Asthma & Allergy Foundation Offers Tips to Reduce Fall and Winter “Wheeze & Sneezes”
Do you or a loved one suffer from asthma or allergies? My kids used to be allergic to tree pollen when they were little but some how grew out of it – thankfully. Nothing worked for them, even prescription medications. They used to “bark” like seals (cough) when the pollen was high. These days we all just get the sniffles here and there, nothing major.
One of our cats has severe asthma. So much so she has a daily inhaler she must take and an emergency inhaler. She sometimes has to go on steroid pills when the asthma is too bad and the inhalers alone don’t work. They are the same inhalers that people use. I had to administer them to her via a little tube and mask called and AeroKat.
Up until our cat developing asthma I knew nothing about it. Now I feel like an “expert”, sad to say.
I do whatever I can to keep allergens, dust, mold and germs from building up in my home. I can’t do much about pet dander. We have five cats and a dog. The best I can do is keep my home as clean as possible.
My husband often jokes that our cat is allergic to cats. LOL!
Asthma is a horrible condition and allergies can make people feel miserable.
I have some great tips from The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America that I thought were too good not to share (with permission of course).
Most people tend to associate allergies as more of a spring and summer problem, and pay less attention as the cooler air roles in because there’s no pollen in the air. However, allergies still severely impact many people because of what’s inside their homes: cats, dogs, dust mites, mold, cockroach droppings, harmful chemicals and more.
Robin Wilson is founder and CEO of Robin Wilson Home in New York City, an ambassador to The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and has a hypoallergenic bedding line at Bed Bath and Beyond. She says most people don’t realize that their home is probably making them sick, but there are simple solutions to help eliminate the “wheezes and sneezes.”
Her tips:
- For allergy and asthma sufferers, make sure and use hypoallergenic pillows and anti-allergen or hypoallergenic pillow cases and covers. Wash your pillow case once a week, your pillow protector at least once a month and wash your pillow at least twice a year. Replace pillows every three years.
- Don’t use a vinyl shower curtain because it holds mold more easily and off gases. Use a nylon curtain instead. It’s also less expensive.
- Use non-VOC paints which won’t off gas, leave an obnoxious paint odor and stir up asthma or allergies. It looks just as good on the wall as regular paint.
- Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting. Tile and hardwood floors are a much better choice, but must be vacuumed or cleaned on a regular basis to eliminate dirt and dust. Shake out and vacuum area rugs on a regular basis as well. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
- Watch for mold in the dishwasher and refrigerator pan which can build up quickly in the kitchen.
- One of the biggest trends today is eco-friendly cabinetry because it has no formaldehyde adhesives and is made with low VOC stains. Consider frameless cabinets which won’t collect as much dust.
- Use slip covers on sofas and chairs which can be washed regularly to eliminate dirt and dust.
- Keep pets out of the bedroom, and bathe them often to reduce the dander.
- Freeze stuffed toys for 24 hours to kill dust mites and other bacteria that may have built up.
Some of these I have heard of before, or are common sense. However I didn’t know that information about the vinyl shower curtains (eww!) and freezing plush toys.
I hope that these tips help you and your family live (and breath!) a better life.
Do you have any special tips to help with allergies or for asthma sufferers? Feel free to share your tips in the comments section.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this information for the benefit of my site readers.
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