Identifying and Managing Pest-Related Asthma Risks

As parents of children with asthma are well aware, the condition can be exacerbated by a number of potential sources. While some asthma attacks and symptoms seem to appear out of thin air, others are caused by specific triggers, often based on small particles in the air that interact with the respiratory system in negative ways and cause the attacks – and in some cases, if you aren’t careful, these triggers can originate from pests hiding in your home.

At Bug Busters, we offer a wide range of pest control and exterminator services, including those that rid your home of some of the pest types most commonly associated with triggering or worsening asthma symptoms. What are a few of the most common culprits here? Let’s go over a handful of pest types, plus why they cause these issues and what you can do to keep them at bay.

Mice and Rats

Some of the most straightforward examples of respiratory issues like asthma stemming from pest presence is those found in mice, rats and other rodents. The reason for these pests amplifying many asthma cases or even outright triggering attacks: Many humans, children especially, are allergic to them.

In the vast majority of cases, your child will not have undergone specific testing to determine whether they’re allergic to mice and rats or how severe the allergy is – these tests just aren’t very common. But rodent allergies absolutely are common, and you can spot the signs in some cases. If you notice that asthma attacks seem to be much worse or more frequent at home, but then let up in other locations, one of your first steps should be to check for a rodent infestation or call our pest control team to check for you.

Cockroaches

While mice and rats are often considered the simplest asthma instigator, perhaps the most severe is the cockroach. In fact, cockroaches can have such a major impact on a child’s respiratory system that they have actually been known to cause the development of asthma to begin with, particularly in young children with parents who also has dealt with asthma or allergies in their life. This makes ensuring your home is cockroach-free a vital task, something our team is here to help with at your first call.

Dust Mites

Not shockingly, dust mites are also a pest type that can worsen both asthma and allergy symptoms. Wherever there’s dust, there are often dust mites, and both sources are common instigators of asthma symptoms. Many people have allergies to dust mites themselves or their droppings, and these are some of the most common year-round allergy triggers out there – but they can also impact asthma conditions.

For more on limiting your child’s asthma symptoms by preventing pest triggers, or to learn about any of our pest control services, speak to the staff at Bug Busters today.