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