Making
Your Home an Allergen-free Environment
Allergies
and asthma are a major cause of illness and disability, affecting allergic
people from infants to seniors. Because allergies are cumulative, building
in allergic symptom severity with each successive allergen exposure,
minimizing exposure to all allergens is vital for all allergic individuals.
Common
indoor allergies include:
- Airborne
Pollen Allergies - allergies and asthma symptoms triggered by trees,
grass, plants and flowers enter homes through windows and doors.
- Dust
Mite Allergies - allergies and asthma symptoms activated by dust mite
fecal matter in carpets, upholstered furniture, bed linens, mattresses
and box springs, animal dander and house dust.
- Mold
Allergies - allergies and asthma symptoms set off by mold, mildew and
fungi, inside and out.
- Pet
Allergies - allergies and asthma symptoms triggered by animal dander,
old skin scales.
Allergy
symptoms are caused by too much immunity. Everyone's system produces
antibodies to fight infection. Subsequently, histamine and other natural
chemicals are released that cause allergic symptoms in allergic individuals.
Histamine can be released anywhere in the body. Histamine released:
- in
the nose causes sneezing and a runny nose.
- in
the lungs causes bronchial spasms or wheezing-asthma.
- in
the skin causes itching or hives.
- in
the stomach causes nausea.
- through
the body causes a life-threatening allergic reaction -- anaphylaxis
-- for which immediate treatment is necessary.
Make
Your Home an Allergen-FREE Haven
Avoiding
allergens is the best solution for allergy and asthma sufferers. You
cannot cure your allergy or asthma . . . but you can limit your allergen
exposure indoors. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that:
- Hang
clothes in your closet and shut the door or put them in dresser drawers.
- Clean
carpets and upholstered furniture 2-3 times per year. (Hot water extraction
- 150) Go to www.iicrc.org to find a certified
carpet cleaner.
- Encase
your mattress, box springs and pillows in allergy-free, washable zippered
encasings.
- Regularly
clean and sanitize your HVAC air duct system (every 3 - 5 years).
- Wash
all bedding in hot water to reduce the dust mite population.
- Keep
pets out of the bedroom; they are a popular feeding source for dust
mite allergens.
- Cooler
nighttime temperatures (between 68 and 72 degrees) promote better sleep
for the allergic individual.
- Keep
windows and doors closed. Fresh air is not fresh for allergic individuals.
- Caulk
and seal windows to stop pollen and dust infiltration.
- Vacuum
carpet 2-3 times per week using a vacuum with an anti-allergen high-efficiency
HEPA filter. If possible, the allergy sufferer should not be the one
doing the vacuuming.
- Use
a Air Purifier in the home and bedroom of the allergy sufferer to clean
the air of contaminants like bacteria, viruses, mold and other allergens
assuring you the ultimate in pure air.
Return
to Air Quality Articles - Return
to Air Purification Home
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