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<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5165" src="https://new.afcurgentcarenatick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sneezing-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://www.afcurgentcarenatick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sneezing-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.afcurgentcarenatick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sneezing-1.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">Many <span style="font-weight: 400">allergy</span><span style="font-weight: 400"> sufferers feel they are waging a battle with the great outdoors this spring season, trying to keep watery eyes, runny noses and itchy throats from keeping them down. But the truth is, allergies can be triggered just as much by allergens hiding inside your home as they can by the ones outdoors. Before you lock yourself indoors to avoid the spring allergy season, the team at American Family Care wants to make you aware of the terrible trifecta lurking behind closed doors: pet dander, dust mites and mold!</span></p>
<p><b>Pet Dander</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Non-shedding pets are in high demand, but animal owners and lovers should know there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic pet. All animals have skin and all animals shed skin cells, just like humans. Those dead skin cells are the dander, and that is what causes allergic reactions, along with the protein that is found in animal saliva, sweat and urine. The pet dander and proteins can certainly attach and spread through pet hair, but the hair itself is not an allergen. In addition to the obvious places pet dander can be found, like carpets and soft furniture, it clings to a few hidden spots like:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Walls </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Non-upholstered furniture</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Air</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">That’s right, air. According to the </span><a href="http://www.aafa.org/page/pet-dog-cat-allergies.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400">Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, when the pet dander is flung into the air (petting, grooming, shaking), those particles can hang suspended in the air for long periods of time, making it impossible to avoid. Pet dander even travels to non-pet homes on other people’s clothes.</span></p>
<p><b>Quick Tips: </b></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Change clothes after prolonged exposure to a pet.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Keep pets out of bedrooms with doors closed. You spend one-half to one-third of your day in your bedroom.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Clean and vacuum all surfaces in the home, including walls and woodwork.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><b>Dust Mites</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The good news: Dust mites don’t bite and thankfully, you can’t see or feel the eight-legged creatures crawling on you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The bad news: The average adult sheds enough skin each day to feed one million dust mites. Your mattress and pillow alone harbor, literally, millions of dust mites. To up the “ick” factor a notch, it’s not the bugs people are allergic to, but the dust mite feces. Yes, it’s all pretty disgusting. Other less thought-of spots dust mites hide:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Soft toys</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Under the carpet</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Beneath and behind furniture and appliances</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">It is impossible to prevent dust mites from hiding in your home but there are things you can do to reduce exposure.</span></p>
<p><b>Quick Tips:</b></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Use allergen-proof coverings on all pillows, mattresses and blankets.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Wash bedding and soft goods at 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit weekly to get rid of mite allergens.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Freeze non-washable items for 24 hours to kill mites. Shake off the dead bugs after freezing.</span></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>Mold</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Molds, like dust mites, are microscopic in size but large in quantity. Warmth, moisture and oxygen are the necessary ingredients for growth. For allergy sufferers, it’s the mold spore particles the mold produces that triggers the reaction. Bathrooms and basements are notorious places for mold growth due to moisture. Some other sneaky places mold can creep in:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Chimney</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Refrigerator drip pan</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Dishes and cabinets</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">A great case for having a dish dryer is that if wet dishes are stacked, it’s the perfect environment for mold growth in your kitchen cabinets.</span></p>
<p><b>Quick Tips:</b></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Apply white distilled vinegar to any surface where mold grows, and wipe it down.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Sunshine is a natural mold killer. Let the ultraviolet rays kill it, then vacuum the mold off items.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity in your home under 50 percent.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Buying a simple hygrometer to measure humidity can help keep close tabs on the moisture level in your home and help control dust mites and mold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Even the most diligent house cleaners will not be able to eradicate all allergens produced by pet dander, dust mites and mold. At AFC, our </span><span style="font-weight: 400">experienced medical team</span><span style="font-weight: 400"> can provide allergy treatment therapies for the whole family. Our urgent care center is</span><span style="font-weight: 400">&nbsp;open every day of the week, so you can walk in anytime and get relief fast.</span></p>
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