Cockroach Allergy
Cockroaches are a common pest; they are found all over the world and infest a great many homes. Most people think of cockroaches as a nuisance but they are also the cause of a fairly common allergy. In particular their droppings are the cause of an allergy. If you have cockroaches in your home and find that you have itchy eyes and a runny nose on a regular basis it is probably a cockroach allergy.
A cockroach allergy is very similar to a dust mite allergy and in most cases it is very difficult to tell them apart. The allergy to cockroaches is usually caused by their droppings. These are usually very small and they tend to be a problem mostly when you are sleeping in your comfy bedroom. Since cockroach droppings are quite heavy they are not usually airborne but they will settle all over your house. The most likely place you will encounter them is when you are lying in bed. Unfortunately cockroach allergies will affect people year round so there is no seasonal relief.
In most cases a cockroach allergy will cause itchy eyes and a runny nose however some people will have a more serious reaction. Eczema is a fairly common reaction to cockroach droppings and in a few cases asthma can be triggered. This can be a very serious reaction so it is a good idea if you have asthma to know if it is triggered by cockroaches. If it is you are going to want to take steps to reduce the likelihood of this happening and of course you will want to make rue that you have your inhaler with you.
The best way to deal with a cockroach allergy is to get the droppings out of your house. This isn’t easy because they are pretty much everywhere. Vacuum on a regular basis in order to get them cleaned up. You are also going to want to make sure that you wash your bedding every week since they tend to collect there. Of course the best way to prevent cockroach allergies is to get rid of the cockroaches. This will likely require the services of an exterminator. Once the cockroaches have found their way into your home it is nearly impossible to get them out.
If you do suffer symptoms of a cockroach allergy you can usually treat it successfully with an anti-histamine. If you are having symptoms on a regular basis you may want to consider immunotherapy. This is where you will build up your immune system by being exposed to small amounts of the allergen. This is something that you will need to get a doctor to do for you since it needs to be managed very carefully. If successful however you should see a dramatic reduction in your symptoms. Of course if you do have asthma you will want to make sure that you keep your inhaler with you in case of a severe reaction.