Indoor Allergies
 Sneezing in the sitting room?
Coughing in the kitchen? As winter allergy season arrives, outdoor allergies give way to many pervasive indoor allergies. Some are due to our lovable pets, while others are invisible to the human eye. No matter however what the cause of your indoor allergy is ... luckily there's usually a very simple solution. 
Common Indoor Allergy Causes Dust mites, indoor mold, pet dander, cockroaches and mice. In fact, when you shake your pillow and the dust flies, that is excrement from microscopic organisms called dust mites. When you inhale it, your nose and lungs are irritated. Sound gross? It is.
Dust mites live off of shed human skin. You find them in high quantities in mattresses and boxsprings and pillows, in bedding and clothes, on carpets. People who are genetically predisposed develop an allergy to their feces. At nighttime, as you're sleeping, you're breathing these particles, causing allergic reaction in your nose, in your lungs, in your eyes. First of all, you want to make sure that you're allergic to dust mites. Go to an allergist and have skin testing done, to see if they are a problem for you. If you find that you are allergic to dust mites, get special covers to put on the mattress, the box spring and the pillowcases. These special cases encase the dust mite feces inside the mattress, and keeps you from breathing them in while you're sleeping. Also, wash all the bedding in hot water (over 130 degrees Fahrenheit) once a week to kill and denature the mites and their feces. Pet Allergies Leave the pet out of the bedroom, because when the pet dander's in the bedroom, you're miserable all day and all night long. But if you have asthma, especially if you have a child who has asthma, the choice is really easy -- the kid or the pet.
Asthma is life-threatening, and you don't want to risk the child's life just to save the pet. You could move the pet to a friend's house, so that they have visiting rights.
Drew Voight 
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