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Home Allergies - Patient Education Overview

When a person has indoor or home allergies, the body's immune system mistakenly reacts to substances, such as dust, mold, animal dander, or animal saliva, as invaders. These substances are called allergens. They do not cause allergy symptoms for most people, but in people with one of these allergies, an allergic reaction occurs as the immune system tries to fight off the allergen. Read more in this patient education guide.

Common indoor or home allergens include:

Mold Allergies - Mold spores can be carried in the air in damp places, such as basements, bathrooms, or washrooms, or on fabrics, rugs, stuffed animals, or books that have been kept in damp areas. Mold also lives outdoors in soil, compost, and damp vegetation.
Pet Allergies - People who are allergic to animals are allergic to their pet's dander (the small scales of skin that they shed) or their saliva, but not their fur or feathers.
Dust Allergies - House dust carries many tiny particles in it, including pollen, mold spores, clothing fibers, detergents, animal dander, tiny insects called dust mites, parts of cockroaches, bacteria, food particles, and other debris. Dust allergy is most often a reaction to dust mites, animal dander, or cockroach debris.
Other irritants in the environment - Smoke, fumes from industries or cleaning products, tobacco, powder, and laundry detergents, can cause allergy-like symptoms even though there is no immune system reaction to them.

Allergens enter the body through the eyes, airways, or on the skin, leading to symptoms such as:

Coughing
Difficulty breathing
Hives
Itchy nose, eyes, throat, or skin
Rash
Runny nose
Sinus pressure
Sneezing
Redness in the eyes
Tearing eyes
Wheezing

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Doctors Who Treat Home Allergies - Patient Education

As your indoor or home allergies are diagnosed, treated and managed, you may encounter the following team of doctors and specialists.

Allergist/Immunologist - Commonly referred to as an allergist, this type of doctor is specially trained to diagnose, treat and manage allergies, asthma and other immunologic disorders.
Pediatric Allergist/Immunologist - This type of doctor is specially trained to diagnose, treat and manage allergies, asthma and other immunologic disorders in children.
Internist or family physician - Doctors who provide general medical care for adults. Adults with indoor allergies may initially be diagnosed and treated by an internist or family physician.
Pediatrician - Doctor who specializes in the medical care of children. Children with indoor allergies may initially be diagnosed and treated by a pediatrician.

How to Prepare for Your Home Allergies Doctor Visit

Having made your appointment with a healthcare provider, there are certain actions you can take to increase your patient education and maximize the benefit of your doctor visit for indoor or home allergies:

Write down a list of your allergy symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to indoor allergens.
Write down the times of year and times of day that you experience allergy symptoms and when symptoms are most severe.
Write down a list of potential allergen sources in your home, such as pets, damp areas, dusty areas, and irritants such as smoke or fumes.
Make a list of any chronic illnesses or recent illnesses.
Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you're taking. Include the dosage you are taking of each.
Make a list of questions you have for the doctor regarding home allergies so that you don't forget to ask any of them.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Home Allergies

From your initial diagnosis throughout your treatment and care, you will have questions about your indoor or home allergies. Our patient education guide lists the questions to discuss with your doctor so you can make informed decisions about your allergic condition.

Question About My Diagnosis

What makes me allergic to certain allergens?
How do I find out which indoor substances I am allergic to?
Will I need to see a specialist for my allergies? Will insurance pay for this?
How often will I need to see the specialist?

Questions About My Treatment

What type of medication is used to treat indoor allergies? Are there side effects?
Will I have to take medication forever?
Will other medications I take interact with my allergy medication?
Can I drink alcohol while taking my allergy medication?
Am I a candidate for allergy shots? How do they work?

Questions About My Lifestyle & Family

Do I need to change my daily activities and routines to avoid my allergens?
Will I need to have professional cleaning done to remove allergens from my home?
Will I need to buy new furniture and bedding to remove allergens from my home?
How can I work with my employer to remove allergens from my workplace?

Common Tests or Labs to Diagnose Home Allergies

To diagnose indoor or home allergies, the doctor will ask many questions about your health history, your work and home environments, your family medical history, frequency and severity of your symptoms, exposure to pets, and other questions.

Your answers to these questions may reveal obvious triggers, such as symptoms that develop in response to a certain animal. Skin tests or blood tests may also be needed to determine which allergens trigger your indoor allergies.

