Your sinuses are the hollow chambers that sit behind your nose and above your mouth and throat. Sinuses moisten air and allow for easy breathing, but they're also sensitive to infection and allergies. For example, allergic rhinitis causes inflammation inside the nose. Many of the most common allergens occur inside the home, triggering sinus issues in people with allergies.
Mold
Mold tends to grow in damp, dark and warm places in the home. You may not even realize that mold is growing until you find it behind a cupboard, under a floorboard, in a little-used basement or in other quiet places. Mold spores trigger allergic reactions in up to 10 percent of Americans. These reactions range from a slight sneeze to inflamed sinuses. Breathing mold spores for prolonged periods can even have serious health effects, particularly on the lungs. Keeping rooms well ventilated and full of light helps to prevent mold. Bleach or antifungal cleaning products also stop the spread of existing molds.
Pets
Around one in 10 Americans is allergic to animals or pet hair, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Pet hair usually falls from dogs or cats, but allergens can come from all kinds of pets, including horses, goats and cows. In many cases it's not the hair itself that causes the problem, but the animal dander. This is a protein found on a pet's skin, hair or even saliva. Like many inhaled allergens, pet dander can cause wheezing and sinus issues, particularly if you have asthma.
Pests
Two household pests that commonly cause allergic sinus reactions are cockroaches and dust mites. Dust mites live anywhere that dead human or pet skin collects. Contact with or inhalation of dust mites or their feces can make you feel wheezy and congested, with a stuffed up sensation in your sinuses. Similarly, the feces and shed skin pieces from cockroaches can cause nasty reactions. In children it often causes asthma attacks, as well as sinus problems. Washing your bed clothes, vacuuming the carpets and keeping all areas as clean as possible lowers the chance of these allergens persisting. You can also buy special allergy-free bedding and even anti-mite carpets.
Food
Most people have allergies to at least one food at some stage in their lives. You can also grow out of allergies or develop new ones. Some food allergies are potentially life-threatening. For example, shellfish allergies trigger anaphylaxis in some people. This can cause swelling in the throat and sinus, blocking your airways and restricting oxygen to the brain. If you feel your sinuses swell rapidly after eating fish or peanuts, call an ambulance or visit the nearest emergency room.
References
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service; Controlling Allergy Triggers in the Home; 2007
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: The Allergen Overview -- Mold Spores
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine: Avoiding Dust Mites and Cockroach Dust
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Pet Allergies Information
