There’s never a moment of reprieve when your home is filled with allergens that trigger your asthma. Carpets, bedding, and even the air in your home can harbor asthma triggers.

Keep Bedding Clean

Like blankets, couches, mattresses, pillows, and other linens, soft surfaces can potentially harbor many, many dust mites. Dust mites irritate your lung cells that your body struggles to repair, causing shortness of breath and worsening other asthma symptoms.

Pet dander will also tend to stick to your soft surfaces in the home. If you have a pet in your home, whether dog, cat, or hamster, their dander and fur are added to your home. Without regular cleaning of the animal and your home, these allergens can become a major trigger for your asthma.

Change your bedding once a week, wash it in hot water, dry thoroughly before putting it back on your bed, and any other washable linens you may have in your house.

Some items that aren’t washable can be placed into a freezer bag and put into a freezer for 3 to 5 hours to kill dust mites.

Fragrances Can Be A Trigger

Fragrance sensitivity is another common symptom of asthma. Chemicals in manufactured scents, and even natural ones, can be irritating to your senses. Candles, air fresheners, lotions, cigarettes, and laundry detergents are common triggers.

Avoiding these triggers is the most effective way to manage the allergen, though that isn’t always possible. Communicating with your partner or coworkers about the items causing your issue can help others make changes where possible to aid with this distress.

Keep Mold Out of Your Home

Keeping mold out of your home seems like it should be pretty straightforward, but it is a common asthma trigger. Anywhere in your home where water can settle, or humidity can sit is at risk of developing some mold. Keeping a bathroom fan on or opening a window during or after showers can be the difference between having a mold haven or a safe place to bathe.

Other common areas to watch for mold are under sinks, basements, and where you wash your dishes. Keep areas clean and dry so that mold doesn’t have a space to grow on.

While not all asthma and allergy symptoms will be handled by keeping a clean home, it helps to keep your linens clean, moisture levels down, and artificial fragrances to a minimum.

If you are having problems with asthma or allergies, visit one of our neighborhood locations or click here to schedule a Telemedicine visit.

The post Are Allergens Triggering Your Asthma? appeared first on Quick Med Care.

Allergies are very common. According to WebMD, 1 in 5 Americans suffers from some sort of allergy. And just because you were not allergic to something in the past, does not mean you are not allergic to it now.

What is an allergy?

Our bodies are designed to protect themselves from anything harmful that enters, or comes in contact with the skin. Allergies occur when the body mistakes the normal material for something dangerous, and reacts by releasing a chemical known as histamine. Too much histamine produces the allergy symptoms we experience.

Some allergic reactions can be very quick and hardly noticeable, and will go away once the allergen is removed. Others will stick around and make the body miserable. The most severe type of allergic reaction is known as anaphylactic shock, and this type of reaction can be very dangerous of even deadly.

Common allergy symptoms include:

-Itchy/Watery eyes

-Nasal drainage and/or itchy nose

-Sneezing

-Hives or skin rash

-Feeling overly tired/ill

More severe reactions could suggest your body is experiencing anaphylaxis, and require immediate medical treatment. These include:

-Chest tightness/wheezing/shortness of breath

-Nausea or vomiting

-Tingling in the lips, scalp, feet, or hands

-All-over itchiness or hives

-Swelling of the tongue or throat

If you experience any of these symptoms, and have an epinephrine auto-injector, use it immediately, then call 911. It is important to seek medical assistance even after you have administered the medicine, and even if you feel better, because symptoms may return.

Common allergens

While it is possible to be allergic to almost anything, there are some common categories and triggers. These include:

-Food allergies – peanuts, eggs, shellfish, milk, gluten

-Airborne allergens – Mold, dust mites, animal dander, pollen

-Skin – certain textiles, types of plants, latex

-Medicines – most commonly penicillin

-Insect bites or stings – bee stings, fire ant bites

-Allergy Treatments

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with allergies, the good news is there are several good treatments available. Although there is no cure for allergies, you can feel better with the right combination of treatments.

-Medications, such as antihistamines, either over-the-counter or from your doctor

-Nasal sprays and eye drops

-Allergy shots

-The use of air purifiers or dehumidifiers

-Mattress pads and pillow covers

-Try to “allergy-proof” your environment as much as possible

It goes without saying that it is always best to try to avoid the allergen whenever possible. In the real world, that’s often impossible. Therefore, if you are prone to severe allergic reactions, be sure to have your epinephrine auto-injector with you at all times, and inform those around you of your condition in case you are unable to speak up in an emergency.

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