Good Allergy Habits

Many children with asthma are also allergic to various things in doors or outdoors. We call these irritants “Allergic Triggers”.

Your child may have had skin testing done to decide if he has some allergic triggers or you may just suspect that your child is allergic to some things in his environment. Either way, your child could benefit from these simple changes in your lifestyle. We call these changes “Good Allergy Habits”.

Your Home

Keep your home as dry as you can. Humid homes have more dust mites and mold.
Don’t use a humidifier. If the air in your home seems too dry, use saline nasal spray to keep your nose moist.
If your basement is damp or moldy smelling, run a dehumidifier and empty it frequently.
Get rid of any source of dampness in your home such as a wet crawlspace or basement.
Use a damp cloth to dust furniture and hardwood floors – it picks up more dust.
Short, continuous loop carpet harbors fewer dust mites than deeper pile carpet, but no carpet at all is the best choice.
Don’t use wood-burning stoves or fireplaces unless they are your only source of heat. They fill the air with small irritating particles that can make you cough and wheeze

The Bedroom

Use dust mite covers to completely enclose the pillow and mattress trapping dust mites into the bedding where they can no longer trigger an allergic reaction. You can purchase these covers at any bed linen store or general discount store like Target or Walmart.

Avoid headboards that are covered with fabric. Choose a metal or wood headboard and dust it often.

Pillows should be made of synthetic materials not bird feathers.

Don’t put decorative pillows on the bed since they can’t be covered in a dust mite covering.

Don’t select any bedding that cannot be washed in the washing machine.

If you must have stuffed animals, choose one or two favorites that can be washed in the washing machine.

All bedding or stuffed animals should be washed in hot water (at least 130 degrees) at least once a week.