UCM Carpet Cleaning of Boston Health, Allergy and Asthma Breathing Problems

Keep Your Home's Air Clean for Your Family's Health

While Americans spend an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors, the majority of the public does not realize that the air in their homes can contribute to health problems, particularly during peak summer months when ozone pollution is at its highest, according to the American Lung Association.

"Indoor air pollutants like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and tobacco and cooking smoke particles can cause asthma attacks, as well as itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose."

"Keeping the air in your home clean is particularly important for people with asthma or allergies, but the quality of indoor air is something all Americans should be concerned about."

Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of or worsen chronic diseases. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have respiratory diseases are at greater risk for problems caused by poor indoor air quality.

The American Lung Association recommends these strategies for reducing indoor air pollution:

• Control the source: Reduce or remove as many asthma or allergy triggers from your home as possible; pay attention to dust mites, controlling them especially in the bedroom; keep pets outside whenever possible; wash all bedding weekly in hot water; don't allow anyone to smoke indoors.
• Ventilate: Keep the windows open as often as possible to allow air to circulate. When the temperature, pollution index or pollen count are high, use an air conditioner to allow the windows and doors to stay closed while air circulates. Test your home for radon and, if present in high levels, add ventilation to remove it.
• Filter the Air: This can be done several ways, such as by using high-efficiency filters that meet the American Lung Association Health House Guidelines to help capture airborne particles and common household allergens, such as pollen, pet dander, dust and mold spores that pass through the air.

Dust Mites Are Top Indoor Allergen

Dust Mites Are Top Indoor Allergen according to 2005 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the study of indoor air quality.

 

"Removing the source of allergens at home is the first step to better air quality, and keeping allergens out of the air in the first place also pays an important role. In fact, one example of an effective and creative tool is the Febreze Allergen Reducer fabric spray. Research confirms that it actually does reduce up to 75% of allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites that can become airborne from fabrics in the home."

There are other effective ways of controlling asthma triggers in your home such as dust mites and pollens.

There are many ways to control asthma triggers indoors, a few of them are:

• Vacuum frequently
• Dust frequently
• Don't open windows during high pollen days
• Use a quality HEPA filter in your home
• Change your AC and furnace filters every 30 days
• Use a high temperature steam cleaner like the Ladybug XL to kill dust mites

Indoor air quality can have a huge effect on how severe asthma symptoms are for many asthmatics. For some children asthma symptoms at night can disrupt their sleep cycle and lead to bad behavior and poor school performance. Improving indoor air quality can have as great an effect on some asthmatics as medications for treating asthma.