| During the winter months, colds, flu, sore throats, and | | | | and constant bouts of coughing (particularly at night or |
| respiratory illnesses become more prevalent, outdoor | | | | in cold weather when asthma conditions tend to |
| activities decline, family members are in closer contact | | | | worsen) should be thoroughly checked for asthma. |
| with one another, and our homes are sealed up | | | | Coughing immediately after vigorous activities such as |
| against the wintry elements. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) | | | | running, or even a long-lasting spell of crying, are also |
| declines as indoor airborne pollutants and indoor | | | | signs that should be noted and may require a |
| allergens increase. The accumulation of built-up | | | | physician's evaluation for asthma. Family history, |
| antigens (allergens) within a home, typically cause | | | | especially a history of allergies or asthma, genetics, the |
| family members to suffer adverse health effects. | | | | child's moods and actions, responses to foods and |
| Recent research confirms the EPA's claim that indoor | | | | possible allergy triggers, must all be communicated to a |
| air quality can be 100 times, or even in some cases, | | | | physician in assisting to determine whether a child may |
| 500 times worse, than the outdoor air quality. Those | | | | be susceptibility to asthma. |
| persons prone to allergies and asthma suffer severely | | | | Infants and toddlers with a past histories that include |
| at this time of the year. Until the general public | | | | chest colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic coughing or |
| becomes aware of the dangers of polluted indoor air | | | | unusual breathing patterns, either shortness of breath |
| and then begins to demand the services, Home Indoor | | | | or rapid breathing, should be tested for asthma as well |
| Allergen Control services, specializing in improving | | | | as other respiratory diseases. Keep in mind, as active |
| indoor air quality, will remain limited in numbers. The | | | | as toddlers and pre-schooler's tend to be, it may be |
| EPA, utilizing public service announcements, is presently | | | | very difficult to discern the limitations of physical |
| promoting campaigns to educate the public on the | | | | activities. Pulmonologist's, performing lung function tests |
| dangers to health from poor indoor air quality. | | | | on very young children, still find it difficult to ascertain an |
| Coinciding with the energy conservation practices | | | | asthma diagnosis, but these tests may still reveal |
| initiated in the late 1970's, including better insulated | | | | airway obstructions. Asthma, brought under control, |
| home-building construction methods, asthma (and | | | | allows children to live more active lives without |
| asthma related deaths) among children has continued | | | | frequent asthma attacks. |
| to increase, year after year, since 1980. Asthma | | | | Common Home Indoor Air Pollutants Resulting in |
| cannot be cured, but it can be controlled through; | | | | Asthma and Allergies |
| - patient/parent education | | | | Through education and knowledge, basic common |
| - allergy injections | | | | sense, and recent technological innovations, the |
| - medications, and | | | | removal, reduction, and control of the following worst |
| - avoidance of "triggers" | | | | pollutants and allergens, will greatly improve Home |
| | | | Indoor Air Quality and the health of the home |
| Symptoms of Allergies | | | | occupants. Of the nearly 50 - 60 million American's |
| Symptoms ranging from itchy skin, stuffed up nasal | | | | suffering from allergies, 20 million or so, are allergic to |
| cavities, runny noses, head or sinus aches, bouts of | | | | household dust and/or the particulates that make up |
| sneezing, sinusitis, irritated, watery and reddish eyes, | | | | household dust. Guanine, a potent and harmful allergen |
| puffy, swollen or discolored eyelids, wheezing, a "tight" | | | | produced by dust mites and found in their fecal pellets |
| chest, scratchy throats, raspy voices, dry unproductive | | | | and exoskeletons, is a major contributor. The most |
| coughs, feelings of lethargy, mental fatigue and even | | | | common indoor allergens include: |
| depression are not uncommon. These symptoms may | | | | - Dust and Dust mite allergens |
| only result in temporary, or day to day, discomforts for | | | | - Second-hand cigarette smoke |
| some. Yet these discomforts, even if minimal, can now | | | | - Pet dander |
| be controlled, at a low cost and without | | | | - Cockroaches |
| over-the-counter allergy medications, a huge revenue | | | | - Molds and mildew |
| source for the pharmaceutical companies. | | | | Education will allow homeowners to gain the |
| More importantly, without utilizing the benefits of home | | | | knowledge of just how these allergens accumulate. By |
