Perhaps it’s time to dust off your shelf-care routine.
Around 80 million Americans — about one-quarter of adults and nearly 20% of children — suffer from seasonal allergies. These spring snifflers experience a reaction to airborne substances such as pollen from trees, grasses and weeds.
Unfortunately, it’s possible to endure year-round nasal congestion, coughing and itchy eyes.
Perennial allergic rhinitis is a chronic condition believed to affect 23% of the population.
It’s triggered by indoor allergens like dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and cockroach droppings rather than seasonal pollen.
Dr. Rauno Joks, an allergist with NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, reveals four home items that can fuel perennial allergic rhinitis. Let’s kick these allergens to the curb — once and for all.
Your bedding
Dust mites are microscopic organisms that thrive in warm, humid environments, like bedding, mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture and even your child’s favorite teddy bear.
“You will never see them, but they eat your dead skin cells [that] we all shed as new skin cells replace old skin cells,” Joks told The Post.
“Consider obtaining zippered dust mite mattress and pillow coverings for your bed to have a barrier between you and the dust mites as you sleep [since] we all have them in our beds,” he continued. “Consider getting tested for dust mite allergies.”
Skin prick tests and blood tests can diagnose a dust mite allergy.
There are also at-home test kits that measure dust mite levels in your home.
Your leftovers
Leaving food and dirty dishes out overnight can attract ants, flies, and even worse, the allergy-inducing critters cockroaches and mice.
Cockroach allergens are found in their feces, body parts and saliva, while mouse allergens are primarily in their saliva, urine and fur.
“Cockroach allergy is a major problem in the metropolitan area to cause nasal allergies and asthma,” Joks said.
“Mice migrate indoors when the temperatures get colder and cause respiratory allergies and asthma,” he added.
He recommends making a habit of putting all food away, wiping down greasy surfaces and emptying garbage cans.
Your air conditioner
Indoor air can be a breeding ground for mold in the humid summer and dry winter.
“Too much humidity in warm weather helps promote mold growth, including in indoor plants,” Joks explained.
He suggests getting a dehumidifier in the summer if air conditioning is limited.
Those with air conditioners should regularly change their filters. A clogged filter traps moisture, dust and debris, providing a perfect environment for mold to grow.
In the winter, moisture from condensation on cold surfaces can lead to mold.
Joks advises using a humidifier in cold weather months “to put more moisture into well-heated areas in order to improve nasal congestion.”
Also, keep an eye on places within the home where fungi can grow, such as damp areas in bathrooms, kitchens, basements and attics.
Your pets — or your pal’s pets
Dander is tiny flakes of skin shed by animals with fur or feathers — and you don’t even need to be a pet owner to encounter it.
“The cat allergy particle is so tiny that people carry it on their clothes and sensitize their friends and colleagues,” Joks said.
“Air purifiers with HEPA filters help filter out cat allergens, which cling to dust in the air.”
