When I was in middle school, my mom had a conference in San Diego, and we all packed up and took a family vacation with her. That was my first time to visit San Diego, and I immediately fell in love with the beautiful city, particularly La Jolla Cove. Ever since then, any chance I have to visit La Jolla is a special treat. Now that my parents live here in San Diego, visiting La Jolla is much easier, but the magic of the ocean crashing against those cliffs never gets old for this momma. If you haven’t yet visited San Diego, I would certainly recommend it for your next visit out west. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
So, today I thought I would provide a few tidbits about indoor allergens. The most clinically relevant indoor allergens are cat, dog, and dust mites. For purposes of this post, I’m going to group cat and dog together and then provide 3 highlights for each one.
Cat/Dog:
- Tidbit #1: Cat allergen is one of the peskiest allergens; sorry Fluffy :(. If you or your little are allergic to cat, the only definitive way to eliminate the trigger is to say goodbye to Fluffy.
- Tidbit #2: After you’ve said goodbye to Fluffy, know that it takes about 3-4 months after she has been removed to clear the allergen from your home.
- Tidbit #3: What about Spot? Well, contrary to what the designer dog breeders advertise, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. So keep that in mind if you have dog allergy when you’re picking out a new pet. May want to choose a pet fish instead!
Dust mites:
- Tidbit #1: Did you know that dust mites are not the little grey powder puffs on top of your entry table that you clear with the swiffer duster? They are actually miscropic bugs! Look at this picture and then let’s saw EWWWW together!
- Tidbit #2: These bugs like especially like warm, humid environments, so keeping your home’s humidity level under 50% is most important for keeping the burden of dust mites low.
- Tidbit #3: Another little known fact about these dust mites is that they like to live in your pillows and mattresses. I know — totally gross. One of the best ways to prevent dust mites from bothering you is to cover your pillows and mattresses with dust mite covers. Then put the sheets on as you normally do and be sure to wash your sheets weekly in hot water and dry on a hot cycle to kill off those mites.
I hope this little bit of information is helpful to you as you deal with those indoor allergens! While this seal is likely not causing any allergy problems, I couldn’t resist adding his pic to say goodbye to ya’ll. Have a lovely weekend, and we’ll see you again next Friday!
Learn more about Allergies and Asthma
Oak Pollen Alert: 4 Practical Tips for a Sneeze-Free Allergy Season
The spring season brings warmth, blooming flowers, and, for many, the onset of oak pollen. If you find yourself dreading the arrival of spring because of sneezing, itchy, runny nose and other symptoms that come with oak pollen allergies, you're not alone. Millions of people, or 30% of Americans, share your plight.
The Difference Between Food Allergies and Food Intolerances
Being uncomfortable is never a good feeling, regardless of what it's caused by. When you feel that type of unease, your body may feel tired or itchy, or a million other ways. If it's caused by allergies or intolerances, it's something you can pinpoint and avoid as needed. Additionally and fortunately, those uncomfortable feelings are acting as little alerts to let you know that something isn't right.
Environmental Allergies in Children
Many children are excited because the school year is about to start up again and these next few weeks will be their best days of summer. With the free time coming to a close, families are eager to spend time outside, away from computers and other electronics. But for anyone dealing with seasonal environmental allergies, being outdoors can lead to sneezing, asthma attacks, and even rashes.
6 Skin Allergy Conditions and Their Treatments
Allergies come in many different forms, ranging from mild reactions treatable with some quick over-the-counter medications, to others that can be severe and even lethal. While the worst case scenario is scary, there are ways to monitor and prevent potentially life-threatening reactions. Most commonly, you'll be facing much lighter, more treatable allergens. These can often be painful to deal with but won't necessarily result in risking your life.
Food Allergy Key Concepts
Even as the prevalence of food allergy is increasing (up to 8% of kids in the US have a food allergy), it seems that the myths surrounding food allergy are also increasing. One of the things I love about my job as an allergy fellow is helping patients and their families work through these myths and establish true allergy versus intolerance.