If your child is asthmatic, you probably do everything you can to prevent attacks and you probably have a list of known triggers that you avoid having around your house. However, there are some seemingly innocuous things in your house that are quite dangerous in the sense that they can host some things you want to be careful about.
Air Conditioners
Air conditioners help regulate temperature, and therefore, they help prevent asthma attacks. However, their filters accumulate a hidden load of dust, pollen, and other allergens that your child can be sensitive to. Read the owner’s manual and clean the filter as instructed if it is reusable. If the filter is not reusable, promptly follow instructions to replace it as often as needed.
Carpet
There are a host of surprising things in your carpet: pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and a variety of proteins which get dragged in daily from the streets and the yard. If a member of your family has asthma, consider stripping that carpet and switching to floor materials such as linoleum, vinyl tiles or wood. If getting rid of your carpet is not an option, shampoo it frequently and clean it at least once a week using a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter).
Crumbs And The Pests They Attract
In themselves, tiny bits of food that fall on the floor may not cause asthma, but they are a magnet for pests like cockroaches and rats. These pests leave residues, mainly through feces or urine, that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma. The allergens from mice and cockroaches are usually circulated in the air and deposited in furniture when normal house cleaning and dusting is done. If you have not been totally successful to getting rid of these asthma triggering pests, get professional help, say the experts at ICE Pest Control and Wildlife Removal.
The Flora In Your Refrigerator
Your refrigerator is a place where mold, a member of the plant kingdom and a common allergen, can easily grow. Wipe up any excess moisture in the shelves and get rid of moldy food. Check for mold in the rubber seals around your refrigerator’s door and wipe them clean regularly.
Bed Linens and Upholstery
Your bed linens, the upholstery on your furniture, and other objects covered with fabric will play host to house dust mites. These are miniscule, translucent arthropods that live on a diet of organic detritus such as skin flakes. Mites possess strong digestive enzymes which is excreted in their feces. These enzymes, along with more than ten other substances that come with mites, are highly allergenic. To control the growth of the dust mite population, launder your bedding in hot water (140 to 170 °F) at least once a week and use a damp cloth to wipe furniture. Using dust-proof covers on mattresses and pillows will also help.
Couches
Most homes have at least one couch that everyone plops on to watch TV or just relax. This beloved couch will probably have an enormous amount of pollen, dust, dust mites, and other allergens that can trigger an asthma attack in children. If you can’t have this couch reupholstered in leather, you should at least vacuum it regularly.
The Stuff in Stuffed Toys and Pets
No matter how hard you try to keep stuffed toys and pets clean, their fur will provide nests for a host of allergens. If your child is severely asthmatic, stuffed toys and pets are not a good idea because they are a haven for mites. Moreover, fur, whether real or fake, is bound to catch pet dander, tiny microscopic bits of protein and enzymes that come from the saliva, urine, and feces of animals. Besides attracting mites, animal dander is highly allergenic.
Many things in your house look totally harmless, and in themselves they may not cause allergic reactions. However, sometimes there is more to these objects than meets the eye, and it pays to take measures that will prevent asthma attacks.
