Controlling Asthma Triggers
At Home, At Child Care and At School

Dust Mites - Animal Dander - Molds - Pests - Latex - Pollens & Molds That Come Indoors - Smoke & Fumes -General Maintenance

Certain things in our environment can trigger asthma flare-ups. You can learn how to avoid or lessen exposure to your triggers. Most triggers can be divided into three groups: allergens, irritants, and infections.

ALLERGENS

Allergens are organic substances that trigger over reactions of the immune system in people who have a hereditary tendency toward allergies (including allergic asthma). The most common allergens are the proteins in plant pollens, mold spores, dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroaches, and latex. Foods generally do not trigger asthma alone, although respiratory symptoms may be part of a food allergy reaction that can also include hives, swelling, eczema, diarrhea, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

How Can You Control Allergens?

1. Identify your allergens. Each individual can be allergic to a different allergen or group of allergens. Allergy tests can identify the ones that are a problem for you (or your child), along with a physical examination and careful medical history discussed with your doctor.
2. Learn how to control triggers both at home and away from home Set using the information below.

Dust Mites

Dust mites are microscopic bugs related to ticks and spiders.  They eat dead skin that people shed every day and prefer warm humid environments. Dust mites live mostly in mattresses, pillows, carpets, bedding, stuffed toys, and fabric-covered furniture. Dust mite droppings are the most allergenic part.

How Can You Avoid Dust Mites?

• Wash sheets, blankets and comforters once a week in hot water and dry in a clothes dryer. This applies to bedding at day care as well as at home.
• Use allergy-proof mattress and pillow encasings (or pillows that can be washed and tumble-dried weekly).
• Keep the humidity low, between 30% and 50%.
• Avoid stuffed animals except for ones that can be thoroughly washed in hot water and tumble-dried.
• Avoid dust collectors. Store books and toys in enclosed book cases or toy chests. Do not use drapes and fabric hangings, other than light curtains that can be washed regularly in hot water.
• If rugs or carpets must be used, vacuum frequently (every day or two) with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter or uses double-layer dust bags.

Pets/Animal Dander

Through allergy tests and discussions with your doctor, determine the pets to which you are allergic. Some people, for instance, may be allergic to cats, but not to dogs, birds, mice, rats or guinea pigs. Others may be allergic to all or several of them. All pets can cause allergies, no matter what size, what breed, or how long their hair is, or whether they shed. The asthma trigger (the sticky dander) is found in the animal's skin flakes, saliva, and urine (which dries, floats through the air, and attaches to everything from floors to ceilings, clothing and furniture). Dander can stay around for months after a pet has gone.

How Can You Avoid Animal Dander?

• The best method of avoidance is to find a new home for any pet causing allergies in your family or child care setting.
• The next best method of control is to keep the pet outdoors and wash it frequently.
• Avoid feather-stuffed furnishings, pillows, and toys.
• Animal dander left by a previous pet is very difficult to remove without thorough cleaning.

Mold And Mildew

Indoor mold and mildew spores grow in damp and humid places such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. They can also be found in old books. The best way to control mold is to control moisture and humidity.

How Can You Avoid Mold?

• Any damp surface where molds can grow - refrigerator drip pans, shower stalls and curtains, damp areas under sinks and around toilets - should be cleaned weekly with a weak bleach solution.
• Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements when showering, cooking, cleaning or using the dishwasher.
• Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of moisture.
• Check periodically for leaks and areas of standing water.
• Absorbent moldy materials, such as ceiling tiles or carpets, may need to be replaced.
• Never lay carpeting on concrete floors or in damp areas like basements or bathrooms. It is almost impossible to keep these carpets dry.
• Maintain low indoor humidity, ideally between 30% and 50%, as measured by a humidity gauge (hygrometer) that can be purchased at a hardware store. If you use a dehumidifier (to take moisture out of the air), be sure to empty and clean the machine regularly.
• Do not use a humidifier (which puts moisture into the air).
• Keep air conditioner filters clean and dry.
• Vent clothes dryers to the outside.

