Common Allergy Triggers (original) (raw)

Many things can trigger allergies. The most common are pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander, insect stings, latex, and certain food and medications.

If it's hard to tell what's causing your allergies, or if you're finding it difficult to manage them on your own, see a doctor about getting allergy tests. The tests will help pinpoint exactly what your triggers are. In the meantime, try to keep notes on your symptoms -- when they start, how long they last, and whatever seems to bring them on, and tell your doctor about them.

Here are things you need to know about the eight most common culprits.

1. Pollen

The air is filled with pollen from fresh, growing things like grass, trees, and weeds in the spring and summer, which can cause allergy symptoms. In some people, ragweed in the fall may trigger allergies. Pollen allergy symptoms include:

To manage a pollen allergy:

2. Dust mites

These critters are so tiny you can’t see them without a microscope. Symptoms of dust mite allergy are similar to those caused by a pollen allergy, but they often happen year-round instead of during certain seasons.

Treatments include medications such as steroid nasal sprays, antihistamines, and decongestants.

Also:

3. Mold

Molds are tiny fungi with spores that float in the air like pollen. They grow in damp areas like basements or bathrooms and piles of leaves or grass.

Mold allergy symptoms are similar to those of pollen and dust mite allergies. They include sneezing, congestion, itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, and coughing.

Treatment is similar to that for dust mite and pollen allergies. To manage mold allergy, you can also:

4. Animal dander and cockroaches

Dander are flecks of skin shed by cats, dogs, and birds. Dander can trigger allergies. You might also react to the proteins from oil glands in an animal's skin or from an animal's saliva.

It may take 2 or more years to develop an allergy like this. Once you have symptoms, though, they may last until you don’t come into contact with the animal anymore. If you don’t have pets, it might be cockroaches that you’re allergic to.

Animal dander allergy symptoms include sneezing, congestion, and itchy and watery eyes.

To manage animal dander allergy:

5. Insect sting

Ouch! Something stung you, and now you’re having a bad reaction to it.

Insects that cause allergic reactions include bees, fire ants, yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps.

If you get stung by an insect, you might have pain, swelling, redness, and heat around the sting site. Those allergy symptoms can last for a few days.

It’s rare, but some people get a dangerous, full-body reaction called anaphylaxis, which needs emergency treatment. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

To manage insect stings:

If you get stung:

6. Latex allergy

You may have a mild reaction, like itchy red skin, from latex in gloves, condoms, or other things when you have a latex allergy. You could also have symptoms like:

It’s less common, but some people can have anaphylaxis from latex.

To treat this allergy, you may need to take antihistamines. Your doctor may also recommend always keeping an epinephrine auto-injector (Auvi-Q or EpiPen) with you in case of emergency.

To manage a latex allergy:

7. Food allergy

Some foods may bother you. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have an allergy.

When you have an allergic reaction to food, it usually happens within minutes after you eat the food. These allergies can be mild or severe. For instance, some children must avoid peanuts in order to prevent a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction.

Milk, fish and shellfish, nuts, soybeans, wheat, and eggs are among the most common foods that cause allergies. Your doctor can help you pinpoint your triggers so you can avoid them.

Food allergy symptoms can include:

To manage a food allergy:

8. Drug allergy

Some people are allergic to certain medicines, such as penicillin or aspirin.

Symptoms can range from a mild reaction like a skin rash a few days after you start a drug to an immediate, serious reaction. These can lead to anaphylaxis. Serious symptoms include:

For serious reactions, including anaphylaxis, you’ll need to call 911, and you may be need to be treated in the hospital. For milder symptoms, your doctor may give you an antihistamine or steroids.

Talk with your doctor if you know you have a drug allergy or think you might. They may refer you for allergy testing.

Even when you know what you're allergic to, you may not know how you're coming in contact with it. Hidden sources of allergy triggers are all around us.

Indoor pollution

Studies have shown that indoor air pollution is often at least twice as high as what you get outdoors. If you're staying inside with the windows shut to avoid pollen, you may not be helping your situation. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends air purifiers and good HVAC filters to help improve your indoor air quality.

Vacuum cleaners

Allergens are tiny enough to go through a basic filter, rocketing out of the vacuum's exhaust.

