Changing your environment can help alleviate allergies while improving air quality

DeAnn Wiley, 13, used to make frequent trips to the hospital for her asthma. After being released from her longest stay (23 days), she spent just four days at home before having to return.

"I said, 'Some things have got to change,' " said her mother, Rachelle King, whose younger daughter, Raquel, also has asthma. "I started slowly making changes because I wasn't quite educated enough on asthma to know the triggers."

But she learned, and in the past five years, King has removed the carpeting and plants in her home and gotten rid of her daughters' stuffed animals. She's replaced the girls' bedding and mattresses with hypoallergenic versions and installed a special air filter in the home. And she took the family's two dogs to an animal shelter.

"That was heartbreaking and devastating for us," King said. "The kids cried, but I had to explain to them that it was for their health."

It's been five years since DeAnn's last hospital stay, King said. And both girls have been able to dramatically reduce the use of their asthma medication.

King and her daughters are among the 20 million Americans with asthma and the 50 million with allergies who seek to improve their health by changing their home environment. For people with health conditions, and for those who just want to breathe clean air, there is a growing number of resources for creating a healthy home.

The home's impact on health

The main problems in the home, health experts agree, are those invisible to the naked eye. Dust mites that make their homes in our pillows and carpeting, pollen that drifts in through open windows, and dander on the family pets can all set off respiratory conditions.

"Dust mites are probably the most common source of indoor allergy trouble," says Dr. Gary Reinheimer, an allergist with St. Joseph Healthcare. "What they poop is what we're allergic to."

Microscopic dust mites absorb moisture from the air, so allergic reactions to dust mites can be especially fierce when humidity is high. They like to hang out in bedding, stuffed animals, carpeting and curtains.

Pets are also allergic triggers, says Dr. Michael Hepner, an allergist in West Bloomfield Township.
"Most kids with asthma also have allergies, and what they're allergic to can make their symptoms worse," Hepner says. "When it comes to pets, mostly, we're talking about cats and dogs."

The protein in a cat's saliva, along with its dander, is a major source of allergens, Hepner says. When cats groom themselves, their saliva gets on their fur and skin; they then rub against furniture or get brushed or petted, which can cause the allergen to become airborne.

Mold, another allergen, requires moisture to grow and tends to peak during humid times of year. It can grow around a leaky faucet or pipe.

Outdoor allergens, such as pollen and ragweed, find their way indoors through open windows, on pets and shoes.
And it's not just allergens that can make the home an unhealthy place. Indoor pollution can irritate lungs and aggravate health conditions.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sources of indoor pollution include cigarette smoke, building materials and household products such as cleaning products, pesticides, paint and air fresheners.

And many homes are now made so air-tight that little fresh air can work its way through.

"We're making more energy-efficient homes, which is good, but it's not good from the standpoint of air circulation," said Dr. Michele Loewe, a naturopathic physician in Ann Arbor. "People don't always realize their ailments are linked to their environment."

Depending on a person's sensitivity, short-term effects from exposure to such pollutants can include headaches, dizziness and fatigue, as well as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Exposure can also aggravate a person's asthma.

But there's hope, Loewe says.

"Once you diminish the toxic load, your body will be cleaner and clearer."

Making home a healthier place

Karen Parish-Foster, a Whittaker resident and mother of 2-month-old twins, used to take inhaled steroids and Albuterol for her asthma, which was worsened by her allergies to dust and mold.

After becoming Loewe's patient, Parish-Foster and her husband began to change their home's environment. They installed High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA) in their vacuum and home. They switched to environmentally friendly cleaning products. They bought organic cotton sheets and hypo-allergenic pillows, which they encased with allergy-proof covers. They wash towels and sheets in hot water.

"In the past two years, I've felt the best I've felt in my life," Parish-Foster says. "I have more energy because I'm not fighting allergies, and I'm not as sick -- I used to get every single bug that comes by. But now my system, because it's not fighting allergens, can focus on fighting germs."

Such improvements in health are common among allergy and asthma sufferers, health experts say, though generally are achieved through a combination of treatment methods.

"Avoidance measures are helpful but usually not the cure," Reinheimer says. "These are pieces of the puzzle. By themselves, they won't solve the problem, but they do help a significant amount."

For those looking to make their home a healthier place, start with the bedroom -- it's where most people spend the majority of their home time. Get rid of carpet, curtain and stuffed animals and put allergy cases on the pillows and, ideally, the mattress.

Dust mites will attach to bedding and towels, so wash them weekly in water 130 degrees or hotter -- cooler temperatures won't kill them

Keep your home's humidity low to minimize moisture that dust mites and other allergens thrive on. Keep windows closed, which will also help keep outdoor allergens out. Use a dehumidifier if necessary and air conditioning to cool the house. If possible, switch from carpet to hardwood or tile throughout the house.

Then install a HEPA air cleaner in the bedroom and use a HEPA vacuum throughout your home. (See the Department of Energy's HEPA page at www.eh.doe.gov/hepa for more information on filtration and ventilation.)
Regular vacuums also don't often get to a carpet's lower levels and can stir up allergens. Using HEPA vacuums and air cleaners will effectively remove particles from the environment.

"Vacuums often redistribute dust through the house," said Bradford Ramge, director of operations for General Organic Services, a cleaning service that uses organic cleaning products and special cleaning equipment that it says sucks out dust, dander and irritants and kills the particles.

"We've seen a major decrease in dust buildup since they started cleaning our house," said Kelly Squires, a Franklin resident and General Organic client whose daughter has asthma and the skin condition eczema.

"I really love that after they leave, my hospital doesn't smell like a hospital. It just smells clean. And there's no film everywhere -- a lot of cleaning products leave a film."

"People definitely come to us with health problems," Ramge says. "Most cleaning services replace bacteria and germs with noxious chemicals. There's a greater need and desire for healthier indoor air quality."

Alexa Stanard is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
 
 
 

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