Some people who had never had allergies in the past move into a new home or apartment and begin experiencing symptoms, he said.

"Then they happen to find out there was a flood and that the carpet has mold in it," Bradley said.

Swamp cooler filters also provide a breeding ground for mold, particularly as they age, he said.

As the father of a young son with an allergy to cats, Bradley said he knows it's not always possible or desirable to eliminate every allergy source.

"You can get the pet out of the house or enforce 'clean areas,' like the bedroom where the pet is not allowed," he said.

Treatment options for patients who can't avoid allergens include prescription medications and/or immuno-therapy, which is a series of inoculations administered in the doctor's office weekly over a period of one to three years, depending on the number and severity of the allergies.

"That means exposing you to very limited doses so the body creates blocking antibodies to those allergens," Shad said.

Another treatment currently being practiced in Europe involves "sublingual therapy," in which patients are given very diluted vials of allergens under the tongue, he said.

While such treatments aren't yet common in the U.S., Shad said he expects to see them introduced in the future as increasing consciousness over health-care costs drive patients to look for alternatives.

"I think it will be here in the next decade," he said. "And once that happens, it should really help people to get therapy at home."

Health hotline

Dr. Saurabh Shah and Dr. Joshua Bradley will answer questions by phone about allergies, causes and treatment from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday during the free monthly Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline.

From the Salt Lake area, call 801-236-6061. Elsewhere, the toll-free number is 800-925-8177, only operational during hotline hours. Participants can also e-mail questions to hotline@desnews.com from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. A sampling of those questions and the answers will be posted online at deseretnews.com next Friday.

E-MAIL: carrie@desnews.com