Ecological allergies

Ecological allergies: When the environment triggers a reaction

Ecological, or domestic, allergies are allergic reactions to common substances present in our immediate surroundings: at home, at work, outdoors. Unlike seasonal allergies, which have a clear link to a time of year, symptoms of domestic allergy can trouble a person all year round, significantly reducing quality of life.

Main "enemies" indoors

Our home, which seems like a safe fortress, is actually a habitat for many potential allergens.

• House dust mites: This is the main domestic allergen. The mites themselves are microscopic arachnids, but the allergy is caused not by them but by proteins contained in their feces. They live in beds, carpets, upholstered furniture and feed on dead skin flakes from humans.
• Mold fungi (mildew): In damp rooms (bathrooms, basements) fungi can proliferate. Their microscopic spores, which become airborne, are the allergens.
• Pet allergens: Proteins found in the dander, saliva and urine of cats, dogs, rodents.
• Cockroaches: Allergens are present in their saliva, feces and body parts.

Outdoor allergens

In addition to pollen, which causes seasonal allergies, outdoors we can encounter other ecological allergens, such as mold spores that actively proliferate in damp leaves in autumn.

How does it manifest?

Ecological allergies most often cause respiratory symptoms: year‑round allergic rhinitis (chronic nasal congestion, runny nose), allergic conjunctivitis, and they are also one of the main triggers of exacerbations of bronchial asthma.