Millions of people suffer from allergy symptoms,
1 including when they are at home. Pruebe estos consejos para reducir cuatro de los principales alérgenos y causantes de problemas en el hogar: el polen, el moho, los ácaros del polvo y la caspa de las mascotas.
Ponga al polen en su lugar: fuera de su casa.
Pollen can be one of the worst allergy-symptom culprits. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) explains, “Seasonal allergic rhinitis is often caused by tree pollen in the early spring. During the late spring and early summer, grasses often cause symptoms. Late summer and fall hay fever is caused by weeds.”
2
But, according to the AAAAI,
2 there are several ways to keep pollen from invading your home:
- Comience por su patio. Mowing the lawn or raking leaves can stir up pollen. When this task needs to be done, consider asking or hiring someone else to do it. If you must do it yourself, consider taking allergy medications prescribed by your allergist at the recommended dosage before mowing.
- Mantenga las ventanas cerradas durante la noche para evitar que el polen se traslade hacia el interior. To keep cool at night, use air conditioning, which cleans, cools, and dries indoor air.
- Hanging clothes or sheets out to dry gives them a nice, fresh smell, but be cautious. Pollen can collect on your clothes as they hang on the line, helping them find a way into your house.
- If you’ve been outdoors, take a shower when you come in, and change your clothes. This reduces allergens that might have collected on your skin, hair, and clothes, and helps to keep pollen out of the house.3
No permita que el moho tome el control.
Indoor mold, or fungus, flourishes on dampness and humidity.
4
The AAAAI recommends:
4
- Cleaning hard surfaces, such as your bathroom tubs, shower stalls (and curtains), and curtains, and windowsills, with water, detergent, and, if necessary, 5% bleach (do not mix with other cleaners) or a disinfectant to kill mold and mildew. Dry the area completely.
- Use a dehumidifier in damp areas or during humid weather. An air conditioner can also keep humidity low so molds have less opportunity to thrive.
- Remove carpeting from concrete or damp floors, especially in the basement.
- Avoid storing items in damp areas.
- Promptly repair areas that may be water damaged—roofs, basements, sinks, and pipes.
Pruebe potentes soluciones para los problemas con los ácaros del polvo. Estos pequeños insectos sólo pueden verse a través de un microscopio. Aún así, sus excrementos (no los insectos en sí) pueden causar síntomas de alergia durante todo el año.
To help reduce exposure, the AAAAI suggests:
4
- Wash bedding—including mattress covers and pillow covers—in hot water (130 °F), and dry in a hot dryer every week.
- Remove as much humidity as possible from your home by using a dehumidifier or air conditioning, as dust mites thrive on moisture.
- Limit or avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, and replace with throw rugs that can be washed regularly or dry cleaned.
- Weekly, use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter or a double-layered bag and wear a dust mask. If possible, ask someone else to vacuum (while you do another household task, of course!).
Here’s the best solution to reduce allergens: Cover your mattress, box springs, and pillows with allergen-proof fabric covers or airtight, zippered plastic covers, and wash regularly.
La vida es mucho más elegante sin caspa. Amamos a nuestras mascotas, pero no nos gustan los síntomas de las alergias que pueden estar asociadas con su caspa (pequeñas escamas de la piel o pelaje de un animal).
- If you don’t want to keep your pet outdoors, consider at least keeping him out of your bedroom, where you spend at least a third of your day.
- Reduce allergens by frequently vacuuming living spaces where your pet likes to hang out. Be sure to use a HEPA filter vacuum. Also, using a HEPA air cleaner may help reduce animal allergen exposure.
- Bañe a su mascota con frecuencia.
A Trusted Resource
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals, and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic disease.
