Allergies cause unpleasant or dangerous symptoms such as sneezing, skin irritations and constriction of the throat from the exposure to substances that are otherwise harmless. We don't start out with allergies, but become allergic as a result of contact with the things that trigger allergies, called allergens. Examples of common allergens are pollen, dust mites, molds and certain foods. An allergic reaction is caused when your immune system overeacts to an allergen.

Pollen	Bacteria
Dustmite

Important Facts

	Allergic disorders are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S., affecting more than 20 percent of all adults and children.
	Many allergic disorders are on the rise - particularly among children.
	Dust mites cause allergies in approxiately 30% of Americans.
	Somewhere around 10% of the U.S. population is allergic to one or many types of mold.

Despite these troubling statistics, allergies often go undiagnosed or improperly treated. And all the itching, sneezing, wheezing, and coughing is more than bothersome. In fact, it may be potentially dangerous. Untreated allergies can lead to serious chronic respiratory conditions. Some allergies can even cause reactions that are fatal.

The most common kind of allergy is called immediate hypersentitivity. Such allergies cause hayfever, allergic asthma, food allergy, and some drug allergies. This type involves a very quick reaction, typically taking 15 minutes to become really obvious.

To Avoid Allergy Symptoms, It Is Important To Reduce Exposure To Allergens.

Most hayfever allergies are caused by allergens that originate from outside the home. But such outdoor allergens may be present indoors at a sufficient concentration to affect the occupants. Examples are pollen and mold spores from outdoors causing hay fever and allergies indoors; as well as smoke and car exhaust from busy streets. Ventilation is very important for indoor air quality, so completely sealing your building is not a good option. Keeping your windows closed during periods of higher allergen concentration however is a good idea. Air purification with HEPA filters catches most allergens.

Dust Mites

Dust mites are tiny creatures which live indoors on flaked off bits of skin and dwell in materials such as carpeting, couches, and bedding where skin scale would tend to accumulate. Approximately thirty percent of the U.S. population is allergic to the feces of dust mites Their feces is highly allergenic; in fact more people are allergic to dust mite feces than to any other substance. When someone is allergic to dust it is normally a dust mite allergy.

Dust Mite Control

Get a proper diagnosis to make sure that you are in fact allergic to dust mite fece, and if so, consider the following suggestions.

	Dust mites require a certain amount of moisture to reproduce. Keeping humidity levels down is therefore the ideal way to prevent dust mites.
	Be thorough. Dealing with one or two sources of mites is not likely to help all that much, especially if your allergy is causing an asthma problem.
	Deny the mites living space. Deny them access to the big open spaces of your bed, and clean them off the surfaces. Remove carpets and cloth-covered furniture.
	Avoid things which raise dust from furniture and the floor.
	Cover bedding with dust-proof material.
	Avoid using vacuum cleaners where damp dusting is possible. Use a good filtering vacuum cleaner where vacuum cleaning is necessary.
	Use a HEPA air purifier in your house to filter airborne particles.