Not long after breathing the allergen, the exposed person will get fever, chills and shortness of breath. Chest X-rays often indicate pneumonia, but repeated incidents can reveal to doctors that an allergic reaction might be at fault. This illness often afflicts people within specific occupations or who have specialized hobbies. Farmers can get the illness from inhaling moldy hay, and pigeon fanciers can get it from inhaling particles from bird droppings. Adams points out that allergists can isolate very specific causes for many indoor allergies.
All households contain dust, but very few homeowners know what is in dust.
Dust is a highly complex mix of allergens that includes human and animal hair and dander, mites, molds, leftover food particles, bacteria, insect parts and decomposed material. These are the major source of allergic reaction to household dust. They thrive on shed human skin and are most commonly found in bedrooms, where skin cells are abundant. Preventive measures include frequently laundering bed linens in hot water and removing carpets from the room. In some cases, homeowners might have to encase the bed mattress, box springs and pillows in vinyl covers.