However, environmental factors also contribute to the disease process. Studies show that exposure to indoor allergens, from house dust mites, cockroaches, dogs, cats, rodents, molds and fungi, are among the most important asthma triggers.
Your Indoor Environment
From 1998-2002, researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted an extensive survey to assess the prevalence of these indoor allergens in American homes.
The results of this survey, known as the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, showed that more than 46% of homes have levels of dust mite allergens high enough to produce allergic reactions. Nearly a quarter have allergen levels high enough to trigger asthma symptoms in genetically susceptible individuals.
The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of American homes have detectable levels of cockroac h allergens, with higher concentrations in high-rise apartments, urban settings, older homes and homes of low-income households. Approximately 10% of homes had cockroach allergen levels above the threshold for triggering asthma symptoms.
One of the most surprising findings from the national survey was that 100% of U.S. homes had detectable levels of dog and cat allergens, even though dogs were present in only 32% of the surveyed homes, and cat ownership was reported in only 24%.
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