Allergist Lawrence Hennessey, M.D. tours an allergy-prone home…

"This country home was built in the 1930s and has a Michigan basement. The home borders two wetland areas, and houses a husband and wife, a cat and dog. These are prime conditions to trigger an allergic immune reaction from its human residents. The good things going for this house are wood floors throughout the downstairs, covers for the mattress and pillow to keep dust mites out, and a high-efficiency furnace filter.

"Both husband and wife admit to feeling fatigued much of the time. This is the most common complaint of people with serious allergies. The wife has asthma, and her eyes water and nose runs when she has lots of contact with the pets. Their Michigan basement is prone to water seepage, and despite a dehumidifier, you can see mold growing around cracks in the windows. They have no air conditioning, so the windows are open for air exchange. But, it’s difficult to keep the house at 50% humidity or below.

"Both work in high stress jobs, which can worsen allergic reactions. Their house is a breeding ground for mold and indoor allergens.

"In more modern homes, allergies arise in part because of three inventions in the last 100 years: first, air conditioning. Our homes are closed up, and there’s little or no air exchange with the outside. Second, many consider cats and dogs "house" pets. The litter box was an invention that allowed people to keep cats inside all the time. Both dogs and cats spread their allergen-rich dander, hair, and saliva throughout the house. Finally, the vacuum cleaner. Until then, you couldn’t have wall-to-wall carpeting, which is a wonderful place to trap allergens such as dust mites and molds.

"It’s not surprising that one in five people will have some sort of respiratory allergy problem sometime in their life. Allergies can start at any age, although they commonly start in young people, ages 5-10 and then 18-25. The common signs are:

• Fatigue
• Sneezing and nasal itching
• Congestion
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Increased problems with snoring
• Ear infections in children
• Asthma

"I want to say a bit about dust mites, because most people don’t give much thought to this allergen that’s found in every home. A dust mite is about 1/100^th inch in length, no bigger than the point of a pencil. They love warm, humid areas filled with dust. Dust mites feed on dead skin flakes that people and animals shed from their bodies. People are allergic to dust mites’ fecal droppings in bedding, carpeting and furniture. Most dust mites live in your mattress. If your mattress is 10 years old, It’s now likely to weigh as much as five pounds more than it did when you purchased it. Why? Because of the accumulation of skin flake material, dead dust mites and droppings.

"Before individuals even see an allergist, there are a number of precautions that can reduce exposure to indoor allergens:

1. Wash all your bedding weekly in hot water.
2. Put dust mite covers on your mattress and pillows to keep dust mites out.
3. Keep your kitchen and bathroom well ventilated. Use ceiling fans, and keep the humidity at 40-50%.
4. Open your windows to air out your house. Air conditioning is a two-edged sword: Although it can be very helpful for people with outdoor mold and pollen allergy, air conditioning also prevents the air exchange needed to keep indoor allergens from accumulating.
5. Have your furnace filter changed at least once a year. I’d suggest a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.
6. Be sure you vacuum weekly – and that means moving furniture to get around everything. Use a damp cloth to dust, so you’re just not recirculating dust in the air.
7. If you can, avoid indoor carpeting.
8. Get a dehumidifier for damp areas in your home. Clean evaporation trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers and refrigerators frequently to reduce mold.
9. Bathe and brush dogs and cats weekly to remove excess fur and oil. Keep pets out of the bedroom, if you can. That will reduce exposure to animal dander and dust mites.
10. Ventilate the attic and crawl spaces.

"For those with chronic allergic or immune conditions, an allergist can help patients treat their symptoms. We usually perform skin testing, the quickest, most accurate and most cost-effective way to test for allergies. Generally, we start with skin tests on the back. These are low dose tests to a variety of allergens to see what an individual is allergic to. Sometimes stronger skin tests on the arms are also needed. Then we can narrow down the allergens.

"There are three ways to treat allergies: first, avoid what you’re allergic to; second, we can prescribe medicines, such as non-drowsy antihistamines and nose sprays. For year-round symptoms that don’t respond to avoidance or medications, there are individually-prepared immunotherapy shots. Generally, patients take these shots over a period of five years, which leads to long-term benefit."

Editor’s Note: Dr. Lawrence Hennessey is board-certified in pediatrics, internal medicine, and allergy and immunology. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He received his medical degree from MSU’s College of Human Medicine. He is in practice with Kamal Mohan, M.D. Visit their website at www.myallergists.com

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