By Cinnamon Bair, New York Times Newspaper Group
When allergy and asthma sufferers retreat inside to avoid pollen
season, they're likely exposing themselves to a host of other
allergens.
Dust mites lurk in bedding, carpets and upholstery. Mold invades
the bathroom and kitchen. And pets unwittingly scatter their dander
throughout the house.
Allergists and other experts prescribe a schedule of thorough
cleaning and a few specialized products to help make homes
allergy-free zones.
''Once you've developed an allergy, avoidance is the best
treatment,'' says Dr. Susan Aguiar, an ear, nose and throat
specialist in Lakeland, Fla. ''It's an exposure thing as much as
anything.''
The biggest problem in the home is dust mites, says Dr. Lionel
Bonini, an allergist with Watson Clinic in Lakeland. Mites are
''microscopic little roaches'' that live in warm environments, such
as bedding, carpets and upholstery, and feed off dead skin that has
flaked off the body.
''Both their body parts and their droppings cause allergies in
people,'' Bonini says.
Dust mites especially love beds -- a place where people spend a
significant amount of their time. Therefore allergy experts say the
bed should receive the greatest amount of attention to reduce
allergens as much as possible.
For instance, all bedding, including mattress covers and
comforters, should be washed once a week in hot water, says Mary
Ann Peters, owner of The Allergy Relief Store in Brandon, Fla. The
water temperature must be at least 130 degrees.
Allergy sufferers may also want to invest in mattress and pillow
covers that can help make beds more mite-resistant, say the
experts.
The covers suffocate existing mites and prevent other mites from
moving in.
''It's like an envelope you stick the mattress in and zip it
up,'' Peters says.
Prices for the covers vary according to how comfortable the
material is, she says. But customers can generally expect to pay
between $95 and $120 to outfit a king-size bed with covers for the
mattress, box springs and pillows.
Another homebound threat faced by most allergy sufferers is
pets, Aguiar says. The skin particles shed by dogs and cats, known
as dander, can rapidly spread through the house and cause allergic
reactions for any allergy sufferer who walks in the door.
''It's a very small antigen, and it can get everywhere
quickly,'' she says. ''It will stick around for a while.''
The best prevention is not to have a dog or a cat in the house
at all, Aguiar says. If they must be kept in the house, Aguiar
suggests they be confined to one room. Animals should be banned
from bedrooms, she says.
Aguiar also suggests regularly washing cats, whose dander is
particularly allergenic. Pet owners can get their cats to cooperate
during the bath by holding onto the nape of their necks, which
restricts their movements.
Other options include dander-sealing products, such as Shed
Away, Peters says. Shed Away, which costs about $14, helps regulate
pet shedding and prevents dander from spreading.
Washable electrostatic filters for heating and cooling systems
are much more effective than throw-away filters in reducing the
amount of dust in the house. Having the heating and
air-conditioning coils cleaned once a year can also cut down on the
dust that is being circulated by the system.
Another major allergen in homes is mold.
To control mold growth, Aguiar says homeowners should run their
air conditioning to help regulate humidity. When mold is found in
the home, the surface should be thoroughly cleaned.
Because dust mites, dander and mold also travel on dust
particles in the air, Peters suggests that allergy sufferers invest
in a good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or, at the minimum, buy
specialized bags that prevent dust from blowing back into the air.
The bags fit most standard vacuum cleaners and cost about $9 for a
pack of three. Free-standing, electric HEPA air filters may help as
well.
Other suggestions for reducing allergens in the homes include
changing air-conditioning filters regularly, keeping clutter to a
minimum, using wood or plastic furnishings rather than upholstery
when possible, and ripping up the carpets in favor of bare wood or
tile floors.
Wall-to-wall carpeting is like going back to ''living in caves
with dirt floors,'' Bonini says.
For the best results, several different allergy-reducing ideas
and products should be employed throughout the house rather than
one or two things here or there.
''Any one measure does not work that well,'' Bonini says. ''But
if you do a little bit of everything, it makes a difference.''
