Can Adults Develop New Allergies?

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Allergy and asthma control relies on indoor and outdoor strategies, and experts say having better air quality in your home can help to reduce triggers, especially when fine particles from wildfire smoke may be lingering in your area.

According to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, indoor allergies can be the result of dust, mold, animal or insect dander or the infiltration of outdoor allergens and microscopic particles.

Many times, allergy symptoms can be alleviated by closing windows, removing indoor plants that produce pollen and regular cleaning. However, it's also important to make sure fresh air circulates around your home if there are indoor triggers such as mold, dander and dust mites, so there's a fine balance to achieve.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends several ways to improve air quality inside your home:

Control The Contact

The air spreads allergens around your home and it’s important to reduce the number of microscopic triggers by cleaning on a regular basis.

Seal mattresses and pillows with allergen-resistant or plastic covers, which are very effective in controlling contact with dust mites.

Keep windows and doors closed to prevent pollen from floating into rooms of your home.

Avoid mold spores by using dehumidifiers, fixing leaks and immediately cleaning mold on surfaces when you discover it.

Ventilate Indoor Areas

Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not allowing emissions from indoor sources to circulate out, according to experts at the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

This means home heating and cooling systems aren’t always able to bring fresh air into the house and it’s a good idea to bring outdoor air into the home, when it is safe to do so.

However, you must carefully evaluate how to use ventilation to reduce indoor pollutants when there may be outdoor irritants, like smoke or pollen, nearby.

Clean Indoor Air

Improve air quality by getting rid of the sources of allergens. Installing air cleaning devices and reducing humidity are a few ways to start this process.

If you decide on a portable air cleaner, choose one that is properly sized for the room where you will use it. Your air conditioning unit or HVAC system should have a new and appropriately sized filter as well.

I​t's also recommended that you avoid these types of indoor activities that can create more fine particles:

*​Smoking cigarettes in your home

*​Using wood-burning stoves or furnaces

*​Cleaning with aerosol products

*​Frying or broiling food

*​Burning candles or incense

*​Vacuuming without a high efficiency particulate air filter

For up-to-date allergen levels for your area, check our allergy tracker.