How to Overcome America’s Most Overlooked Disease: Allergies
by www.SixWise.com

It’s true that home is where the heart is … but home is also the breeding ground for numerous indoor allergens. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, one out of every five Americans suffers from some form of indoor or outdoor allergen such as food, drug, latex, insect, skin and eye allergies and this number has been on the rise since the early 1980s.

Out of these allergy sufferers, 40 million have been diagnosed with indoor/outdoor allergies as their primary allergy. Allergies are considered America’s most common and most overlooked disease, and qualify as the fifth leading chronic disease for all ages among Americans and the third leading disease among those under 18 years of age.

Although there aren’t any known cures for allergies, you can improve the quality of your life greatly through prevention and smart strategies beginning in your home.

Perennial indoor allergies include dust mites, animal dander and indoor molds. These bring on irritable allergy symptoms such as congestion, itchy, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes to millions of Americans each year.

Dust Mites: Getting Rid of These Unwanted Houseguests

The most common of these allergies and one that affects 20 million Americans is dust mites.  Dust mites are microscopic so they aren’t visible to the human eye. They live primarily on tiny flakes of human skin that are shed each day and their preferred places of residence include carpeting, mattresses, house dust, stuffed animals and bedding -- and their favorite room of the house is the bedroom.

They can also be found in tiny particles of feathers, dander from cats and dogs, bacteria, food, plant and insect parts, mold and fungus spores. It’s the dust mite waste that causes the allergic reaction, not the dust mite creature itself.

One of the most effective ways to eliminate dust mites by a whopping 90 percent is replacing carpeting with hard wood floors, but since this may not be an option for everyone there are specific cleaning tips you can use to minimize dust mite allergens in your home.

• Protect your bedding with allergen-impenetrable encasings. Invest in these covers as a protective barrier against dust mites. Put them on your mattresses, box springs and pillows. Do not try to save money by skipping out on the mattress pad cover thinking that it’s not needed because your body doesn’t come in direct contact with it. This is a large misconception as studies have shown that unless all parts of the bed are covered, the entire bed becomes reinfested in a short amount of time. These items can be purchased through allergy supply companies as well as department stores that sell bedding.

• Wash your bedding and kids’ stuffed toys in hot water every other week. The water temperature needs to be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the dust mites. Don’t forget to wash your throw rugs whenever possible.

• Reduce the humidity in your home. Dust mites are very content living in temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and enjoy relative humidity levels of 70 percent to 80 percent. For this reason, you’ll want to keep your humidity levels somewhere between 30 percent to 45 percent. This can be done by turning on the air conditioner and for the cooler months, investing in a dehumidifier.

• Vacuum frequently with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate) filter. This type of filter will help prevent dust from stirring up in the air as dust mite particles can remain airborne for up to 15 minutes following vacuuming. Damp dusting with a PerfectClean hospital-grade microfiber cloth immediately after vacuuming will help minimize dust distribution. Don’t forget to vacuum any other fabric items in the house such as upholstered furniture and draperies.  If you are highly allergic to dust mites it’s best to wear a dust mask while vacuuming.

• Keep on top of the dust in your home and clean it up daily if possible. The PerfectClean line of mops, dusters, towels and more, which is used by leading hospitals and other health care organizations, is ideal for this. Rather than just pushing dust around, or worse, stirring it up into the air, PerfectClean mops, dusters and towels are made with positively charged ultramicrofibers that pick up everything in their path -- including dust and all of its microscopic attachments.

• Get rid of dust mite favorites. If you can, avoid blankets, wall-to -wall carpeting, down-filled pillows and fabric curtains.

• Instead of using high-fiber allergen-inducing rugs a better alternative is the Waterhog Grand Premier mat. A few high-quality mats, like the Waterhog Grand Premier Mats, placed strategically around your home (such as in doorways and other highly trafficked areas), will go a long way toward reducing the amount of dirt and dust that get into your home in the first place. Once inside, that dirt gets circulated into the air, and you breathe it in. Look for FREE SHIPPING (in Continental U.S.) when you order a Waterhog Grand Premier mat from SixWise.com, which can be major cost savings over any other source.

Be Aware of Indoor Mold Areas

Shower curtains, bathtubs, tile, refrigerators and even damp and dark closets are breeding grounds for mold production. There are several cost-effective ways to deal with the emergence of mold and prevention.

• For cleaning, use a little bleach or ammonia. Rather than paying top dollar for mold-control cleaning products, you can use some hot water and bleach to clean your shower curtain and the tiles on your bathroom wall.

• Use your air conditioner and fans in the summer and a dehumidifier in the winter months for proper ventilation.  Be sure to clean these once a week.

• Store your firewood outside since the bark is covered in mold.

• Don’t put any carpeting down in your bathroom as they make huge mold traps.

• Keep your refrigerator clean and throw out old items to prevent the growth of mold.

• Take care of any water seepage or damage right away.

Keep Your Indoor Pollen Count Down

As the weather gets warmer there is the inclination to open the windows and let fresh air in. Unfortunately, you’re also letting in a major allergen -- pollen. Your best bet is to keep your windows closed and turn on the air conditioner instead. Don’t use fans as they stir up the dust and pollen particles.

And definitely filter your home's air as many allergic reactions are triggered by airborne particles. Sixwise.com highly recommends the PIONAIR Air Treatment System for this purpose, as unlike most air purifiers, the PIONAIR™ Air Treatment System doesn't wait for pollutants to contact a filter or plate.

Instead, the PIONAIR generates air-purifying technology that migrates through the area and neutralizes organic odors, microbes, & molds at their source. As a result, the PIONAIR produces fresh clean air throughout your home uniformly, by addressing the pollutant source -- without the use of fans, filters, or plates!

Be in Control Over Fido’s Dander

Contrary to what many people think, it’s the proteins secreted by oil glands in an animal’s skin that causes the allergic reaction in humans, not the animal’s hair. These proteins become airborne and can find a home on the lining of your eyes, nose or directly into your lungs. In some cases it can take up to two years for allergy symptoms to appear and those symptoms may not leave until months after the animal is gone.

Purify Your Air of Allergens, Fast, With PIONAIR With the PIONAIR Air Treatment System you can remove pollen, smoke, dust, pet dander, mold, bacteria, and other allergens from your home and office air so you can breathe freely. All PIONAIR Systems include a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee! And for a LIMITED TIME ONLY, Get $30 Off Each PIONAIR Air Treatment Unit, Plus FREE SHIPPING and a FREE MiniMate Refrigerator Unit! Choose Your Pionair System and Order Now!

The most effective way to get rid of pet allergens is to remove the pet from the house, but we understand this isn’t an option for many people. So, the most important thing to do is to limit your contact with the animal and also use the PIONAIR Air Treatment System, which is incredibly effective against pet dander.

Here are some other tips to living with your pet’s allergens:

• If your pet is going to come indoors, keep it in the kitchen where there are few allergy reservoirs

• Set up your cat or dog with their own bed, rather than letting them sleep in yours

Recommended Reading

12 Tips to Minimize Allergies During Peak Allergy Season

50% of U.S. Population Has Allergies, Most Don't Realize It & Suffer Unnecessarily ... Do You?

Sources

MedicineNet.com

WebMD.com 

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America