Why does my house make me stuffy?

The most common indoor allergens include dust, cockroaches, mold, and cats and dogs. These allergens often lead to postnasal drip, runny nose, nasal congestion, headache, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, itchy skin, fatigue, and for some people, even difficulty breathing as well as wheezing.

What in my house is making me sneeze?

If you’re stuffed up, sneeze, or get itchy eyes all from the comfort of your home, you may have an indoor allergy. It’s triggered by things like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and cockroaches. Some telltale signs: Year-round symptoms.

Is my house giving me asthma?

Dust mites (really, their droppings) are the most common trigger of allergy and asthma symptoms. These tiny insects live in the dust particles that naturally collect in our homes. Pet — and human — dander (skin cells) and pollen, of course, also are common culprits that trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.

How do I find out what I’m allergic to at home?

How reliable are at-home allergy tests? A doctor or immunologist may diagnose an allergy after conducting a skin test. This often involves pricking the skin with a needle or plastic prong that has a common allergen on it. Many at-home allergy tests work by obtaining a blood sample using a finger prick.

How do I know if my house is making me sick?

Common Symptoms: Respiratory Symptoms – congestion, aggravated asthma or allergies, sinus infections. Cognitive Issues – foggy thinking, sleep disturbance, frequent headaches. Emotional Changes – feeling agitated or depressed. Physical Symptoms – stomach discomfort, muscle aches, fatigue, rashes, sore throat.

Can my house cause sinus problems?

What’s lurking in your home? Sinusitis may be caused by external factors such as dust, pollen, animal hair, house-dust-mites and fumes given off by chemicals. So if you have sinusitis and it’s not clearing up, it’s time to check how clean your house really is.

How do you know if your house is toxic?

How to Tell If Mold is Toxic

1. Watch out for a nasty smell: The most common sign that you aren’t dealing with any ordinary mold is a musty odor, sort of like rotting dirt of rotting leaves.
2. Look for visible growth: While toxic mold often hides in your walls, crawlspace, or attic, sometimes it is out in the open, too.

Why am I sneezing all of a sudden?

A sneeze is simply a sudden, forceful burst of air through the nose and mouth. While it can definitely be annoying, sneezing is rarely a sign of a serious problem. Here is what causes all those achoos: Allergies to pollen, mold, dander, and dust (hay fever)

Can humidifiers make asthma worse?

Humidifiers can worsen asthma if they run nonstop or too high, making the air very humid. If you fill your humidifier with tap water, airborne minerals from water may also irritate your lungs. Humidifiers can also make asthma worse if they’re not cleaned regularly or properly.

Does steam make asthma worse?

“Breathing in steam can potentially cause worsening of asthma since it can act as an irritant,” Fineman says. In these cases, it may be best to use a humidifier to increase humidity in the air around you, rather than directly breathing in steam.

How do you get rid of pollen allergies?

Treatments for pollen allergies include:

1. Over-the-counter antihistamine medications, such as cetirizine (Zyrtec) or loratadine (Claritin).
2. Immunotherapy tablets or shots to desensitize the body to pollen.
3. Nasal sprays designed to relieve the itching and congestion.

Does air purifier remove pollen?

Do air purifiers help with pollen allergy? Air purifiers do remove pollen and therefore relieve many allergy symptoms. An air purifier from Blueair removes most airborne allergens, such as pollen, from your indoor air.

How do I know if steam heat will work?

You can test this during an open house by asking the realtor to turn the heat up in the house and listening to the pipes during the tour. Overall, deciding whether or not steam heat will work for you boils down to comfort.

What are the disadvantages of a house with steam heat?

There can only be one zone (or one thermostat) controlling the heat for the entire house if it’s heated by steam heat, meaning some rooms can be hotter than others. This can be a disadvantage for some homeowners. Oftentimes, houses with steam heat will not have air conditioning, and that can be expensive to retrofit.

How do I get rid of steam in my house?

To stop it developing, simply reduce humidity by increasing ventilation. Use trickle vents in double glazing or just open your windows. Extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens are also useful at getting rid of steam. Avoid hanging damp washing in the house.

Can mold in the basement cause allergies?

“Basements are often damp, and moisture and mold go hand-in-hand,” says Robert Weitz, a certified microbial investigator and founder of RTK Environmental. “Mold and poor indoor air quality have been known to trigger allergies that cause coughs and headaches, as well as irritations to the nose, skin, and eyes.