Originally published May 21 2005
Managing indoor air quality through proper cleaning habits reduces allergy symptoms
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Good indoor air quality can greatly reduce the symptoms of people who suffer from allergies and asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), and it can take more than sweeping the floor to achieve. Cleaning the home properly to manage dust mites, pet dander, and household mold involves a few simple but effective cleaning strategies that can be performed by non-allergic family members.
Are Allergy and Asthma Sufferers Cleaning Effectively?
The theme for the 2005 National Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month is indoor allergy air quality.
Since indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and people spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) wants to make sure that allergy and asthma sufferers are cleaning effectively to prevent their allergy symptoms.
According to a study conducted by the AAFA, sixty-seven percent of allergy sufferers clean their homes and work environments in the spring to help prevent their symptoms.
A high percentage clean their environments, but how effective is their cleaning?
"Allergy and asthma control begins at home for more than 50 million Americans who have allergies, and the 20 million who have asthma," said Mike Tringale, director of Marketing and Communications for AAFA.
The most common indoor allergy triggers; dust mites, pet dander and common household mold must be tackled appropriately to become effective.
For instance, simply sweeping the floor could stir up pet dander and dust mites which in turn could trigger allergic reactions.
"With indoor allergies, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure," said Dr. Jay Portnoy, chief, Section of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO and author of a 2005 article on indoor air quality published in the Annals of Allergy.
However, Dr. Portnoy states in his article that some indoor allergy triggers, like common household mold, are often overlooked and ineffectively addressed.
While soap and water may remove the mold stain from hard, non-porous surfaces, highly allergenic fragments still remain, quickly reproduce and potentially trigger allergies.
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