Micaela Diaz often feels like there is no escaping her allergies.
The 28-year-old from Brisbane/Meanjin suffers from seasonal hay fever and a dust-mite allergy.
"It's incredibly debilitating," Micaela says.
"When it's really bad, I get swelling of my face and my eyes."
She says staying on top of cleaning at home and taking preventative measures on high pollen days can help her symptoms.
Here's what experts recommend to decrease dust and pollen in your home this allergy season.
Is it a dust mite, pet allergy or seasonal hay fever?
Understanding what is causing your symptoms is the first step, according to Adjunct Associate Professor Joy Lee, a researcher from the National Allergy Centre of Excellence in Melbourne/Naarm.
"Because you don't want to go and make huge changes to your home, and [find] it's not actually that allergen that's causing problems."
The medical term for hay fever or a dust-mite allergy is allergic rhinitis.
Symptoms include sneezing, itchy eyes, nose, or throat, nasal congestion, watery eyes, and a dripping nose.
Experts say if you have "perennial" (year-round) symptoms that are often worse indoors in the morning or evening, they are likely caused by dust mites or pets.
"The people who have grass pollen allergies, [that's] really only an issue around this time of year — September, October, November — in some parts of Australia," Dr Lee says.
Author and medically qualified journalist Norman Swan says "perennial rhinitis" can have the same triggers as asthma.
"Like dust mites, cockroach droppings, and animal fur, those tend to be the causes of perennial rhinitis rather than the pollen," Dr Swan says.
Dr Lee recommends people consult their GP or an allergy specialist, who may be able to conduct a skin prick test or a blood test to determine the cause of the allergy.
Simple ways to reduce dust in your home
Dr Lee says a clean, dry, well-ventilated home is a good first step.
"You're never going to be able to completely remove yourself from all allergens," she says.
"We can't seal ourselves up in a little bubble; it's just about trying to reduce the load."
She says vacuuming and dusting weekly is ideal.
If you're the one with the allergy, she recommends getting someone else to do this job and staying out of the room for 20-30 minutes afterwards.
"Vacuuming itself (and emptying the bag) stirs up a lot of dust," she says.
Wipe down things such as fans and surfaces using "electrostatic or damp cloths", not feather dusters, which can harbour the dust mites.
Washing bedding regularly and using dust mite covers is also recommended.
"You can use a hot dryer to try and kill the dust mites, and hot washing," Dr Lee says.
"[There are] heaps of dust mites in your bed, so we can get impermeable dust-mite covers for the mattress and pillows."
Soft or plush toys are also breeding grounds for dust mites.
Micaela says she prefers to use the freezing technique for those items.
"Two ways to kill dust mites are either heat or freezing," she explains.
Dr Lee agrees and says if items can't be washed, they can be put in the freezer overnight to kill the dust mites, which "love humidity" and "warm temperate environments".
Climate control expert Goran Surbevski recommends using a programmable or smart thermostat with humidity control on your air conditioning unit or running it on dry mode.
"That actually puts the air conditioner in a really efficient cooling cycle, and takes away the moisture in the home," Mr Subevski says.
"By maintaining indoor humidity levels … you can limit mould growth and reduce dust mite populations."
He says regular cleaning and maintenance of your air conditioners is also important.
Tips to reduce pollen inside your home
If you suffer from seasonal hay fever, you're probably in the thick of things right now.
Micaela says she has found that drying clothes and sheets in a dryer, hanging them inside or using a laundromat can be helpful on windy or high-pollen days.
"Just so that you can get sleep without rolling around in pollen," she says.
Dr Lee agrees and recommends keeping doors and windows closed on high-pollen and windy days, if possible.
Mr Surbevski says running your air conditioner, even if it's not cooling, can help.
"If we're just trying to block out pollen, then you can run the air conditioner just on a fan cycle which really uses minimal energy," he says.
"This constant airflow allows your filter to trap more airborne allergens rather than letting them settle throughout your home."
He recommends checking that your system has clean, high-quality filters designed to capture allergens.
Experts say you can also reduce outdoor allergens entering your home by sealing gaps around doors, windows, vents and ducts.
"Using things like weather strips under doors and making sure all the window rubbers are in good condition and seal well," Mr Surbevski says.
Pet allergens 'hard to eradicate'
Reducing allergens from pets can be particularly tricky, says Dr Lee.
Pet dander (microscopic flakes of dead skin and fur) can be "really hard to eradicate."
"Pets are often like part of the family," she says, so people often aren't willing to not have an animal.
And even if a pet is removed, "the allergens kind of linger on for quite a long time."
Doing these steps regularly can help:
- Use a lint roller to remove dander on flat surfaces
- Clean heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and air ducts so they don't circulate dander throughout the house
- Vacuum soft surfaces, such as sofas
- Clean pet accessories, such as toys or clothing
- Wash and tumble dry large items, such as blankets
Dr Lee says that while trying to keep a clean home is advised, combining that with prescription or over-the-counter allergy medications, can help allergic rhinitis symptoms.
"The steroid antihistamine combinations are probably one of the most effective preventative treatments out there," she says.
"But they do have to be started for about a week or two and used regularly for them to have the best effects and benefits."
She says it is best to consult a medical professional for what might be right for you.
This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.
