Is Your Home Making You Sick
Allergens are widespread, but highly variable in U.S. homes, according to the nation’s largest indoor allergen study to date. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health report that over 90 percent of homes had three or more detectable allergens, and 73 percent of homes had at least one allergen at elevated levels. The findings were published November 30 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
“Elevated allergen levels can exacerbate symptoms in people who suffer from asthma and allergies, so it is crucial to understand the factors that contribute,” said Darryl Zeldin, M.D., senior author and scientific director at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of NIH.
Using data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the researchers studied levels of eight common allergens – cat, dog, cockroach, mouse, rat, mold, and two types of dust mite allergens – in the bedrooms of nearly 7,000 U.S. homes.
Factors contributing to elevated bedroom allergen levels include presence of pets and pests, type of housing, and living in rural areas. Individual allergens vary by geographic area.
Credit: NIEHS
For individual allergens, exposure levels varied greatly with age, sex, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Differences were also found between geographic locations and climatic conditions. For example, elevated dust mite allergen levels were more common in the South and Northeast, and in regions with a humid climate. Levels of cat and dust mite allergens were also found to be higher in rural areas than in urban settings.
To provide a more complete picture, the research team also compared allergen exposure and previously reportedsensitization patterns from this survey. Sensitization, which makes a person’s immune system overreactive to allergens, may increase the risk of developing allergies and asthma. NHANES 2005-2006 allowed national level comparisons of exposure and sensitization for the first time.
The team uncovered several differences. Although males and non-Hispanic blacks were less likely to be exposed to multiple allergens, sensitization was more common in these groups, compared to females and other racial groups, respectively. Patterns also differed for urban and rural settings. Exposure to several elevated allergens was most prevalent in rural areas, whereas sensitization rates were shown to be higher in urbanized areas.
Overlaps were also found. For dust mite allergens, exposure and sensitization was most prevalent in the Southern and Northeastern regions, and for cockroach allergen in the South. Patterns also reflected socioeconomic variations, especially for pet and cockroach allergens, according to lead author Paivi Salo, Ph.D., of NIEHS.
The researchers emphasized that the relationships between allergen exposures, allergic sensitization, and disease are complex. Studies are still investigating how allergen exposures interact with other environmental and genetic factors that contribute to asthma and allergies.
In the meantime, the following preventive actions may help reduce exposure to indoor allergens and irritants.
- Vacuuming carpets and upholstered furniture every week.
- Washing sheets and blankets in hot water every week.
- Encasing mattresses, pillows, and box springs in allergen-impermeable covers.
- Lowering indoor humidity levels below 50 percent.
- Removing pets from homes or at least limiting their access to bedrooms.
- Sealing entry points and eliminating nesting places for pests, as well as removing their food and water sources.
“Asthma and allergies affect millions of Americans,” said Salo. “We hope this comprehensive study provides beneficial information to a wide audience, from patients to clinicians.”
Contacts and sources:
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH):
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
Some of the allergens could also be created by natural gas. Also don’t forget the chem trails. Your windows are open then you have a huge host of all kinds of chemicals, and bio filth.
40% asthmatics are not having an allergic reaction to many of the common chemicals , but an inflammation reactions that has nothing to do with the histamine receptors and an anti histamine is the opposite if treatment need.. My doctors have said for years these are more realistic figures. Since the early 1990′a the FDA has discriminated against us and excluded us from clinical trials for medicines and foods that often they are considered only “generally safe” and software that doctors and pharmacist have to use to check for us,, DOES NOT INCLUDE EVEN THE MOST COMMON CHEMICALS THAT 20 MILLION REACT TO . MANY HAVE TO GO TO A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY NOW TO MIX UP MEDICATIONS AND INSJURACNES AND EVEN MEDICARE IS BEGINNING TO PAY FOR THESE AS THE ONES MANUFACTURED ARE ONLY FOR THE OTHER 60% OF ASTHMATICS AND HAVE ADDED INREDIENTS WHICH CAN BE LIFE THREATTENEING IF THEYH ARE EVEN LABELED ANYMORE.. and it does seem to have a genetic break down of who becomes which group on exposures which can be a traumatic event as I had on 1/10/89 or others have long term exposure which gradually harms and some never seem to be bothered at all. but some say they may be the ones who get other diseases such as cancer. About 4 years ago the patients could no longer call the pharmaceutical company and say the chemicals they need to avound and many cannot get tested as I was able to almost 30 years ago and get a yes or no, That ended and I am recovering from the 4th severe reaction to medications that had no warning labels nor fully listed all ingredients and companies no longer cooperate.. Poison control data base has no info to give for us as they do not have these either. One of my doctors who headed up the research on toxins and chemical at National institutes of health has published a peer accepted paper that much of the inflammation is from damage to the mucous membrane , the human protective coating..
PLEASE DO NOT ROUTINELY SAY JUST ALLERGIES AS DOING THIS HAS LED TO NO MEDICATIONS FOR 20 MILLON OF US AND THE MAIN ASTMA MEDICATION TO GET TO THAT INFLAMMATON AT THE DNA Level, , THEOPHYLLINE has been the basic drug for us for over 70 years and nothing else does it as well and helps synthesize even oxygen and other medications. NO SAFE ONE BEING MANUFACTUED RIGHT NOW AS THE ONES OUT THERE HAVE ADDED INFLAMMERS TO THE PILLS AND A REAL SHORTAGE OF IT WORLD WIDE AS THEY PLOWED UNDER THE CHOCOLATE PLANTS TO GROW THE COCAINE PLANTS AND THEY CANNOT GET AS MUCH EXTRACTED FROM TEA PLANTS. THNAKS FOR YOUR ARTICLA AS WE HAVE A LOT OF CHEMICALS AROUND US THART ARE HARMING MANY OF US AND FOR SOME LIKE ME CAN BE LIFE THREATEING IN WHAT IS CONSIDERED SAFE PARTS PER MILION AS WE SPEACK IN SAFE LEVELS AS PARTS PER BILLION AND REALLY IS NOT SAFE.. FOR US. 20 million USA ASTMATICS NOW MORE SECOND HAND VICTIMS OF THE DRUG EPIDEMIC …. Linda Joy Adams