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