Allergens can make your life miserable—and they can basically hide in plain sight. Few things are more frustrating than suspecting you have an allergy, but being unable to ID the source. Sure, if you’re aware you have seasonal allergies, you generally know to expect a runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, and sneezing when you venture outside at certain times of year. But if you're allergic to something in your own space, the root cause could be a big ol’ question mark.
Luckily, experts already know of a few overwhelmingly common allergy-causing substances that hang out in people’s homes. Better yet, there are some things you can do to reduce your exposure to allergens that might be all up in your grill. (Like, literally your kitchen grill, among other spots.) This derm-approved intel is especially important if you have asthma, which is often tied to allergies and can flare up when you come into contact with the below substances.
Ready for a disgusting (but kind of cool) science lesson? If you think you’re allergic to dust, you can actually blame invisible organisms called dust mites. “Dust mites are microscopic and thrive in areas that we like because we’re their food,” William Reisacher, M.D., director of allergy services at Weill Cornell Medicine & NewYork-Presbyterian, tells SELF. “They feed off our dead skin cells.” Yum.
Dust mites can live in places like your bedding and upholstered furniture. There, they can die or excrete waste that causes allergy symptoms, Dr. Reisacher explains. If you notice you have allergy symptoms in the morning after you've spent hours sleeping in bed, or whenever you spend prolonged periods on the sofa, dust mites may be your issue. Same goes if you feel most miserable when you’re going through a dusty old closet, or when you haven’t dusted your home for some time.
If you have a dust mite allergy, the first thing you need to do is make sure to eliminate dust as best you can. That includes cleaning thoroughly (ideally at least once a week), getting rid of clutter that attracts dust, and even using special dust-mite prevention encasements for your mattress and pillows, Dr. Reisacher says. You should also be washing anything that’s especially likely to harbor dust mites, like bedding, at least once a week in hot water, then drying it on high heat as well, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Finally, if you have a humidifier, especially in your bedroom, you may want to reconsider that. “Patients will often get humidifiers because they’re congested, but dust mites thrive in humidity,” Princess Ogbogu, M.D., assistant professor of Allergy and Immunology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Instead, you might want to consider a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier or filter; they’re meant to remove as many tiny allergens from the air as possible.
It's a common misconception that animal dander is just fur. It’s actually proteins found in sources like animals’ dead skin cells and saliva, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you have a pet, you might think you'd know if you were allergic to their dander, but that's not always true. “People might have chronic nasal congestion or sneezing or eye itching, but can’t pinpoint [the allergy] because it doesn’t seem to get worse around their pet,” Dr. Ogbogu says.
Having spent most of your life around animals can make you less aware of this allergy. “I see this often in college students who move away, and when they come home for breaks, they can’t tolerate being [around their pet],” Dr. Ogbogu says. “People can get used to a chronic level of allergy symptoms, then when they finally feel better, go back to that situation and realize it wasn’t quite normal.”
If you suspect you’re allergic to your pet, this doesn’t automatically mean you need to give them up. “The best thing for someone who is pet-allergic is not to have pets, but that’s not realistic for a lot of people. Pets become a part of the family,” Dr. Ogbogu says. At the very least, though, you should try to designate certain areas of your home as pet-free zones. That’s hugely important for your bedroom, since you spend a lot of time there. “Create your safe haven,” Dr. Reisacher says.
You can also consider purchasing a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter to get rid of as much dander floating through the air as possible, Dr. Ogbogu says. That can help with an animal allergen you might be experiencing even if you don’t have pets: mice. Any mice scurrying around your home—or in the walls of your home, where their dander may get into your air circulation system—can kick off allergy symptoms.
Finally, a note on “hypoallergenic” pets: They don’t quite exist. “‘Hypoallergenic’ really is a misnomer,” Dr. Ogbogu says. People typically use this descriptor to mean an animal is less likely to shed, but that doesn’t help much given that dander is also present in places like a pet’s saliva and skin. Having an animal that sheds a lot could make an allergy worse, but fur isn't really the problem, Dr. Ogbogu explains.
It’s full-body shudder time. “Cockroaches are a huge allergen,” Dr. Ogbogu says. You may be exposed to them in public buildings, or they could be in your home even if you keep your place pristine. “They can be there whether you’re super-clean or not,” Dr. Ogbogu says.
Both dead and live roaches pose a potential problem. “Dead ones can leave particles that disintegrate and become dust that becomes part of your environment, or they can die in the walls, so [waste] blows through the vents,” Dr. Ogbogu says. Live roaches can also leave behind waste that may cause an allergic reaction. “It’s really a smorgasbord,” Dr. Ogbogu says.
To counter this allergen, be diligent about cleaning up crumbs and keeping food stored away so as not to entice any roaches who want to come into your place and eat your food. They don't deserve it, they don’t even pay rent. Beyond that, the best plan of action is to get an exterminator ASAP if you think you have a roach problem, Dr. Reisacher says.
Basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are typical moldy spots since they’re often pretty damp, Dr. Reisacher says. Surprisingly enough, plants can also contribute to mold, since their leaves and soil can harbor moisture. “Having a jungle inside your home is probably not good if you're mold-sensitive,” Dr. Reisacher says.
Try to keep your home as clean and dry as possible to cut down on mold, Dr. Reisacher says. And if you have a major mold problem because of something like a leak in your basement, it’s best to leave fixing that to professionals.
Though pollen is an outdoor allergen, you can bring it home with you, Dr. Reisacher says. To avoid pollen causing problems indoors, he recommends changing out of any clothing you've worn outside as soon as you get home. Don't put it on surfaces like your sofa or bed, where the pollen can stick around. Instead, keep it separate and off of surfaces, perhaps by stashing any clothes you’ve worn outdoors in their own hamper outside of your bedroom, Dr. Reisacher says. You might also want to designate some indoor-only clothing, so you know you can wear certain items at home and they'll always be as pollen-free as possible.
You can try to play detective and engage in some trial and error on your own, but it’s also fine to just head to a doctor first for allergy testing. Things like anti-dust mite encasements and exterminator visits can add up. “It makes sense to get tested,” Dr. Ogbogu says. “Then you can really target where you need to spend your money and which interventions make the most sense for you and your lifestyle.”
Dr. Reisacher agrees, adding that allergy testing isn’t the colossal, uncomfortable undertaking many people assume. “People think its a big, painful ordeal, but it’s very easy to do allergy testing, and you can get a lot of information from it,” he says. A medical professional may either inject small amounts of allergens into your skin to see how your system reacts, or they may take blood to test for various sensitivities. (Here are a few ways to make blood testing easier to handle, FYI.)
Based on the results, your doctor can help you create a treatment plan to control your allergies, which may include medicine and/or allergy immunotherapy. Also known as allergy shots, this can be a “phenomenally good treatment," Dr. Reisacher says. “It's like sending your immune system to college and teaching it to ignore these things it’s paying attention to.”
If your allergies are causing flare-ups of asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, and wheezing, definitely mention that to your doctor, too. They can work out a specific treatment plan to ward off symptoms of both conditions, especially where you live, so you can think of it as home sweet home again.
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