Much as we might all like to have a doctor-approved excuse for giving up on housework, that's not an option. People with allergies need to vacuum regularly since a buildup of dust -- full of allergens like pollens, dust mites, and pet hair -- is the last thing you need.

So instead, shell out for a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which will be fine enough to catch most allergy-irritating particles. Another option is a central vacuum -- if your house has one installed -- since at least then the allergens aren't being dispersed in your living space.

Cleaning products

Although cleaning products are not technically allergens, they can irritate the airways and trigger serious symptoms.

The key is to prevent the odor from the cleaning products from being heavy during cleaning. Make sure you have good ventilation by opening a window or running an exhaust fan.

Pets

It's not just the animal dander. Pets are prime culprits for bringing hidden allergy triggers into the house. When they go outside, they can pick up pollen and mold spores. Then they come in and sit on the couch, your bed, and you. The only solution is keeping your pets indoors or bathing them regularly.

Houseguests

Visitors can also bring hidden allergy triggers, like cat dander, on their clothes and bags and leave them behind on the way out.

Treat your guests' belongings as warily as you would their cat. Ask guests to put their things in a closed room, then don't go in. Or you could even ask guests to leave their coats and bags in the garage. If none of that works, try to meet your friends outside your home.

Humidity -- too much or too little

Moisture helps mold grow. Dust mites also love a damp environment. So experts say you should keep humidity levels at 40% or below if you have allergies.

But air that's too dry -- under 20% humidity -- can affect you too. When the air is dry, your body tries to make up for it by making extra mucus in your nasal passages, which can leave you stuffed up.

Here's a tip: Get a hygrometer, a simple device that reads the humidity in your home. That way, depending on the moisture levels, you can either humidify or dehumidify.

Electrical appliances

Certain household appliances and electronics, including laser printers, generate ozone. Ozone is a gas that's a well-known irritant for people with allergies. That's why people with asthma should stay inside on days with high ozone levels. But what's even worse is that many air cleaners deliberately churn out ozone to freshen the air.

Stoves and heaters

Combustion in gas stoves, fireplaces, kerosene lamps, and many other devices and appliances can produce nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. If they're not vented to the outside, the gases they release will move into your living space.

If possible, avoid using unvented appliances. Also, use fireplaces, portable kerosene stoves, and wood stoves only occasionally.

Furniture, rugs, and home improvements

Many furnishings and construction materials contain formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might irritate your airways. They include the glue used in carpet installation, the particleboard on your kitchen cabinets, the foam in your furniture, or the insulation in your walls.

Most irritants will fade over time but can take weeks or months.

If possible, start with prevention. Choose products that are less likely to cause symptoms. And ventilate your home while they're being installed so the irritant doesn't become too concentrated.

Workplace

Someone else's on-the-job exposure to irritants can affect you, too. If someone in your family works at a factory, garage, or laboratory -- or anywhere else with chemical irritants -- they can bring them home. And that could start you sneezing and coughing. Ask them to change their clothing after work or as soon as they get home.

Global warming

Many experts believe climate change could be making allergy symptoms worse. Global warming is tied to higher carbon dioxide levels. Some kinds of plants are loving it, and their pollen season is getting longer.

Aside from doing your bit to slow climate change, you can do little about this alone. Just be aware that the pollen season might be coming sooner than you expect, and be ready for it.

If you think you have allergies, you and your doctor will need to do some detective work to figure out what is making you sneeze or itch.

Track your allergy symptoms

Keep track of every symptom you have; they're all important clues to what you might be allergic to and how serious your allergy is. Signs of an allergic reaction include:

Look for suspects

Allergens enter your body in different ways. You’ll be that much closer to finding your culprit if you can figure out how.

Keep a diary

Tracking when you have symptoms and what was going on when you had them in a diary helps pinpoint the cause. It also can help you figure out what makes them worse.

Think about anything that's changed in your routine, like eating something different or going to new places. Be sure to note if other family members have allergies and what they are.

This info will also help your doctor decide what you're allergic to and how to treat it.

If you still can’t figure out your allergies, you can get help from the experts. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s free info line, 800-727-8462, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. This line isn’t for emergencies. Call 911 if you’re having a serious reaction.

An allergist can help you figure out what and how serious your allergies are. They might: