How indoor pests can make your allergies worse

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As we continue into allergy season, it's bad enough to deal with allergies when you head outdoors. Indoor pests such as cockroaches, rats and mice can also aggravate your allergies.

Transcript

00:00It's allergy season, and when you think about spring allergies, pollen usually comes to mind first.

00:05But health experts say other hidden triggers could be lurking inside your home, and they may surprise you.

00:13Our Allie Reed joins us from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, this morning to explain what else might be behind the allergy and asthma flare-ups.

00:20Good morning, Allie.

00:24Good morning, guys. And you couldn't ask for a better day here in South Jersey this morning.

00:30And when you deal with springtime temperatures or springtime just allergies in total, right,

00:36the last thing you want to have to deal with is more things on top of just the pollen, for example.

00:41But unfortunately, I don't have the best news for you guys this morning.

00:45Not only are we dealing with the allergies that might be outside,

00:48but we also are dealing with things that might be inside as well, like pests, like cockroaches, and even rodents, for example.

00:54Now, as those temperatures rise outside, pests like, again, those cockroaches, maybe even mice, become more active,

01:01and your home can quickly become their shelter.

01:04While many people associate these pests with maybe poor sanitation or even disease risk,

01:09there's another danger that often gets overlooked here, the airborne particles that they actually leave behind,

01:15something, again, you might not be thinking of.

01:17Unlike outdoor allergens like pollen or mold, for example, pest allergens often build up indoors,

01:23especially in places you don't see or clean often, like under kitchen appliances, behind cabinets, or inside air vents.

01:30The droppings and the shed skins and the saliva of cockroaches can actually cause an allergic reaction.

01:42The dander and the urine of rodents, the things they leave behind, can cause allergy and asthma, especially in children.

01:54Experts recommend sealing gaps along baseboards, under sinks, and around plumbing lines.

01:59Even a half-inch hole is wide enough for a rat to get through, right?

02:02Food should be stored in airtight containers, and spilled crumbs or moisture should be cleaned up immediately,

02:08especially in kitchens and in bathrooms.

02:11For those living in apartment buildings or condos, be sure to check around shared walls or utility access points

02:16as pests can move from unit to unit.

02:19So while you're tracking the pollen levels outside,

02:22it might be a good idea to check what might be happening inside of your home as well.

02:26But again, guys, just talking about, I mean, it's beautiful weather out right now, right?

02:31You cannot ask for better springtime temperatures.

02:34Of course, the allergies are one thing, but just maybe one other thing to keep in mind

02:38as you might be moving about your home as well.

02:40The last thing you want to do is have to come home,

02:42be sneezing from everything that's happening outside,

02:45and tracking that inside and making it potentially even worse for yourself.

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