Indoor Allergen Exposure and Asthma Management
Summary
Indoor allergens such as house dust mite, pet dander, mould spores, cockroach and rodent proteins constitute a major trigger for asthma onset and exacerbation worldwide. Exposure is influenced by housing characteristics, ventilation, humidity and occupant behaviour. Poorly maintained or damp dwellings often harbour elevated concentrations of fungal spores and mite reservoirs, while urban housing may present heightened cockroach antigen levels. Effective asthma management therefore combines pharmacotherapy with tailored environmental control: reducing humidity, encasing bedding, applying integrated pest management, employing air filtration and educating patients in trigger avoidance. A holistic strategy that integrates clinical assessment of sensitisation profiles with practical home interventions has been shown to diminish symptom burden, decrease rescue medication use and reduce acute health-care visits, thereby improving quality of life and long-term respiratory outcomes.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Indoor Allergen Exposure and Asthma Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in indoor allergen exposure and asthma management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Aeroallergen: Allergenic particles or biological proteins suspended in indoor air (e.g. mite, mould or pet antigens) that provoke immune responses upon inhalation.
HEPA filter: High-efficiency particulate air filter capable of trapping ≥99.97% of particles ≥0.3 μm in diameter, used to reduce indoor particulate and allergen burden.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A coordinated, multifaceted approach to pest control combining exclusion, environmental modification and minimal-chemical interventions to reduce allergen sources.
Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF): A measure of maximum speed of expiration, used to monitor bronchoconstriction and guide asthma management.
Allergen-specific IgE: Immunoglobulin E antibodies directed against particular indoor allergens, serving as markers of sensitisation and guiding targeted avoidance strategies.
References
- Reduction in Asthma Morbidity in Children as a Result of Home Remediation Aimed at Moisture Sources. Environmental Health Perspectives (2006).
- The Seattle-King County healthy homes project: implementation of a comprehensive approach to improving indoor environmental quality for low-income children with asthma.. Environmental Health Perspectives (2002).
- National Prevalence and Exposure Risk for Cockroach Allergen in U.S. Households. Environmental Health Perspectives (2005).
- Deteriorated housing contributes to high cockroach allergen levels in inner-city households.. Environmental Health Perspectives (2002).
- Do Carpets Impair Indoor Air Quality and Cause Adverse Health Outcomes: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2018).
- Update on House Dust Mite Allergen Avoidance Measures for Asthma. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports (2020).
- Randomized trial of a portable HEPA air cleaner intervention to reduce asthma morbidity among Latino children in an agricultural community. Environmental Health (2022).
- Allergen Avoidance in Allergic Asthma. Frontiers in Pediatrics (2017).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.