reducing asthma symptoms creating a healthy green home
TRANSCRIPT
Guide to Reducing Asthma Symptoms
& Creating A Healthy “Green”
Home
For Residents of Melrose Commons Site V
Instructor Packet
Table of Contents:
• What is Asthma
• Common Indoor Asthma Triggers • Dust/Dust Mite
• Smoke
• Animal fur
• Mold/ Mildew
• Cockroaches
• Some chemicals products
• Green Cleaning Guidelines
• Healthy & Green Living Tips
• Objective of this Guide: To reduce environmental asthma triggers and promote a healthy “green” home.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a lung disease that makes it hard
to breathe because the lining of the airways
swells.
Symptoms include coughing, wheezing,
shortness of breath and chest tightness.
Triggers are things that cause asthma
symptoms to worsen.
Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be
controlled by reducing your exposure to
asthma triggers.
Common indoor triggers:
• Dust
•Animal fur
•Cockroaches
•Mold
•Tobacco and other
smoke
•Some chemicals
products
Other common triggers: • Exercise
• Viral infections (Colds
and Flu)
• Air pollution
• Pollen
• Emotions (laughing,
crying, yelling, anxiety)
• Heart burn
Asthma Triggers
•Triggers are different for each person.
•Allergy testing at a doctor’s office may be helpful.
•Ask your doctor for an asthma action plan.
• Keep a peak flow meter log to monitor
how triggers and medication affect
asthma.
Know your Asthma Triggers
•Wipe feet on a quality doormat when entering.
o Make sure everyone, including kids, uses the
mat.
o Vacuum/clean the backside of the mat once
a month.
•Take shoes off as soon as you enter the door.
o Store the shoes near the doorway.
Dust
Dust can make asthma worse when breathed into the
lungs.
All homes have dust.
Preventing Dust – Before Entering
Dusting Dusting can be done with a micro-fiber dust
cloth.
Use a damp dust cloth on vinyl furniture
Dust articles higher up from the floor first.
If needed, wear a mask when dusting.
Removing Dust
Vacuuming
Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or a double-layered bag.
• Dust Mites are insects that are so small you can’t see them.
• They live in carpets, curtains, bedding, house
dust and upholstered furniture.
• Avoid installing drapes and wall to wall carpets.
• Avoid humidifiers – dust mites need moisture to
grow.
Avoiding Dust Mites
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Do wash bedding materials weekly in hot (130°F) water. Dry on hot cycle.
• Do put allergy control covers on the mattress and pillows.
• Do wash stuffed animals each month or freeze them for 48 hours.
• Do keep stuffed animals out of the child’s sleeping area.
Avoiding Dust Mites
Green Tips!
• To save energy, return the temperature back to a cold or warm setting after washing bedding.
•After drying clothes, clean the lint out of the dryer’s lint filter. This will help the dryer work better.
•Tobacco is an indoor pollutant and is not permitted in the building.
•If someone in the home does smoke:
o Wear a different jacket that is only worn outside the home when smoking.
o Wash hands after smoking.
o No smoking in cars.
•Avoid smoke produced by candles, wood stoves and fireplaces.
Tobacco And Other Smoke
Animal Fur
• Pets are not permitted in the apartment.
Many pets, including dogs, cats and birds produce substances that can trigger asthma (allergens).
These allergens include flakes from the skin
(dander) and substances in the saliva, feces and urine.
If you are allergic, and handle pets with
fur:
Make sure to wash your hands
Take off shoes when entering the home
Change clothes
Mold
• Exposure to some molds can cause asthma and can trigger asthma attacks.
• Like dust mites, molds require moisture to grow. Some common sources of moisture:
•Leaking pipes
•Bathrooms and kitchens without enough air flow
• Fix any plumbing leaks right away.
• Avoid humidifiers.
Cleaning Mold/Mildew
o Cleaning bathroom and other damp areas weekly can prevent mold problems from developing.
o Cleanable surfaces with mold should be washed with a detergent and water solution.
o Wear gloves and mask when cleaning.
o Items too moldy to clean should be thrown out.
o Notify building management if there is a mold problem.
Green Tips!
• Decrease shower time to decrease the chance of mold and to save energy.
•Don’t leave sink running any longer than needed.
Pests
•Cockroaches are common indoor pests found in all types of homes.
•Substances found in the roaches’ feces, saliva, eggs and skin shedding can set off allergies and asthma.
