Archive for May 15th, 2007

May 15, 2007 | asthma

It can be so frustrating to go through the day with asthma - always conscious of triggers, coughing for seemingly no reason. The EPA has reported that indoor air is multiple times more toxic than outdoor air. So what to do? A new study notes that the critical time to keep your windows closed is between 4 and 8 AM. That’s when most plants emit their pollen. So keep those windows closed in the early morning. But open them up in the evening. Let the breeze blow through your house and conquer all those spring time allergies and asthma triggers.

Next - and this one is pretty obvious - make sure your air filters are HEPA - they capture 99.97% of particles.

You can also check the daily pollen count at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Stay inside when pollen counts are high.

Clean the house frequently - and especially things like pillowcases, which should be washed in hot water to eliminate dust and pollen settling in.

Finally - and this was a bit of a surprise to me - shower at night before you go to bed. A lot of asthmatics have worsened problems at night. A lot of the time this is because they carry pollen and dust to bed with them on their bodies. So shower at night, wash off all the day’s pollen, and sleep more soundly.