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Why Test For Home Allergens
What are the allergens found in homes and apartments that cause allergies and asthma in far too many people? If we exclude mold spores and their mycotoxins, the other allergens to be considered are cat and dog allergens, dust mites and cockroach allergens. These allergens can not be seen with the naked eye. Are these allergens wide spread and prevalent in our homes? Let us take a look at the incidence of asthma and allergies and then each of these types of allergens.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and their Annual U.S. Prevalence Statistics of Chronic Diseases, more than 60 million American Adults and Children live with asthma and allergies. AAFA indicates that asthma and allergies are two of the most recognized chronic diseases among consumers because one out of 5 people live with them.
A study by the National Institutes of Health published in the August issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports its findings that 54% of people tested positive to at least one of ten allergens. The highest response was to dust mites, 27.5%. The lowest was 8.6% for peanuts. Their findings show that compared to a similar study conducted 30 years ago the response is twice as high today. One theory is that people simply don’t go outside as often and have higher exposures to indoor allergens.
Dust Mites
There are two species of dust mites. The species Dermatophagoides Farinae is common in the United States and especially the southwestern U.S. The species Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus is prevalent in the United Kingdom, Europe and other parts of the U.S. These microscopic creatures feed on human skin scales and live in mattresses, pillows, bedding and bedroom carpet. Their excreta and dead bodies are found in house dust and are highly allergenic.
Cockroaches
The species of cockroaches include the German (Blatella germanica), Brown Banded (Supella longipalpa) and the large American Cockroach. The specie of cockroach varies some throughout the U.S. The large American Cockroach is found less often in homes than the German or Brown Banded species.
According to a study by The National Institutes of Health, published in the March 2005 of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology cockroaches produce allergic reactions from their saliva, fecal material, secretions and cast of skin. The team that conducted the study was at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. They found that “single-family houses were the worst for dust mites”
“These data confirm that cockroach allergen is the primary contributor to childhood asthma in inner-city home environments,” added Kenneth Olden, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which helped fund the study.
“We found that a majority of homes in Chicago, New York City and the Bronx had cockroach allergen levels high enough to trigger asthma symptoms, while a majority of homes in Dallas and Seattle had dust mite allergen levels above the asthma symptom threshold,” said Dr. Rebecca Gruchalla, who led the study.”
“Children who tested positive for, and were exposed to, cockroach allergen experienced a significant increase in the number of days with cough, wheezing and chest tightness, number of nights with interrupted sleep, number of missed school days, and number of times they had to slow down or discontinue their play activity,” Gruchalla said in the statement.
Asthma, a chronic lung disease, affects about 20 million Americans. Inner-city children suffer disproportionately from the disease, and exposure to high levels of multiple indoor allergens and tobacco smoke is a contributing factor.
Dog and Cat Dander
In a study published in the April 2005 issue of Nature Medicine, several important facts were discussed. The study was oriented to finding a way to help humans deal with the reaction to cat allergens. They noted that “Allergies are caused when the immune system mistakenly reacts to allergens---pieces of protein found in food, on animals or produced by plants. One response is the production of histamine, which brings on allergy symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, itching, watery eyes and sometimes asthma.” The study has developed a new chemical compound that may lead to prevention of cat allergies.
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