity is consistently more than 45%, a dehumidifier is recommended. The humidity level should not be less than 40% in the home because it’s not healthy for your skin and air you breathe. Another product that you should purchase is a HEPA Filter for your bedroom. Your immune system is like a bucket. We are constantly overloading our bucket with poor quality of air. Since we spend more hours in our bedrooms than any other room of the home, we want to focus on allergy proofing our bedroom to give our immune system a rest. HEPA filters can be ordered online but also may be purchased at any place that sells appliances such as Lowes, Home Depot, JC Penny, Sears, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target Walmart, Sam’s Club and Costco. You buy the size of the unit according to the size of your bedroom. What makes the HEPA filters efficient is how many times it circulates the entire room air per hour. Place it in a central location of the bedroom (not by the door that leads to the hallway) and let it run 24 hours a day. If the noise is bothersome at night, turn it to low when you sleep.

It is not necessary to get rid of carpet or replace upholstered furniture with leather.  When walking across carpet etc., we stir up dust mites but they are on the heavier side and do not stay airborne. We typically don’t have our faces down in the carpet like we do our bedding so vacuuming frequently will be acceptable. The sprays to kill dust mites and neutralize their waste products are beneficial, but we recommend dust mite encasings, HEPA filters and making sure your bedroom is the cleanest room of the home to be the priorities. Keeping your bedroom clean, vacuuming frequently and following the bedding guidelines will hopefully make a difference in your allergy symptoms.

Mold: When we think of indoor mold, we typically think of kitchens, bathrooms, damp areas, dark closets, and produce etc. Live Christmas trees and live indoor plants harbor mold also. Wherever there is dirt, there is mold, and when soil is disturbed, mold spores are released. It’s not recommended that allergy patients have live indoor plants in their bedroom. Whenever the lawn is being mowed, the mower is not only distributing more grass pollen into the air, it is also disturbing soil and releasing more mold spores into the air. When ever doing anything with a heavy allergen exposure (mowing, raking leaves, gardening and cleaning the garage/attic) keep in mind that your clothing, skin, and hair act as a magnet and collect any pollen, dust or mold we’ve come in contact with. After any heavy allergen exposure it is recommended that you drop your clothing at the door so as not to track allergens in to the home and on furniture.  Taking a shower and irrigating nasal passages would help remove allergens before they become bothersome. Shampooing your hair at night will keep pollen, dust, and mold, which has collected in your hair, from being transferred onto your pillow and breathed in while sleeping. It’s not always practical to shampoo every night, but on days where you have spent a significant time outdoors and allergen counts are high, shampooing would be advised. Pollen and mold are in the air 24 hours a day but pollen peaks from 5-10 AM, and mold peaks in the evening. So based on your sensitivity or when the counts are high, be mindful of the time of day as well as what allergens are in the air when opening the windows. On days when allergen counts are high, the windows in the car should be up and the air conditioner on re-circulate.

Pets/Animals:  Most of us with pet allergies are allergic to the protein in their salvia, urine, and skin - what is on the hair and not the actual pet. These are sticky allergens – it has been shown that 6 months after removing a cat from a home, there is detectable cat dander. Pets should not be allowed in the bedroom since we are trying to keep the air in the bedroom as allergen-free as possible.  Their fur coat acts as a magnet and collects any pollen, dust or mold they have come in contact with, so when they come into the bedroom and on the bed, they are bringing more than pet allergen with them. There are pet wipes( that resemble baby wipes) which can be used in-between bathing the pet. These can be ordered online or purchased anywhere that sells pet supplies.

Cockroach: The allergenic portion of cockroaches is the protein in the digestive enzymes (waste product) as well as the cockroach. Typically, we don’t see a lot of dead cockroaches in our home; the cockroaches go behind the walls and eliminate waste product. Eventually the cockroaches die, and then decay forms: cockroaches and their waste products become airborne in the form of dust, and is breathed in through the air ventilation system. The biggest exposure to cockroaches is in old school buildings, apartment buildings, office buildings, old churches etc.  Cockroach was found to be a significant allergen as recently as 25 yrs ago and is a common asthma trigger.