Learning about allergens around the house


	This page is about ALLERGIES


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ALLERGIES
Most people with asthma are allergic,
usually to house dust mite or cats. Do you
remember the lungs from the first page? Well, lungs have
contact with the outside air. With each breath we take, all sorts of
things can enter our lungs. People can be allergic to some of these things- such as pollen from grass or trees. Being allergic to pollen is called hay fever and this means when there is some pollen around they start to sneeze, get a runny nose and itchy eyes.

YOUR HOME
Things that give people allergies are called allergens. Most allergens are in the air but a few of them are in food or other places. The ones that get in the air are tiny (far too small to
see) and we all breathe them in and out. For most
people this is not a problem.


	ALLERGEN NUMBER 1: The house dust mite This tiny creature lives in all our homes. It's related to the spider family. It eats tiny pieces of skin that have fallen from our bodies (Yurrgh!). People with an allergy aren't actually allergic to the mite - but to tiny bits of its poo (Aaaarghhhh!).


	ALLERGEN NUMBER 2: Pollen Flowers, grass and trees all make pollen. Sometimes you can see this (the yellow powder inside some flowers) but usually it's too tiny to see. This pollen gets in the air and then into our eyes and noses. Usually it's a bit too big to get down into our lungs. People with an allergy to pollen have 'hayfever'. They get itchy and runny eyes and noses. People get hayfever in the Spring and Summer - because that's when the flowers and trees and grass make pollen.


	ALLERGEN NUMBER 3: Cats Cats love to lick themselves clean. In their spit are tiny particles that give some people allergies. When they lick themselves these particles get on to the cat's fur - and then into the air where we breathe them in….. and on our clothes and in our beds and nearly everywhere. Because people in this country love cats you can find cat allergens in nearly every home - and even at school.


	ALLERGEN NUMBER 4: Peanuts A few children are allergic to peanuts. It's not very easy to breathe in a peanut (don't even try) so they get most of their troubles when they eat peanuts


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UK research supported by The Colt Foundation

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