For individual allergy sufferers, the substance causing the allergy varies, and is usually a common inhalant or food, but may also be a rare substance. Below we describe some common inhalant allergens to avoid.
I. Prevention of fungi
Fungal growth and reproduction is closely related to the environment, in warm, humid, poorly ventilated environment and coastal and other low-altitude areas fungus can grow in large numbers, while dry, sunny, well-ventilated and high-altitude areas fungus is not easy to grow.
1, keep the housing dry, clean, good ventilation, sufficient light. Use ventilation fan to dehumidify when bathing and cooking. Do not store wet clothes in the cabinet. Defrost the refrigerator often, clean and keep it dry to prevent fungal growth. Keep the water compartment under the refrigerator clean and dry.
2.Remove carpets, heavy curtains, old clothes and pillows from the house, don’t store food, miscellaneous things, mop and wet cloth in the bedroom, and don’t put potted plants indoors as much as possible because fungus can also grow in the soil. Garbage cans should be placed outside, and clean off the garbage in the kitchen every day; regularly clean the garbage cans with bleach.
3, do not keep birds, dogs and cats and other pets at home.
4, do not use air conditioners and humidifiers, because air conditioning can breed a large number of fungi and mites, air conditioning disease may be related to this.
5, the use of air filters but to regularly clean and replace the filter.
6, avoid entering the basement, warm room, warehouse, textile workshop, brewery, breeding room, storeroom, book store, ranch, long closed unused room and other places. Do not work in indoor swimming pools, steam baths, laundries and greenhouse sheds where there are many fungi. If there are conditions, you can change the living and working environment.
7.Avoid contact with soil, compost, sandbox and hay, etc. People with allergies should not clean up dead leaves, and should avoid camping or walking in the forest in autumn and winter when there are a lot of dead leaves.
8. Excessive heating should be prevented and controlled in winter. Some investigations have shown that there is a large amount of thermophilic actinomycetes growing around heated heating pipes in winter.
Second, the prevention of pollen
It is impossible to completely avoid contact with pollen, but since hay fever has obvious seasonality and most allergic pollen can be detected, targeted prevention can be achieved to reduce the onset or alleviate the symptoms.
1. Avoid going out in the evening when the pollen count is highest. The wind is stronger during the day and most of the pollen floats high in the air. In the evening when the wind decreases, the pollen settles below 2m and can be inhaled into the respiratory tract or fall into the eyelids or adhere to the skin, causing allergies.
2. Stay at home as much as possible when the pollen count is high. Minimize outdoor activities.
3.Sleep with your bedroom window closed to prevent pollen from drifting into your room at night.
4. Wear a pollen protection mask and eye protection.
5. Close the windows and doors when driving; when buying a new car, choose one with a pollen filtering device in the ventilation system; and clean the air conditioner regularly to accumulate dust.
6. Go on a beach vacation because the sea breeze can prevent pollen from staying in the area. Take a shower every night and wash your hair to remove pollen.
7.Hire someone else to cut the grass.
8.Don’t go on excursions during pollen season.
9.If you have the conditions, go on a vacation abroad and return after the pollen season.
III. Prevention of dust mites
The concentration of allergen protein in mite feces is the highest, and some studies have shown that a variety of other particles can carry mite allergens. Therefore, preventive measures include not only the elimination of mites, but also the physical transfer of mites or the establishment of a barrier between mite allergens and suspected allergic individuals. Dust particles that carry mite allergens are large and therefore settle quickly, so patients generally do not show mild symptoms until after a longer exposure to mite allergens. Vacuuming or cleaning carpets, beds, and upholstery items that expose mite allergens to high concentrations for short periods of time.
Reducing the amount of dust mites in the living and working environment is important for dust mite allergy sufferers so that the amount of inhaled dust mite scales and excretions can be reduced, preventing and mitigating the onset and reducing the number of episodes. The most suitable conditions for dust mites to survive are a temperature of 17°C to 30°C and a relative humidity of 75% to 80%. House dust mites feed on dander shed by humans or animals and reproduce faster on beds and in bedroom carpets, producing about 0,7g of dander per day in a person. Dust mites feed on a variety of grain dust. According to the conditions of dust mite survival and food sources, dust mite prevention can follow 2 principles: First, change the temperature and humidity of the environment. The conditions of death for dust mites are temperature above 35℃ or less than 0℃ for 24h and humidity less than 50% or more than 85% cannot reproduce. The second is to cut off their food sources, ultimately to reduce the total number of live mites, reduce the level of mite allergens and reduce exposure to the first two. Patients with dust mite allergy can use effective methods or a combination of methods to control the survival and growth of dust mites according to the specific environment they live and work in.
