Friday, April 6, 2012

Lower Asthma Attacks through Clean Indoor Air

Keeping the air clean inside your home helps everyone breathe easier and lowers the risk for asthma attacks in children – and adults - with this serious breathing problem. Here are some things you can do around the house to minimize asthma triggers in your indoor air:
  • Ban smoking. An estimated 400,000 to one million asthmatic children have asthma worsened by exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the American Lung Association.
  • Ask smokers to change clothes before coming inside. Even exposure to ‘third-hand smoke – the particles that cling to the hair, clothing and skin of a smoker, can make asthma worse for kids.
  • Put plastic covers on the mattress and pillow of the beds in the asthmatic child’s bedroom.
  • Wet dust the child’s room daily with disposable wipes or paper towels.
  • Keep surfaces clear (“like a Marine’s barracks”) for easy cleaning. Put all the objects you cannot wash frequently into the closet - such as stuffed animals, throw pillows and fabric decorations.
  • Don’t let pets – dogs, cats, guinea pigs, ferrets, the mouse your kid brought home for the weekend from the school science class - into the bedroom of the person with asthma, ever. Pet dander can be a potent asthma trigger.
  • Avoid perfumes or other strong smells such as strongly-scented cleaning products.
Source: Philly Health

No comments:

Post a Comment