While spring and summer are well known for causing hay fever, seasonal allergies are prominent in the colder months, too. Spending more time indoors this winter could put you in contact with certain allergens even more frequently than usual. If you want to stay comfortable this year, you must know what to expect and why. 

4 Normal Winter Allergies 

1. Mold 

Because they rely on darkness and moisture to grow, mold colonies thrive in winter with its shorter days and snow and ice. This is especially true if there are cracks in your roof, siding, or windows that allow water leaks. From there, the spores may flow into your home through your HVAC system or affect you whenever you're near a colony.  

Typically, mold spores provoke watery, itchy eyes, throat pain, sneezing, congestion, and even scaly skin. It's your immune system's overreaction to the spores entering your body. 

2. Pets 

Your furry pets likely won't want to spend a lot of time dealing with snow and cold temperatures, so they stay inside most of the winter. However, this can provoke allergies, thanks to a protein in their saliva, urine, dander, and fur that reacts poorly with some immune systems.  

Symptoms include itchy eyes, sore throat, congestion, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Since you likely wouldn't keep your pets outside all winter, regular grooming is the best form of allergy relief. 

3. Dust Mites 

Too tiny to be noticed easily, dust mites invade homes through cracks and other openings, or by clinging to mattresses, bedding, curtains, and other similar items that you bring inside. They're common enough to cause allergies throughout the year, but like other insects, they're especially desperate to get indoors during the winter to escape the freezing temperatures.  

You'll know dust mites are around if you get itchy welts on your skin, though sensitive immune systems may also react with sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and runny noses. 

4. Cockroach Waste 

As with dust mites, cockroaches are particularly determined to nest inside your home during the winter so that they can be warm. You'll find them in dark, cool, and moist areas of your home, like inside cupboards, underneath sinks, and anywhere else you might drop food crumbs that they can eat.  No matter how clean your home is, you can bring in cockroach excrement and eggs with your grocery or shopping bags, on the fresh fruit and vegetables you buy, and through cardboard boxes.

The feces cockroaches leave can cause reactions like congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, and even allergic rashes when you're close to them. I’ll bet you remember to wash your veggies and fruit after reading this article!

 For assistance dealing with seasonal allergies this winter, go to St. Louis Allergy Relief Center in Chesterfield, MO. With years of expertise in providing natural remedies for asthma and allergies, they're happy to help you feel healthy and comfortable no matter the time of year. They emphasize holistic treatments and testing to ensure that your body doesn't endure any extra stress. For details, call them today at (314) 384-9304 or message them online.