Shopping Cart

Reduce Allergy and Asthma Reactions

	Evaluate and deal with mold concerns.
	Do not overwater plants. Plants may need to be eliminated.
	Monitor windows for moisture accumulation and mold growth.
	Avoid hanging calendars or pictures on outside walls where mold could grow due to temperature differentials.
	Avoid crowded, airless closets. Louvered doors help air circulation.
	Remove carpets. Pre-stained, UV-cured wood floors are recommended, or ceramic or porcelain tile or linoleum. If you already have good wood floors, do not polyurethane them.
	Upgrade your vacuum cleaner to the HEPA Nilfisk Family Vac. Avoid water-based vacuum cleaners.
	Keep floor and other surfaces as dust-free as possible.
	Dust with a damp cloth.
	Vacuum furniture and beds once or twice a week.
	Avoid upholstered furniture as much as possible.
	Minimize clutter.
	Ban perfumes, cosmetics, synthetic fragrances, and aerosols, especially from the bedrooms.
	Store books in bookcases with glass doors, preferably not in bedrooms.  Use only washable stuffed animals for children.
	Use hypoallergenic laundry products.  Avoid bleach, fabric softeners, and anti-static products.
	Use vertical blinds that do not trap dust.  Improve ventilation.  Avoid curtains and drapes.
	Do not stir up dust when dusting. Use a dampened cloth.
	Use a hypoallergenic pillow, bed, and bedding.
	Wash bedding in hot water and dry at the hottest setting.
	Cover the bed and pillow with mite-proof barrier cloths. Cover zippers with tape. Vacuum or wipe clean weekly.
	Air out the bed in the morning prior to making it. The body gives off moisture at night, making a good hothouse environment for mites.
	Keep the bedroom as bare as possible to minimize dust.
	Find a new home for pets.
	Fix plumbing or roof leaks immediately.  Properly remediate past floods or leaks.  Keep 1-2 feet next to the house foundation clear of shrubs so that the foundation can dry out after rain.
	Monitor the foundation during heavy rain to make sure water is not pooling next to the foundation. Take corrective measures as needed.
	Make new purchases healthy. Avoid conventional carpets, furniture, polyurethane, caulking, synthetic fragrances, etc. Offgassing can set off sensitivities.
	Test for dust mites. A test kit can be ordered from IBT Reference Laboratory - 800-637-0370.
	Maintain air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and humidifiers to avoid microbial growth in them.
	Have ductwork checked for microbial contamination.
	Decommission any humidifier connected to the furnace.
	Avoid blue fiberglass furnace or AC filters. Purchase a good quality pleated media filter instead.
	The house should be smoke-free, including candles. Wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters can produce particles irritating to the allergic person.
	Eliminate roaches, which can cause allergy symptoms.
	The bathroom should have an exhaust fan.  Clean up floods and repair leaks immediately.
	If sensitive to pollen, keep windows closed especially early morning and evening.
	Explore options for fresh air and ventilation in the home.
	A HEPA filtered air cleaner can help reduce particles.
	Have a professional mold evaluation done, with on-site microscope work, to rule out sources of mold in the basement, attic, under sinks, in bedrooms, around past or present plumbing leaks, and in exterior sources.
	Reduce other environmental stressors such as electromagnetic fields, lead, gas leaks, etc. An Enviro Health home assessment can be extremely useful here.

One of my clients got a headache every time he went home. Investigation turned up a significant mold problem with Aspergillus, due to improper clean-up of a past flood. This mold gives off neurotoxic gasses.

Another client was troubled by coughing, worse in some areas of her home than others. When she switched to the Nilfisk Family Vac, the coughing was much improved. "What an amazing machine!" she said.

A person with a compromised immune system will be more vulnerable to environmental stressors. Even though mold is a common allergen, very often the mold-sensitive person will also be affected by radiation and other environmental pollutants.

For example, one asthmatic woman just reported improved sleeping when the electric fields at her bed were reduced. No other changes were made to account for this improvement. Do explore the sections in this site on electromagnetic fields.