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Asthma and Home - Interior
Various factors inside your home can be important triggers or causes for the symptoms of asthma and asthma attacks.
House-Dust Mites
Many people with asthma are sensitive to the droppings of house-dust mites. These are tiny insects that live in the dust that builds up around the house – in carpets, bedding, soft furnishings and soft toys.
If you suspect or know that house-dust mites trigger your asthma, then you may be able to reduce some symptoms by following all the recommendations below:
Ø Use complete barrier covering systems on your mattress, duvet and pillows.
Ø Remove all carpets and replace with hard flooring.
Ø Vacuum all areas frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner that has good suction and a filtered exhaust that does not scatter dust. Damp dust all surfaces or use an attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
Ø Remove all soft toys from beds. Put them in a bag in the freezer for a minimum of six hours every one to two weeks to kill house-dust mites.
Ø Hot wash (at 60 degrees C) sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week. Although some people are allergic to feathers there is no conclusive evidence to show that synthetic hypo-allergenic pillows are any better.
Ø Clean your soft furnishings with anti-house–dust–mite chemicals (although these can sometimes cause symptoms to get worse).
Ø Use a dehumidifier to dry the air, as this makes it more difficult for the house-dust mites to survive.
Ø Ask someone else to vacuum while you stay out of the room.
Carpets and Furnishings
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