Indoor Allergens: The Monsters in Your Carpet

Allergies can come in a broad array of categories from food allergies to medication allergies as well as insect stings to even jewelry. Perhaps the most common allergies are reactions to dust, mold, pollen, and animal dander. These are also among the most difficult to control as they permeate so much of our environment. After all, we have to breathe, don’t we? But when these allergens are trapped inside a house or business, their effect can be intensified. Even people who are not overtly prone to allergies can have their immune systems compromised by a myriad of microscopic irritants.

Molds

Molds belong to a large family of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments. Mold grows in three primary families; Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and Ascomycota. Although some molds cause disease or food spoilage, others are useful for their role in biodegradation or in the production of various foods, beverages, antibiotics and enzymes.

Molds are ubiquitous in nature, and mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust. However, when mold spores are present in large quantities, they can present a health hazard to humans, potentially causing allergic reactions and respiratory problems.

Some molds also produce mycotoxins that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases death. Prolonged exposure, e.g. daily workplace exposure, can be particularly harmful.

Pollen

Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes (pollen grains), which produce the male gametes (sperm cells) of seed plants. A hard coat covering the pollen grain protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement between the stamens of the flower to the pistil of the next flower.

Allergy to pollen is called hay fever. Generally pollens that cause allergies are those of anemophilous plants (pollen is dispersed by air currents.) Such plants produce large quantities of lightweight pollen (because wind dispersal is random and the likelihood of one pollen grain landing on another flower is small) which can be carried for great distances and are easily inhaled, bringing it into contact with the sensitive nasal passages.

Dust Mites

The house dust mite (sometimes referred to by allergists as HDM), is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin. They flourish in the stable environment of dwellings. House dust mites are a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. Some of the gut enzymes (notably proteases) produced by the house mite persist in their fecal matter, and can be strongly allergenic.

Allergens produced by house dust mites are among the most common triggers of asthma. A safety and tolerability clinical trial has been completed with positive results by Cytos Biotechnology using an immunotherapeutic for treatment of house dust mite-triggered allergies.

Some main signs of house dust mite allergies are itchiness, sneezing, inflamed or infected eczema, watering eyes, runny nose, hay fever, and clogging in the lungs.

Allergy and asthma sufferers are also often advised to avoid feather pillows due to the presumed increased presence of the house dust mite allergen (Der p I). The reverse, however, is true. A 1996 study from the British Medical Journal has shown that polyester fibre pillows contained more than 8 times the total weight of Der p I and 3.57 times more micrograms of Der p I per gram of fine dust than feather pillows.

Animal Dander

People that are allergic to animals are often allergic to the dander (dead skin that is continually shed), the saliva, or the urine. Because dogs and cats are the most common pets, they top the list of animals that people are the most allergic to. However, people can also be allergic to birds, hamsters, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and the larger animals such as horses, goats, and cows. In addition, there may be certain animals within a given species that they are more allergic to than others. This appears particularly true with cats. Cat and Dog hair and dander can settle deep within the carpet piles and be almost impossible to get out. Animal hair compounds the problem, as it’s buildup can form a barrier that locks in other allergens such as dust and pollen.

Dust

Dust is a general name for minute solid particles with diameters less than 20 thou (500 micrometers). Particles in the atmosphere arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in homes, offices, and other human environments consists of human skin cells, plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, and many other materials which may be found in the local environment.

There’s a very simple solution to dealing with all these nasty carpet critters. Vacuum your rugs and carpet as often as possible. A professional carpet cleaning service may be an even better solution. When compared to a consumer vacuum cleaner, professional services have more powerful vacuums that work in conjunction with steam cleaning systems to penetrate much deeper into the rug pile. Pro services often use a multi-step process to root out the particulates and achieve a much deeper clean.

It may be an unsettling thought to realize that your carpet and furniture might be attracting microscopic trouble for you and your family, but easy prevention measures will boost your health, quality of life, and even your property value.

At its most basic level, an allergic reaction occurs when a given allergen comes into contact with the body’s mast cells and basophils. If surrounding T and B white blood cells have been sensitized to this particular allergen, the mast and basophil cells will release histamine and other inflammatory chemical mediators (cytokines, interleukins, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins) into the surrounding tissue, causing several systemic effects, such as vasodilation, mucous secretion, nerve stimulation and smooth muscle contraction. This results in rhinorrhea, itchiness, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis. Depending on the individual, allergen, and mode of introduction, the symptoms can be system-wide (as in life threatening classical anaphylaxis), or localized to particular body systems. For example, asthma is localized to the respiratory system and eczema is localized to the dermis.

Carpets function as natural “sponges”, absorbing all of the above pathogens and providing an ideal shelter for them to collect and flourish. As such, they are notoriously difficult to keep clean. Try and vacuum carpets as often as possible. Better yet, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning service . Professional services are markedly more effective than consumer vacuums, as they tend to use highly pressurized steam cleaning techniques, combined with very high pressure vacuuming to rid the carpet pile of built up particulates and residue.

Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies or down and dirty carpet buildup, taking a few simple, preventative measures can make the world of difference, and boost your quality of life for pennies on the dollar.