Cockroaches
Rodents
•Mouse and rat (rodent)
urine and hair contain
allergens that can cause or
trigger asthma symptoms.
Courtesy of the CDC Public Health Image Library
Courtesy of the CDC Public Health Image Library
Cockroach and Rodent
Prevention
•Store food in sealed containers.
•Keep garbage in a closed container.
•Clean dishes up after use or place them in soapy
water.
•Rinse out recyclable bottles and cans before
placing them into the recycling bin.
•Clean up food crumbs and spills right away.
•Repair leaky faucets and pipes.
Cockroach and Rodent
Prevention
• Remove clutter, to reduce places where
roaches hide (ex: empty boxes, cans, bottles,
bags, newspapers).
• Seal cracks/crevices in the walls.
Green Tips!
• Remove clutter by recycling newspapers, cardboard, bags and bottles.
•Clean dust off refrigerator coils twice a year. Pull refrigerator out to sweep and dust behind it.
If pests are detected:
•Contact building management staff to help you.
•Do Not use spray pesticides. Do Not buy
pesticides from street vendors.
•Keep all pesticides away from children.
•Safer alternatives:
•Use traps for rodents.
•Use boric acid and bait stations for cockroaches.
•Boric acid is a dust sold in a bottle with a tip for
applying it in cracks. Seal the crack afterwards
with caulk.
Household Products
• Many chemicals in commercial cleaners with
strong odors can worsen asthma symptoms.
• Avoid products labeled “Danger—Poison”,
“Corrosive”, “Severely Irritating,” “Highly
Flammable” or “Highly Combustible”. Products
with “Warning” or “Caution” labels are also dangerous.
Do NOT mix different cleaning products together!
Products to Avoid
Chlorine bleach OR
Ammonia
o If you absolutely need
to use either one, make
sure it is diluted.
o NEVER MIX CHLORINE
BLEACH AND
AMMONIA TOGETHER!
Aerosols/ Spray cans
o These substances can
contribute to indoor air
quality problems.
Household Products
o Scented Products
o Scented products may have substances that can
disrupt “hormones” and effect the way the body grows.
o Instead, look for unscented products, including soaps,
lotions and detergents.
o Avoid Air fresheners/Plug-ins
Green Tip! - Choose laundry detergent that is labeled
“phosphate-free”, “biodegradable” and/or “non-
toxic.”
Household Products
Moth balls
o Store wool items in plastic
bags or airtight
containers instead.
o If there is a moth
problem, kill eggs by
washing clothing in hot
water.
o You can also put them in
the freezer for a few
days.
Glues, adhesives, paints
o Avoid household products
with strong odors.
o These often contain
“volatile organic
compounds” (VOCs).
o Choose products that are
labeled “low-VOC”, “non-
toxic” and/or biodegradable.
Green Cleaning Guidelines
• Cleaning can reduce exposure to allergens from dust mites, roaches, pets and molds.
• The most important rooms to clean are rooms where people spend the most time, especially the bedroom.
• Make your own cleaning products or look for green cleaning products.
• It can sometimes be helpful to look for products with a Design for Environment seal or a Green Seal on the label.
o0
Green Cleaning Guidelines
Sample “Green” products :
•Baking soda – good general cleaner
•Washing soda – related to baking soda but stronger
•White vinegar – mild acid to cut grease
•Lemon Juice – acid to cut grease
•Hydrogen Peroxide – disinfectant
•Liquid castile soap (a mild soap made of olive oil and
sodium hydroxide)
•Scouring pad
•Mop
•Cotton washcloth/sponge/rag
•Microfiber cloth
•Newspapers
•Spray bottle
Healthy & Green Living is Good for the
Environment
Burn calories – not electricity/gas
• Use the stairs rather than the elevator
• Try walking rather than taking a car or bus
Eat less meat
• Meat production has high energy costs
• Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables
Drink tap water rather than bottled/sugary drinks
• Less packaging is better and less sugar is better for your
health
Eat local produce rather than packaged/processed
foods
• Less packaging is better and fresh foods are better for your
body
The educational materials were funded by Enterprise Communities Green Communities. This education was also provided by the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and by the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Center. Information was adapted from the following references:
epa.gov
nyc.gov
kingcounty.gov
klickitatcounty.org
beyondpesticides.org
activelivingresearch.com
greenseal.org
Healthy Child Healthy World
Enterprise Green Communities
acaai.org
References