“The very best preventive measures are those that get the patient away from the cause of the problem,” says Betty Wray, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and a past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “All the medications we give help blunt the response, but they don’t do away with the problem.” Environmental control isn’t the same as “running away” from your current environment. In most cases, moving to a new climate such as the mountains or beach is an exercise in futility. “Some people even move to different parts of the world to “get away’ from allergens,” says Dr. Andrew Weil, Prevention columnist and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Arizona. “For most, such moves are simply impractical, and often people find that in a short period of time they have developed new allergies to go with their new home.” Fortunately, you can practice environmental control without packing your bags. If possible, avoid living near freeways, major roadways, and industrial parks. Environmental urban chemicals, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, can worsen asthma and allergies. Next, focus on cleaning up your indoor environment. Because of improved home and office building insulation, indoor air can contain even more dust, lint, hair, smoke, and pollen than outdoor air. Here are strategies to minimize exposure to common indoor allergens:
Cockroaches
• Limit the spread of food around the house, and especially keep food out of bedrooms. • Keep food and garbage in closed containers. Never leave food out in the kitchen. • Mop the kitchen floor and wash countertops at least once a week. • Eliminate water sources that attract cockroaches, such as leaky faucets and drainpipes. • Plug crevices around the house through which cockroaches can enter. • Use bait stations and other environmentally safe pesticides to reduce cockroach infestation.
Dust Mites
• Encase your mattress and pillows in dustproof or allergen-impermeable covers. • Wash all bedding and blankets once a week in hot water (at least 130° to 140°F) to kill dust mites. • Replace wool or feathered bedding with synthetic materials and traditional stuffed animals with washable ones. • If possible, replace wall-to-wall carpets in bedrooms with bare floors (linoleum, tile, or wood). • Use a damp mop or rag to remove dust. Never use a dry cloth, since it stirs up mite allergens. • Use a vacuum cleaner with either a double-layered microfilter bag or a HEPA (high-efficiency particle arrestor) filter.
Food
• Designate a group of pots, pans, and utensils specifically for the preparation of allergy-free meals. Even a trace of a food allergen, such as peanuts or milk, can cause a reaction. • Prepare several allergy-free meals at a time and freeze them until they’re ready to be consumed. This method will reduce the risk of cross-contamination that can happen when allergy-free and allergenic meals are prepared at the same time. • Thoroughly clean your hands, utensils, and kitchen surface areas prior to cooking allergy-free meals. Most reactions occur when people eat food that they thought was safe. So it’s equally important to master a few detective skills. • Learn the scientific and technical terms of allergens (for example, casein is a milk product, and albumin usually comes from egg). • Read every label on each product purchased, even if you buy the same product all the time. Manufacturers often change ingredients without warning. • Avoid purchasing products without an ingredient listing. • When dining out, inform the waitstaff about your food allergy, and clarify the ingredients used to prepare the selected meal. • Emphasize to family and friends that food allergy is serious and that a reaction can be fatal.[pagebreak]
Grass Pollen
• Get a nonallergic person to mow your lawn. If you must mow it yourself, wear a mask. • Keep grass cut short. • Be aware that pollen can also be transported indoors on people and pets.
House Dust
• Dust rooms thoroughly with a damp cloth at least once a week. • Wear protective gloves and a dust mask while cleaning to reduce exposure to dust and cleaning irritants. • Use electric and hot water radiant heaters to provide a cleaner source of heat than blown air systems. • Reduce the number of stuffed animals, wicker baskets, dried flowers, and other dust collectors in your home. • Replace carpets with washable scatter rugs or bare floors. • Instead of using fabric curtains, cover windows with shades made of plastic or another material that you can wipe clean or remove and wash.
Mold
• Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to maintain relative humidity below 50%. In particular, you may need a dehumidifier in the basement. Remember to empty the container regularly and clean it often to prevent mildew formation. • Air out closed spaces such as closets and bathrooms. • Vent bathrooms and clothes dryers to the outside. • Check faucets, pipes, and ductwork for leaks. • When first turning on the air conditioner in your home or car, leave the room or drive with the windows open for several minutes to allow mold spores to disperse. • Remove decaying debris from the yard, roof, and gutters. • Avoid raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and working with peat, mulch, hay, and dead wood. If you must do yard work, wear a mask and avoid working on hot, humid days.
Odors & Fumes
• Avoid perfumes, room deodorizers, cleaning chemicals, paint, and talcum powder.
Pets
• Keep pets out of your home if possible. • If keeping pets out of your home isn’t possible, keep them out of bedrooms and confined to areas without carpets or upholstered furniture. • If you keep a cat, wash it once a week with soap and warm water to reduce airborne dander. Keep it outside as much as possible. • Wear a dust mask when you’re near rodents such as mice and hamsters. • After playing with your pet, wash your hands and clean your clothes to remove pet allergens. • Avoid contact with soiled litter cages. • Dust your home often with a damp cloth. • Remember that pet allergens linger in house dust for months after the pet is gone. As a result, allergy and asthma symptoms may take some time to subside.
Ragweed Pollen
• Save outside activities for late afternoon or after a heavy rain, when pollen levels are lower.
Tobacco Smoke
• Smoking should not be allowed in the homes or cars of people with asthma or allergies. Ask family members and friends to smoke outdoors. • Seek smoke-free environments in restaurants, theaters, and hotel rooms. • If you smoke, find support to quit.
Tree Pollen
• If you buy trees for your yard, plant species that are less likely to aggravate allergies, such as catalpa, crape myrtle, dogwood, fig, fir, palm, pear, plum, redbud, and redwood.
Wood Smoke
• Avoid woodstoves and fireplaces.
