Caution Allergens Could Be Aggravating Your ADHD Symptoms

Could common household allergens be aggravating you ADHD? Probably not a question many people ask, little alone consider. But the fact is that a persons living environment can produce an adverse reaction, particularly if you are sensitive to them. ADHD allergens come in a myriad of different forms, but the most often encountered are dust, animal dander, dust mites, and mold.

*Dust: ADHD allergens such as dust can build up in some hard to clean places. For instance when was the last time you checked the blades of your ceiling fans for dust and other toxins. I bet it has been a while. Unfortunately, regular household dust can be very toxic to sensitive people. Many think of dust as harmless dirt suspended in our air but it can include everything from pieces of dead skin to residues from toxic chemicals.

*Animal dander, fur, and feathers: We all love our pets and wouldn't give them up for anything but when it comes to allergens and ADHD they are number two on our list. Most experts say the way to manage animal dander, fur, and feathers is simply not to have a pet or resist the urge to visit peoples homes that do. In my opinion this is unrealistic advice. I don't know about you but most of my family members and friends have at least one dog, cat, or bird, and not visiting them once in a while is unrealistic.

What makes this ADHD allergen particularly problematic is that its effect can be so subtle that your primary symptoms would be lethargy and disorganized thinking. A good piece of advice here is to have a family member or friend keep your pet for a few days while you do a thorough house cleaning. Additionally, an air purifier might make sense especially in area where pet dander can accumulate such as the home office.

*Dust mites: Most of us visualize that ugly little creature that looks like a mix between a spider and a tick crawling all around and wreaking havoc on our clean air but in fact it is their dropping that are the problem. Research on allergies seems to suggest that dust mite dropping are the number one cause of asthma worldwide. Since dust mites eat dust it is difficult to determine you have a dust mite problem just by cleanliness. The one thing you can do besides cleaning to eliminate the risk is to lower the humidity in your home. Dust mites can't live in an environment with 50 percent humidity or less.

*Mold: People who have mold allergy or sensitivity often have ADHD symptoms. Most forms of mold are harmless and not considered an ADHD allergen but over 20 by some estimates can aggravate attention deficit disorder. The same prevention techniques used for some of the above ADHD allergens also work for mold; low humidity and air purification. Additionally, water leaks are a prime breading ground for mold. So, if you have one get it fixed!