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Every day, millions of people cope with the symptoms: congestion, sneezing, sinus pressure, fatigue, and/or itchy, watery eyes. Sadly, health experts estimate that about 35 million Americans suffer from allergies. People inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to anything specific. When one parent is allergic, a child has a 50 percent chance of having allergies; the risk increases if both parents have them.

Almost anything can trigger an allergy. Pollen, mold, insect bites, and certain foods can all cause the immune system to react. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body produces a specific type of antibody to bind to the allergen, which then causes the release of a variety of chemicals in the body, including histamine. A severe allergic reaction can cause an asthma attack, and, in rare cases, death by anaphylactic shock.

Year-round allergies typically result from exposure to substances in the air, such as dust, pollen, animal dander, mold spores, lint, and dust mite debris. Avoiding the specific allergen is recommended to prevent the development of symptoms, but it is not always easy to identify or escape from the source of the problem. For those that are allergic, some household changes are in order. 

Many of these more complicated household alterations are made possible thanks to innovations in chemistry. While removing items that collect dust and replacing curtains with blinds are simple solutions, other fixes tend to be more technical. For instance, buying a vacuum cleaner and/or air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, maintaining proper humidity levels, and using higher quality air filters can all be helpful strategies. Mattress and pillow covers have also been found to provide symptom relief.

HEPA filters found in vacuum cleaners can get rid of at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in diameter, which means that dander and dust don't return to the air after vacuuming. The secret is that HEPA filters are composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibers. Essential metrics influencing function are fiber density and diameter, as well as filter thickness. Honeywell, an ACC member company, makes an air purifier with a HEPA filter that captures at least 99.97% of the pollutants from the air that passes through it.

Maintaining proper humidity levels indoors is essential to keeping mold and airborne particles in check. Humidity itself doesn't cause allergies, but it does contribute to allergen development. By using a combination humidifier/dehumidifier, in addition to a humidity gauge, proper humidity levels in the home can be maintained.

No matter how well you clean, the circulation of airborne particles still takes place. By using a 3M Filtrete® filter, even microscopic particles can be reduced from when air passes through the filter. 3M makes several types of filters in a variety of sizes. View some of these videos to learn more about the significance of maintaining indoor air quality and selecting a filter that suits your surroundings.

Bayer MaterialScience has developed Epurex films, which are used to make mattress and pillow covers. These covers have highly breathable membranes that cannot be penetrated by allergen particles. Encasing the mattress and pillow(s) has been shown to reduce the amount of allergens and dust mite debris that is inhaled during time spent in bed. There are now many companies that make these covers, giving consumers choices as to styles, thread count, and size.

Some sufferers take medications to control symptoms. Thanks to chlorine chemistry, many medicines are specifically designed to treat allergy symptoms. Over-the-counter nasal sprays, such as Neo-Synephrine Extra Strength by Bayer HealthCare, temporarily relieve nasal congestion and sinus pressure by shrinking swollen membranes and clearing nasal passages. Once-a-day Singulair® is a prescription-only medicine made by Merck that is approved to help relieve indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms in adults and children. It works by blocking leukotrienes, a naturally produced chemical that may be responsible for the inflammatory response. Thankfully, many prescription drugs have now been approved for over-the-counter use (e.g. Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.), and other over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines are also available. Interestingly, alternative treatment options, such as herbal supplements and acupuncture treatments, have been found to be effective for some people.

Some doctors recommend allergy shots to help build immunity. To embark on this treatment, however, a doctor must have a definitive diagnosis. Skin tests, or “prick tests” often used by doctors are quick and inexpensive, though they are dependent on the purity of the allergens applied and can produce small false-positive reactions, especially to food (occurs in up to five percent of the subjects). Thankfully, a new diagnostic tool from Bayer can identify the exact substances to which the sufferer is allergic, allowing a precise diagnosis. The ADVIA® Centaur Allergy laboratory system cannot eliminate allergies, but it reliably points the doctor and the patient in the right direction.

While allergies will still pester millions of Americans throughout the year, innovations in chemistry at least offer ways to reduce exposure and alleviate suffering. Researchers are continuing to study the ways to go beyond treatment of today, and hopefully one day in the future life without the misery of allergies will indeed exist.

Resources and Relevant Links:

• American Lung Association
• Allergies and Pollen Count by The Weather Channel
• Local and National Allergy Levels from Pollen.com
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention—Asthmas and Allergies
• Mayo Clinic—Allergy Center
• Medline Plus on Allergies
• Create a Healthy Home—3M

Sources:

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/print/sec16/ch185/ch185c.html
http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sodium/singulair/consumer/index.jsp
http://www.epurex.com/applications/medical-technology.html
http://www.bayercare.com/Neo-SynephrineExtra.cfm
http://www.english.bayerconosur.com/noticias/tema003-3.asp
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/relieve-allergies-natural-way
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/basics-1 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukotriene

IMPORTANT: The information in this article is of a broad nature and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you think you may suffer from allergies or any other disease that requires attention, you should discuss it with your doctor.

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