Allergy Triggers - What's Causing Your Allergies?

After a chilly winter, your family may be looking forward to warmer weather. For some, though, when spring has “sprung,” it can mean itchy eyes and sneezing. In the United States alone, more than 30 million people suffer from springtime allergies each year. If you’re one of them, it feels like you just have to grin and bear it until summertime —but that’s not the case! There are many things you can do to limit allergy triggers inside your home so you can breathe a little easier this season.

Allergy Triggers around the Home

There are a number of things that can cause allergic reactions in the spring, especially as outdoor allergy triggers are released and find their way into your home. If those allergy triggers are inside causing your immune system to switch into overdrive, it can feel like there’s no relief!

By reducing allergen triggers in your indoor environment, you can save yourself some stuffiness and discomfort this spring.

Tree Pollen

If your allergies only seem to affect you in the springtime, pollen is the likely culprit. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the most common trigger trees include:

Pollen levels peak in the early morning hours and can be particularly uncomfortable on windy days. If possible, limit your exposure outdoors until later in the day or after there’s been rain to wash it away.

How to Prevent Allergies From Tree Pollen

Tree pollen outdoors may be relatively unavoidable, but it can also affect you inside your home by hitching a ride on your skin, clothing, shoes, or pets! If a strong reaction to pollen has you sneezing and wheezing—take precautions to leave pollen at the door:

• Wash clothing regularly
• Wipe your shoes with a damp cloth to avoid tracking pollen deeper into your house
• Bathe pets often to keep them free of pollen spores
• Keep windows and doors closed

Animal Dander

If you have pets, you may not notice a slight dander allergy until springtime rolls around. Cats and dogs shed less in the winter to stay warm and then begin to shed their thick winter coats as spring approaches. That extra fur and dander can irritate allergy or asthma issues rather suddenly.

How to Prevent Allergies From Animal Dander

If your four-legged family members are making you sneeze, it may be time to pay a visit to the groomer. Regular haircuts and baths can control the amount of dander to which you are you’re exposed.

Mold Spores

When mold spores are released into the air, they can irritate your asthma or allergies. Molds grow quickly in the heat and high humidity, so if your allergies are at their worst in late spring and early summer, mold may be to blame.

Outdoor molds can occur around your home where moisture builds up, so areas of standing water or where drainage is slow can be at heightened risk. Molds like Aspergillus and Penicillin can also grow in your home.

How to Prevent Allergies From Mold Spores

If you think mold may be causing your watery eyes and congestion, there are a few things you can do to keep mold spores to a minimum.

• Treat moisture issues in your yard—take care not to overwater low, marshy areas on your grass and avoid standing water wherever possible.
• Take care of moisture issues in your home—make repairs to leaky pipes or consider a dehumidifier to keep moisture out of the air.
• Use allergy filters on air conditioning units to keep mold spores from circulating through your home.

Household Pests

Did you know that household pests are a common indoor allergy trigger? Cockroaches are one of the most common allergen-producing insects. In fact, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, more than 60% of homes in the US contain allergens from cockroaches!

Their saliva, feces, and shedding can irritate allergies and asthma, causing coughing, congestion, rashes, and wheezing. And because these pests aren’t easy to detect, they may be tracking allergens around your home before you even realize they’re there!

What Kind of Pests Cause Allergies?

Roaches aren’t the only insects that can make you sneeze—other allergen-producing pests include:

• Dust mites
• Flies
• Rodents