Pollen Isn’t the Only Allergen Bothering You
The sneezing, wheezing, coughing, red eyes, and itchy skin are everywhere this time of year. From your office to your home and any place in between, allergy season in Florida really takes off from February thru April. The Tampa area has a particularly intense pollen season, as our climate is a bountiful one for a very wide range of plants and weeds. When things bloom locally, they bloom. When people talk about the allergies that get to them now and year-round, there is one source they might not be thinking of: cockroaches. Tampa pest control experts have long understood the risk, but the public is slowly but surely beginning to see the issue.
If you tell someone your allergies are acting up due to cockroaches, you may get some wide-eyed looks in response. But share some of these facts to change a few minds:
- The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reports that in their analysis, 63% of homes have an allergen issue related to cockroaches.
- In urban areas (such as Tampa), the percentage of homes with issues jump from between 78% and 98%.
That can certainly mean your home. Cockroaches create allergens in humans in a variety of ways, none of them pleasant. Their shredded body parts and feces can act in very much the same invisible way that pollen does to cloud and irritate our allergy centers. Also, in large numbers, cockroaches moving throughout your home (particularly in attics or in undisturbed areas) can continuously kick up dust and mites that create an allergic response.
The bodily response they generate is rather similar to that of any other pollen or plant based allergic reaction. It can include:
- Sneezing and coughing
- Skin rashes
- Infections of sinus centers such as the ear and nose canals
- Wheezing
- Runny nose and irritated throats
Because all of these general symptoms are so very common to hay fever or our traditional sense of an allergy attack, we almost never make the connection with cockroaches. But indeed, they can be the culprits. An allergist can give you a simple skin test to see if roaches or insects are indeed the cause of your allergy woes.
Even if you don’t seek to take this step, keeping roaches out of your house for both the allergic potential as well as a wide range of other inflictions they can incur, is a wise idea. Notoriously difficult to rid yourself of, especially in Florida, cockroaches are often best left to Tampa pest control experts. Family owned and locally based for over 30 years, we have the solutions to your roach issues. Contact us today anytime at (866) 675-4070 for more information.
