Experts reveal how to prevent household dust from triggering asthma attacks

• Adults living in homes with high endotoxin levels were more likely to have asthma, write Peter Thorne, PhD, and colleagues.
• Thorne works at the University of Iowa's Environmental Health Sciences Research Center.
• Thorne's team did a national dust test from homes across the U.S. The results are enough to make you want to swab the decks and rev up the vacuum cleaner.
• The study appears in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
• The researchers vacuumed more than 2,500 dust samples from more than 800 homes nationwide.
• They found endotoxins in dust from all over the house -- bedrooms, family rooms, kitchens, and bedding.
• Dust in the bedroom was the biggest asthma trigger.
• Endotoxins from dust on bedroom floors and in bedding were most strongly linked to adult asthma, the study shows.
• Endotoxins in dust affected adults without allergies and those with allergies, the researchers note.
• Dust mites are another well-known asthma trigger found in dust.
• Dust can be much finer, sifting and settling on surfaces and furniture around the home.
• Clean surfaces often with a damp or oiled cloth.
• If carpeting is necessary, low-pile carpets or washable rugs may be better choices than shag carpeting.
• Get special casings made of plastic or rubberized fabric that zip around mattresses, box springs, and pillows.
• Place a filter made of cheesecloth in the bedroom's heating vent to help prevent dust from circulating into the bedroom's air.
• Get rid of stuffed animals or use washable ones.
• Hang clothes in a closet and keep the door shut.
• Use air conditioning during warm months to keep inside humidity low.
• That can slow the growth of dust and molds.
• Change or clean filters for air conditioners and furnaces often.