| indoor allergen control, the nearly 50 to 60 million | | | | simply changing practices and habits, methods can be |
| American's (one in five) who suffer from allergies are | | | | easily integrated into the present home lifestyle to |
| at great risk of becoming afflicted with even more | | | | minimize the amount of unhealthy allergens and |
| permanent, life long, ill-health effects including; asthma, | | | | thereby improving the quality of health for the home |
| bronchitis, perennial rhinitis (hay fever), eczema, | | | | occupants. To a degree, housekeeping practices have |
| dermatitis, sinus infections and other serious health | | | | evolved over the past generation or two. Kitchen |
| issues, looming in their future. | | | | areas have tested to be the most bacteria ridden |
| Asthma and the Differing Types of Asthma | | | | parts of a home. |
| By overlooking the need for home indoor allergen | | | | Our bedrooms, especially within the mattresses that |
| control, children, the elderly, and persons with weak | | | | we sleep upon one-third of our life, are the dirtiest and |
| immune systems (even if just temporary) are at a high | | | | nastiest. Mattresses and the micro-climatic ecosystem |
| risk of developing long term medical afflictions. | | | | within them, provide all the creature comforts that |
| Although 4 to 5 million children, knowingly suffer | | | | allow dust mites to live, thrive and breed while |
| asthma attacks yearly, asthma remains one of the | | | | producing the antigen guanine, the worst offender and |
| more common chronic diseases of childhood and is | | | | most harmful of all indoor allergens. Our grandparents |
| often undiagnosed amongst children. There are as | | | | can recall the days when mattresses were carried |
| many types of asthma as there are "triggers" that can | | | | outside to have the "dust" literally beaten out of them |
| cause asthma attacks, but basically asthma is | | | | and then placed in the sunlight for a naturally cleansing. |
| classified as either "intermittent or "persistent" asthma. | | | | Nowadays, aside from both parents working full-time |
| What is very important for parents to realize is the | | | | jobs, mattress technology has evolved to the point |
| possibility of your child having "hidden" asthma a | | | | that mattresses are too heavy or too bulky, to tote |
| condition that exists before wheezing, coughing and | | | | outside even if there is an area that exists where the |
| rapid breathing become noticeable. Since infants and | | | | mattress can be placed for "cleansing". Carpeting |
| toddlers cannot verbalize how, or what, they are | | | | accumulates many allergens as well, however |
| feeling, "hidden" asthma may be very hard to diagnose, | | | | carpeting does not provide the micro-climatic |
| even by your family physician. Irritability in very young | | | | ecosystem that dust mites require. Regular vacuuming |
| children can mean many different things but, like a | | | | assists in controlling built-up allergens in carpeting, but |
| guttural cough or rapid breathing, could also be a sign | | | | only if the proper vacuum is used. |
| of respiratory difficulties. | | | | Home Indoor Allergen Control Technicians |
| So how do you know if your child has signs of | | | | Mattress cleaning technicians, trained in the removal, |
| developing asthma or "hidden" asthma? | | | | reduction, and control of home indoor allergens are in |
| Pay attention! Become knowledgeable of the | | | | an excellent position to not only offer their much |
| symptoms and alert to the possible triggers. Although it | | | | needed services, but to also help educate the general |
| may be difficult to notice any tell-tale signs with children | | | | public on methods of improving and sustaining healthier |
| under the age of 18 or 24 months, there are definitive | | | | lives by simply improving home indoor air quality. |
| symptoms to look for in older children. Wheezing, for | | | | The above information is not intended as medical |
| one you may think...but not necessarily so, is a prime | | | | advice. If you or your family members experience any |
| characteristic found in asthmatics, yet it's not | | | | of the above symptoms, please see a medical |
| necessarily the most common symptom. Coughing is a | | | | professional. Excellent information is available from |
| particularly prominent indicator and wheezing may not | | | | either the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and |
| be readily noticeable to parents or the family physician, | | | | Immunology (ACAAI) or the American Academy of |
| even through a stethoscope. Children with a history of | | | | Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). |
| bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory infections, numerous | | | | |