1. Reduce indoor relative humidity: Controlling relative humidity to less than 50% is the most common method to control the level of mites and their allergens. It is easier to control humidity than temperature, and some tests have shown that adult mites will die of dehydration within 5 to 11 d at 40% or 50% relative humidity continuously, even when the temperature is 25 to 34°C. Mites and mite allergens rarely exist in dry areas such as mountainous countries or the northern part of the Middle East. It is recommended to use high performance dehumidifiers and air conditioners indoors to reduce the relative humidity and the total amount of mites, which is both practical and effective, and to clean or replace the dust accumulation cover or net of air conditioners frequently to reduce the breeding of dust mites.
2.Co-use packing sets: packing mattresses and pillows with special anti-mite materials is an effective way to reduce exposure to dust mites and their allergens. Packaging materials consist of plastic, breathable materials, very dense fabric fibers or non-fabric synthetic materials. When purchasing pillow and mattress packaging materials, the aperture of the fabric is very important. The ideal material should be a comfortable, breathable fabric that is permeable to vapors and can stop mites and mite allergens from passing through. The width of young mites is generally greater than 50μm, so a fabric less than or equal to 20μm will stop all mites from passing through. Currently there are dust mite proof bedspreads and pillowcases for sale. High-quality feather pillows, feather quilts or duvets covered with dense fabric on the surface can stop the entry of dust mites and prevent them from multiplying inside (eating no food such as human dander).
3, bedding cleaning, drying and dry cleaning: seat covers, pillowcases, blankets, mattress covers, etc. washed once a week with hot water above 55 ℃ can kill mites and remove most mite allergens. Washing with warm or cold water can not kill most mites, but can remove most allergens because most allergens are water-soluble. Drying clothes with a dryer at a temperature higher than 55°C for 10min or more will kill all mites. Washing your hair every day is also a good way to control dust mite allergens.
4. Carpets, curtains and home soft furnishings should be replaced and cleaned regularly Carpets, curtains and home decorative fabrics accumulate debris debris and remain damp, providing an ideal habitat for mite breeding. Avoid using carpets, window (cloth) shades or blackout shades in humid areas, and replace them with blinds. Home decorative fabrics should be replaced with vinyl or leather cushions, furniture available wooden furniture.
5.Carpet vacuuming: If you do not want to or economically do not allow to change the carpet, you should vacuum 1 time a week and replace the vacuum cleaner bag frequently. Conventional vacuuming can remove surface mites and allergens, but cannot significantly reduce the number of live mites, nor remove deep-seated allergens.
6. Freezing soft toys and small items: Freezing soft toys and small items (such as pillows and special clothing) at -17℃ to -20℃ for at least 24h is an effective way to kill mites on these items. After freezing by refrigerator, these items can be washed to remove dead mites and allergens. In the cold winter months mattresses and pillows left outside for 24h can also kill mites.
7. Air cleaning/filtration: Mite allergens are mainly associated with dust particles larger than 20μm in diameter. Air flow makes them airborne particles, which cause allergies after inhalation. Air cleaning or filtration must let the indoor air flow and let the dust float up, so that it can until the role of cleaning or filtration.
8, do not keep cats, dogs and other pets indoors: the bodies of small animals have the right temperature and humidity, and a large amount of dander is also a rich food source for dust mites, so the bodies of small animals breed a large number of mites, which can also be carried to all corners of the room and spread everywhere.
9. Chemical reagents: The current results of using chemical reagents to remove mites and their allergens are not very satisfactory, and their active ingredients must be delivered directly to the place where mites live to be effective. These chemical reagents include benzyl benzoate, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, thorium reagent, paracetamol and denaturant. The indoor safety of these acaricides needs to be confirmed by further studies, and repeated applications may lead to the emergence of drug-resistant mites.
10. Dust mite control is part of the overall treatment of allergic diseases: Patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, asthma or atopic dermatitis who are allergic to mites should be treated by inhalation therapy and specific desensitization while controlling indoor mite allergens, which can depend on the extent of their disease, the climatic conditions where the patient lives and their personal living environment.