Air Purifiers and Asthma Self-Care Information

CLEAN AIR FOR ASTHMA

CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-701-1959

International Calls - Dial international code then 330-823-0691

cinche1@aol.com

ASTHMA BEHIND THE SCENE ...... ASTHMA TYPES ...... ASTHMA TRIGGERS

Check out our new air filter

See how our filter rates

Cost Comparison Chart

Scroll down ...

SELF-CARE

Those who suffer with asthma do doubt would like asthma relief. You may wonder what self-care measures can be taken to eliminate asthma triggers. One important step to take is to have an air purifier for your house. Besides having clean air in the home there are other measures you can take to keep your home asthma and allergy friendly. You will no doubt find this web page to be very helpful in your fight against asthma triggers and allergies.

TRIGGER AVOIDANCE AND CONTROL

Question: What can I do?

Answer: Avoid or control exposure to asthma triggers. Keep your living environment healthy!
Keep at least one room in your house scrupulously clean. You can call this you asthma sanctuary. You can make this your bedroom since you spend most of the time there. Or better yet, make your whole house a santuary!

Question: How can I create a sanctuary?

Answer: Keeps as many asthma triggers out of the house and the bedroom as possible. Keeps windows closed during pollen and mold season, especially the bedroom window. Seal central-heating and cooling-system ducts to keep allergens in other rooms from being blown into your sanctuary.

Keep tobacco smoke, smoke from wood-burning stoves and strong odors and spray out of the home. Never use air fresheners, dust sprays or carpet fresheners, particularly in the bedroom. Wear a high-quality dust mask or respirator if you must use household cleaning sprays, insecticides or paints. You could also have someone else do the spraying or painting.

Question: What about pets?

Answer: Almost all doctors suggest a pet-free home, but many acknowledge that pets can relieve the stress that accompanies any medical condition like asthma. If you do have a pet, it is recommended that it be kept out of the bedroom and isolated to one or two rooms. Another family member should frequently groom the pet out-of-doors and bathe it once a week. An asthmatic person should wash after handling an animal and avoid putting his face in its fur.

Question: How can I control dust mites?

Answer: You need to reduce the number of places where they collect.

• Encase your mattress, box springs and pillow in airtight, dustproof covers. You may get these from allergy supply companies. These keep dust mites from setting up shop in the bed. Seal the sippers with fabric-reinforced tape.

• Use synthetic pillows instead of feather pillows. Foam pillows absorb sweat and thus encourage mite and mold growth, so encase them or replace them yearly.

• Wash sheets in hot water (130ÐF.) every week to kill dust mites in bedding. Wash blankets and mattress pads every two weeks. Washable floor rugs and curtains are better than heavy carpets and drapes. Carpet that is laid on concrete is bad because the dampness from the concrete encourages mite growth. If yo have carpets, experts recomment that they be vacuumed daily. You can also purchase special carpet-cleaning solutions called miticides. These kill mites or neutralize the allergy-producing substance in mite debris.

• Use wooden, metal or plastic furniture instead of upholstered. Laminate posters instead of using dust-collecting picture frames/ remove stuffed animals, dried flowers, houseplants and knickknacks/ and generally keep dust catchers to a minimum. Dust mites on kids’ toys - teddy bears, etc. - can be killed by putting the toys in a freezer for several days.

Question: Is all that work necessary?

Answer: If mites, pollen, mold and other allergens found in a home trigger asthama, yes! Experts recommend damp dusting and least once a week and as often as once a day. Vacumming should follow the same schedule.

Question: Do I need a special type of vacuum? Why?

Answer: Yes. Most regular vaccums capture large dust particles but do not collect timy aeroallergens, like dander and pollen. These cleaners kick fine dust particles into the air for up to an hour after vacuuming.

The exceptions are vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and central vacuum cleaners with dust collectors outside the home (such as in the garage). These are the best vacuums for asthmatic households.

There are other approaches. You could wear a food-quality dust mask while cleaning, or a nonasthmatic person could vacuum for you/ an hour later, after the dust has settled, damp dust the room. Another approach is to steam clean the carpets, which reduces the levels of mites for up to six weeks. However, steam cleaning doesn’t remove or alter one of the toughtest allergens to budge: cat dander.

Question: How can I keep mold out of my home?

Answer: Keep humidity levels between 25 and 40 percent. Mold and mites thrive when humidity goes above 50 percent.

Pay close attention to humid areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and basements. You can use an exhaust fan or open windows to remove bathroom humidity and wash all tubs, tiles, toilets and shower curtains with mold-preventing solutions. In the kitchen, run the exhauset fan when cooking to remove water vapor. Empty the trash containers frequently. In the vasement, use vinyl flooring instead or carpet. Add a mold inhibitor to paint, particularily when applied to concrete, stone, brick or cinderblock walls.

Question: Would a dehumidifier help?

Answer: As along as it is set for less than 40 percent humidity and is cleaned frequently. The coils and water collector can harbor mold if they are not properly cleansed.

Question: Would an air filter help?

Answer: Yes! They remove cigarette smoke, mold spores and animal dander as well as general household dust.

There are different types of air-cleaning devices that can help reduce aeroallergens:

CLICK HERE to check out our NEW AIR CLEANER!

• Mechanical cleaner - uses HEPA filters, which are replaced periodically.

• Electrostatic precipitator - places a static charge on metal plates. Dust particles passing throught the machine accumulate on the plates via static electricity. The plates are cleaned frequently to remove the dust.

• Your basic room air-conditioner - can do a great job of filtering air while at the same time reducing indoor humidity and making it more pleasant to keep windows and doors closed during months when pollen, mold and dust mites proliferate. Thse must be cleaned periodically and their filters should be replaced.

Question: What can I do about triggers in the out-of doors?

Answer: Outdoors you’re exposed to ragweed, grass, pollens, molds and air pollutants. If these are really bothersome to you, you’d be better off indoors, in an air-conditioned environment, especially during the midday and afternoon, when pollen and some mold counts are highest.