Pests (cockroaches, mice, or rats)

• Do not leave food or garbage out. Quickly clean up all food crumbs or spilled liquids.
• Store food in airtight containers.
• Throw away piles of paper where pests hide.
• Plug up cracks and holes in walls, floors and ceilings, where rats and roaches can get in.
• Try using poison baits, boric acid (for cockroaches), or traps before using pesticidal sprays.
• If these steps are not enough, limit any spraying to infested areas, carefully follow instructions on the label, make sure there is plenty of fresh air when you spray, and keep the person with asthma out of the room.

Latex

• In some people latex can trigger an asthmatic reaction. They need to avoid exposure to latex (such as latex gloves and balloons).

Outdoor Plant Pollens and Mold Spores

Outdoor allergens can follow you home and become indoor allergens.

• Identify, through testing, which pollens affect you. Learn when they are in season (e.g., in New England, tree and grass pollens come in the spring; ragweed grows from mid-August to the first frost; molds grow on wet piles of leaves and compost).
• During your pollen season, or moldy times, keep windows closed and use a clean air conditioner instead for air circulation.
• Wash hair and shower nightly to remove pollens brought in from the outside. Wash pollens off clothes. Don't hang laundry outside to dry.
• Check pollen counts to see if it may be a bad time for you.

IRRITANTS - SMOKE AND FUMES

Irritants aggravate the inflammation in the airways that is characteristic of asthma. Below is a list of common irritants, and ways to avoid or control them:

• Smoke from cigarettes, wood fires and charcoal grills:
  • These irritants should be avoided. Tobacco smoke is the most preventable trigger of asthma. Smoking is dangerous to everyone - the person smoking and those who breathe in secondhand smoke. Don't smoke and don't allow smoking in your home, car, or child care setting. Children of mothers who smoke are twice as likely to develop asthma.
• Fumes and odors from household cleaners, paint, perfumes, cosmetics, and gasoline:
  • Whenever possible, choose products without fumes, labeled "fragrance-free."
  • Instead of spraying products into the air, use them to wet a cloth for cleaning. Use a plain cloth dampened with water alone, whenever possible.
  • Avoid newly painted areas and construction areas until they are dry and free of odors and dust.
  • Use a face mask to avoid breathing in fumes that can't be avoided.
• Fumes and air pollution from outside:
  • Avoid having cars, trucks, or buses idle where fumes can be drawn in through air intake vents or open windows.
  • Stay indoors as much as possible on high ozone days.
  • Support efforts to retrofit or eliminate diesel buses.

INFECTIONS

Respiratory infections and colds can trigger asthma. Try to control the spread of infections through frequent hand-washing and wiping frequently touched surfaces (such as faucets) with a mild bleach solution rather than disinfectant sprays. People with respiratory conditions are generally advised to get flu shots, unless they are allergic to eggs. Ask your doctor how to adjust your medications to deal with infections.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE ISSUES

• Use a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency ("HEPA") filter or double-layer dust bags. (Other vacuums blow tiny dust particles back into the air.)
• Dust often, with a damp cloth, to avoid stirring up the dust.
• If you have a forced air system, use a HEPA or electrostatic filter for your furnace. Clean or replace furnace filters often. You can also cover duct vents with filters.
• Air cleaning machines can remove smoke and odors, but not heavier particles that do not stay "airborne." It is important to try to avoid the things that produce airborne triggers.

OTHER TRIGGERS

• Cold air, humidity and sudden weather changes:
  • Plan outdoor activities to avoid your triggers when possible.
  • Use a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth to avoid cold air.
• Exercise and activities that make you breathe harder or take in cold air quickly, if your asthma is not under control (such as laughing, yelling, and crying):
• Learn warm-up activities that warm the air you breathe in.
• Exercise is important for general health and fitness.
Pre-medication before exercise helps people with exercise-induced asthma.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• More extensive information about asthma and allergies can be found on our national website, www.aafa.org.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/iaq. Visit this website for more information about controlling asthma triggers at home, school and child care.