The Unexpected Allergens Lurking In Your Home and Office

Shellfish, dust, pollen, soy—what do these all have in common? Well, according to experts, they are some of the most common allergies patients encounter. But what about the uncommon allergies?

Allergens are truly everywhere. From the home to the office, there are tons of unexpected allergens in food, jewelry, home goods, and even beauty products. So it makes sense, then, that allergies are on the rise both in the United States and the rest of the world. “We’re seeing a steady rise in allergic conditions globally, particularly food allergy, eczema, and asthma,” says Amiirah Aujnarain, MD, MSc, a pediatrician and allergist/immunologist in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Aujnarain says there are few reasons for this increase: “Environmental changes and pollution, reduced early microbial exposure, changes in diet and microbiome, and increased awareness and earlier testing,” she says.

Allergists agree that they’ve seen a noticeable rise in patients coming in for allergies. The common offenders? “Patients often come to see me for new and worsening seasonal allergies, food allergies, and asthma,” says Susanna Silverman, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, an allergist and immunologist at Schweiger Dermatology and Allergy in New York City. “An estimated 20 to 30 percent of the U.S. population is affected by allergies.”

Sure, the common allergies may be easy to spot and recognize, but the uncommon ones are a whole different story. If you are feeling itchy, have developed a rash, or are sneezing frequently but aren’t sure where it came from, it could be one of the more unexpected allergens lurking in your home or office.

“We’ve been conditioned to think of ‘seasonal allergies’ as a springtime pollen problem,” says Lorne Lucree, formulator of allergy care brand Wizard Wellness. “But that term is becoming outdated. For many people, sensitivity is now year-round.”

We may not realize it, but the “nose is your body’s air filter,” Lucree adds. “It’s constantly processing everything in your environment—not just pollen, but pollution, dry air, fragrance molecules, microbial particles, and even food-related signals from the gut. The modern world doesn’t have an ‘off season,’ and neither does our exposure.”

Allergens can be present in your home or office. You can inhale them or even eat them. Simply put, it’s hard to detect where the problem is really originating from. That’s where the experts step in. Ahead, allergy doctors and experts break down some of the uncommon allergens that could be affecting your everyday life, how to mitigate risk, and more.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches aren’t just a pest—they’re also the source of a common allergy, especially in urban areas. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, cockroaches can trigger both asthma and allergies. The allergens act like dust mites (more on this next) and aggravate symptoms when kicked up in the air. As with most allergies, an allergist can conduct a patch test to observe if there’s a reaction to a cockroach allergy. To keep them out of your house to avoid the allergic flare-ups, the ACAAI simply recommends keeping your home clean, including keeping food containers and trash cans sealed shut, fixing any leaks that could provide the cockroaches water, and avoiding piles of newspapers, laundry, and dirty dishes.

Dust mites

Dust mites may be tiny (as in, you can’t even see them), but they have a big effect. “In addition to cockroaches, dust mites are a common but unexpected indoor allergen,” says Dr. Silverman. “We all have dust mites living in our pillows, mattress, and bedding, but because they are microscopic, you will never see them and may not realize that you are allergic to them.” It turns out that we are all exposed to them every single day. “Through repeated exposure, many people become sensitized to them and develop allergic antibodies.”