How can you keep cockroaches from triggering allergies in your home? Keeping a clean house will make your home unattractive to roaches and will prompt them to look for food somewhere else. There are allergy...
There are allergy triggers all around us. Seasonally different plants pop up and make some miserable with allergic reactions. Even in our home we are not safe from allergy triggers. Pet dander, cigarette smoke and dust mite are a few common indoor allergy triggers. "Another of the most common indoor allergens, and a major asthma trigger, is cockroaches," said Tom Kallstrom, Director of Respiratory Care and Biometrics at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cockroaches prefer to live in areas of dense urban housing or areas that are warm, like in the South. Cockroaches thrive on dirty environments with lots of food and water available. Cockroaches like to snack on a lot of the same things you and I eat. Foods left lying about and crumbs on the counters are all major cuisine for cockroaches. If you are not leaving choice food they will be happy to chow down on almost anything from soap to hair, according to PBS Nature.
Many think that people are allergic to the cockroach itself, but this is not the case. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences blames the saliva, body parts and fecal matter of cockroaches for triggering allergic reactions. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reported that the correlation between cockroaches and allergies was first discovered in 1943 when a patient was observed after a cockroach scampered over their arm and the skin developed a rash. Since that time leaps and bounds have been made to further understand this allergen.
"Roaches are also one of the hardest allergens to get rid of, and while they're a worse problem in warmer climates, no area is immune. If you are sensitive to roaches, the best thing you can do to reduce your allergy symptoms is keep your house clean," Kallstrom said. "Keeping crumbs off the counter, keeping your microwave clean and not leaving food out or uncovered will keep roaches off your eating surfaces and will encourage them to find another food source (ideally outside your home). Also, remember to store dry foods, especially things like sugar, flour and honey, in airtight containers."
While a cockroach can live for up to a month without eating, it does need water more frequently, according to lessonplanlibrary.com. It is crucial that you fix all those drips and leaks to limit their water supply. Try to take away any source of water they may have in your home.
Another step to limiting your allergen level is to combat the cockroaches. "You should contact a pest control company to find out if they have a pesticide or pest control system that won't exacerbate your allergies. If you are sensitive to pesticides or if money is an issue, try boric acid. Boric acid is extremely toxic to insects, but harmless to humans and available inexpensively at most drugstores or grocery stores. It kills roaches effectively. Try putting boric acid along the walls, crevices and any places in your home that you see roaches. Combining this technique with poisoned roach bait will kill the roaches that are exposed to these agents and reduce your symptoms," Kallstrom said.
The symptoms of allergies related to cockroaches can vary from person to person. Itchy skin, scratchy throat or itchy eyes and nose are common symptoms, and in some cases it can be a cause of asthma. If you have these symptoms, or know some one that does, it is important to take the measures listed above and see a doctor to identify your allergens.
Even those who are not allergic should be diligent in trying to make their homes cockroach-free. The University of Nebraska Cockroach Control Manual states that cockroaches carry various bacteria such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus that can be dangerous to all that come in contact. Cockroaches can carry these bacteria in their systems for long periods of time. Bacteria can then be found in the excrement of the cockroaches. Therefore the feces can be all over your kitchen and utensils. To avoid being introduced to these bacteria it is imperative that you are meticulous about cleaning.
The key to protecting yourself from asthma and allergens related to cockroaches is cleanliness!
