Causes Of Allergies

It is hard to avoid some allergens such as house dust mites or fungal spores because they can be hard to spot and can appear in most places. It can also be hard to avoid pets, particularly if they belong to friends and family, and many food allergies are triggered because people do not realise they are eating food to which they are allergic. Below are some practical advice that should help you to avoid the most common allergens.

Food allergies

Food allergens

By law, food manufacturers must clearly label any foods that contain something that is known to cause an allergic reaction, such as celery, cereals, crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, mustard, nuts, sesame seeds, soybeans and the preservatives sulphur dioxide and sulphites. By carefully checking the label for the list of ingredients, you should be able to avoid an allergic reaction.

Many people experience an allergic reaction while eating out at a restaurant. You can avoid this by:

• not relying on the menu description alone as there are things like sauces that could contain things which cause allergies
• speaking with the waiting staff and asking for their advice
• avoiding places where there is a chance that different types of food could come into contact with each other, such as buffets or bakeries

Simple dishes are less likely to contain a vast mixture of ingredients.

Pollen allergies

Pollen allergies, more commonly known as hay fever, are caused when plants release pollen particles into the air. Different plants pollinate at different times of the year, so the months that you get hay fever will depend on what sort of pollen you are allergic to. In general, people are affected during spring (trees) and summer (grasses).

To avoid exposure to pollen you can:

• Check weather reports for the pollen count and stay indoors when it is high.
• Avoid drying clothes?and bedding outside when the pollen count is high.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from pollen.
• Keep doors and windows shut during mid-morning and early evening as this is when there is the most pollen in the air
• Shower, wash your hair and change your clothes after being outside.
• Avoid parks, fields and other places with grass.

House dust mites

One of the biggest causes of allergies are dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic insects that breed in household dust. Below are ways that you can limit the amount of mites in your house.

1. Choose wood or hard vinyl floor coverings instead of a carpet.
2. Fit roller blinds that can be easily wiped clean.
3. Clean cushions, soft toys, curtains and upholstered furniture regularly, either by washing (at high temperature) or vacuuming.
4. Use synthetic pillows and acrylic duvets instead of woollen blankets or feather bedding.
5. Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, because it can remove more dust than ordinary vacuum cleaners.
6. Wipe surfaces with a damp, clean cloth, as dry dusting can spread the allergens further.

Focus more on controlling dust mites in the areas of your home where you spend the most time, such as the bedroom and living room.

Dog and Cat Pets

It?s not the pet fur that causes an allergic reaction; it?s exposure to flakes of their dead skin, saliva and dried urine.

If you can?t permanently remove a pet from the house, you may find the following tips useful.

• Keep pets outside as much as possible, or limit them to one room, preferably one without carpet.
• Don?t allow pets in bedrooms.
• Wash pets at least once a fortnight.
• Groom dogs regularly outside.
• Wash all bedding and soft furnishings on which a pet has laid on.

If you are visiting a friend or relative with a pet, ask them not to dust or vacuum on the day you are visiting, as this will stir up the allergens into the air. Taking an antihistamine medicine one hour before entering a pet-inhabited house can help to reduce symptoms.

Mould spores

Moulds can grow on any decaying matter, both in and outside the house. The moulds themselves aren?t allergens but the spores they release are. Spores are released when there is a sudden rise in temperature in a moist environment, such as when central heating is turned on in a damp house, or wet clothes are dried next to a fireplace.

Here are some ways that you can prevent mould spores:

• Keep your home dry and well ventilated.
• When showering or cooking, keep internal doors closed to prevent damp air from spreading through the house and use extractor fans.
• Do not dry clothes indoors, store clothes in damp cupboards or pack clothes too tightly in wardrobes.
• Deal with any damp and condensation in your home.

Severe allergies

If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction, make sure you carry two EpiPens or Anapens with you?everywhere you go. Wear a MedicAlert or Medi-Tag medallion or bracelet so that people are aware of your allergy in an emergency, and consider telling your teachers, work colleagues and friends so they can give you your adrenaline injection in an emergency while waiting for an ambulance.

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2. Causes Of Allergies
3. Treatment For Allergy
4. Pneumococcal Infections
5. Inflamed airways ? Bronchitis
6. Asbestosis ? Chronic lung disease

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