Test	Why Test?	What Happens?	Normal Result
Skin Prick Test	To find out if your body produces antibodies that react to a specific allergen	A needle is used to place a tiny amount of allergen just below the surface of the skin on your lower arm or back.	The skin will not react if there is no allergy. If you are allergic to that allergen, there will be swelling or redness at the test site.
Blood Test	To measure the levels of specific antibodies to allergens, such as pollen, mold, or dust mites, in your blood	Blood is drawn with a syringe, typically from the arm.	Antibodies to a specific allergen in the blood indicate a possible allergy to that allergen.

Test

Why Test?

What Happens?

Normal Result

Skin Prick Test

To find out if your body produces antibodies that react to a specific allergen

A needle is used to place a tiny amount of allergen just below the surface of the skin on your lower arm or back.

The skin will not react if there is no allergy.

If you are allergic to that allergen, there will be swelling or redness at the test site.

Blood Test

To measure the levels of specific antibodies to allergens, such as pollen, mold, or dust mites, in your blood

Blood is drawn with a syringe, typically from the arm.

Antibodies to a specific allergen in the blood indicate a possible allergy to that allergen.

Common Medications and Treatments for Home Allergies

Treatment for indoor allergies starts with avoiding exposure to your allergens and may also include allergy medication or allergy shots.

People with indoor allergies can take the following steps listed below in this patient education guide to minimize contact with common allergens (i.e. dust mites, animal dander, and mold):

Avoid contact with animals that cause the allergy.
Put allergen covers ("mite-proof" covers) on pillows and mattresses.
Wash bed linens weekly in hot water.
Keep stuffed toys off beds, and wash them weekly.
Vacuum weekly using either a vacuum with a HEPA filter or a central vacuum system.
Use a damp cloth to wipe dust off furniture and other hard surfaces weekly.
Keep the humidity level in your home below 55 percent. Use a dehumidifier if necessary. Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers. Repair any water leaks.
Use vent fans in bathrooms and when cooking to remove moisture from the air.
Clean and disinfect bathrooms regularly.
Use pull-down shades instead of slatted blinds and cloth draperies, which collect more dust.
Wear a N95 filter mask while dusting, sweeping or vacuuming.

If the strategies listed above do not relieve your symptoms, the following strategies may be useful:

Remove wall-to-wall carpeting, especially in the bedroom.
Remove upholstered furniture or switch to furniture made with synthetic fabrics.
Ask your allergist about installing a high-efficiency media filter with a MERV rating of 11 or 12 in the furnace and air conditioning unit.

Allergy shots and common allergy medicines prescribed for indoor allergies are described in the table below.

Drug Category	How it works
Antihistamines	Oral medications or nasal sprays that relieve sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes and reduce swelling and drainage in the nose Some have side effects, such as drowsiness and loss of alertness and coordination, while others cause fewer of these side effects Available in eye drops for eye allergy symptoms
Nasal Corticosteroids	Nasal sprays that prevent or reduce inflammation in the sinuses and nasal passages
Cromolyn Sodium	A nasal spray that blocks the release of body chemicals that cause allergy symptoms
Decongestants	Oral medications that shrink nasal passages, which helps relieve congestion, swelling, and general discomfort in the sinuses and nose
Allergy Shots	A series of injections containing small doses of your allergen, allowing your body to build up a natural immunity to the allergen

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Home Allergies
Patient Education

Patient Guide

Home Allergies - Patient Education Overview

Doctors Who Treat Home Allergies - Patient Education

How to Prepare for Your Home Allergies Doctor Visit

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Home Allergies

Common Tests or Labs to Diagnose Home Allergies

Common Medications and Treatments for Home Allergies

Local Home Allergies Specialists

Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month: Finding the Right Care

Posted on 2013-05-14 08:00:23

Home AllergiesPatient Education

Patient Guide

Home Allergies - Patient Education Overview

Doctors Who Treat Home Allergies - Patient Education

How to Prepare for Your Home Allergies Doctor Visit

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Home Allergies

Common Tests or Labs to Diagnose Home Allergies

Common Medications and Treatments for Home Allergies

Local Home Allergies Specialists

Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month: Finding the Right Care

Posted on 2013-05-14 08:00:23

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Home Allergies
Patient Education