CONTROLLING YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS KEY TO MINIMIZING ALLERGIES

During a skin test, a patient's back started to show a reaction to about 80 different allergens, such as house dust, mites, grasses, pet dander, mold and various foods.

So you live in Southeast Missouri and you've got allergies. Is your situation hopeless? Should you move to the desert?

Believe it or not, there are some things that can be done to minimize the effect of allergies on your life.

There are three treatments for allergies that are most often administered.

They are: avoidance, medications and allergy injections.

Dr. Robert Sacha, an allergist, said there are a number of things that can be altered in one's environment that will help minimize problems related to allergies.

In fact, avoidance is the best treatment for allergies. Medications won't work for you if you do nothing to lessen the allergens in your environment.

It is estimated that 35 million people suffer from allergies in the United States. Southeast Missouri is an especially bad area for people suffering from allergies because the region is in the middle of two allergy zones; Southeast Coastal Plain zone and the Eastern Farming Plain zone, Sacha said.

Pollen, mold, dust mites, animal dander and chemicals are the main culprits that cause allergies to act up.

In Cape, pollens are abundant from February to November. Tree pollens are high in the early spring and grass pollens are high in May and June.

The second week of August brings with it the ragweed season, Sacha said.

"The worst times for allergies are in the spring and fall in Southeast Missouri," Sacha said.

So what can be done to lessen your allergies?

For pollen, the best thing to do is to have an air conditioning system and leave your windows closed, Sacha said.

And when you go outside wear a face mask to keep the pollen out.

Dr. Jean Chapman, an allergist, said that dust mites are a major cause of allergies.

To avoid these mites that live in your carpet and especially in your bed, a few steps can be taken, according to Chapman.

The most important action to take against dust mites is to purchase airtight covers for the mattress and box springs and have them sealed shut.

This will reduce 90 percent of your exposure to dust mites, Chapman said.

Other things that can be done are to wash sheets and rugs and keep humidity down in your home.

You can remove all of the carpeting in the home, but if this is not an alternative that you are willing to go through with, treat carpets with an allergen neutralizer for carpet.

Chapman and Sacha both agree that cats give off by far more allergens than other pets.

The most effective treatment for pet allergies is to remove the pet, but most allergy sufferers would rather not do this, Sacha said.

Sacha proposed washing dogs and cats in tap water once a week. Also, keep pets out of the bedroom and isolate the pet to one or two rooms of the home.

Pet hair is not the source of the allergen. Instead it is pet dander and saliva that have a protein that causes allergic reactions.

Other ways to minimize allergic reactions to your pets are to wash your walls. Spray your pet with an allergen-reducing solution.

Also, wipe your pets when they come indoors. Chances are that pet is bringing in other allergens, such as pollen and mold, into your home.

If purchasing a $300-$600 HEPA vacuum cleaner is within the budget, then it will help reduce the amount of exposure to allergens when used on a regular basis, Donna Stewart, LPN with Dr. Karen Yates an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in Cape Girardeau, said.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums pick up more than 99 percent of all particles down to 0.3 micron, which is more than 200 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

These vacuums trap the allergens rather than redistribute allergens like most consumer vacuums.

Another major allergen that affect people is mold.

Wet basements are a big problem for people that are allergic to mold, Sacha said.

To minimize mold in your home, first stop any leaks into your basement.

Also, dehumidifiers can be placed in your basement to reduce the moisture which is needed for the molds to live.

Sacha said a product called Impregnon works really well to get rid of mold.

Old wallpaper can be a haven for mold and if so it should be removed.

Molds also can be effectively minimized by keeping the humidity under 40 percent in the home.

Other things that can be done to minimize mold are to decrease the number of household plants or not have any plants inside at all. Exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom will also help and a HEPA filter can remove molds from the air in a room, as long as it is closed off, Chapman said.

Allergic reactions to chemicals occur often as well. Hair sprays, perfumes and many other common chemicals can trigger sneezing and other allergy symptoms.

These chemicals should be avoided whenever possible.

Chapman and Sacha both agreed that people with allergies need to minimize their exposure to that which affects them to reduce the risk of developing Asthma and other more serious problems later in life.