The Allergies of Moving
For a person with allergies, potential hazards are hidden around every
corner. A severe allergic reaction can quickly turn into a life-threatening
medical emergency. Even a very small amount of allergen can cause a severe
attack—and with little warning.
Yes, allergies can be tragic. You just name a substance and SOMEBODY is allergic to
it. Dust held captive inside some structure is a real villain for many of us.
No dust in any home is pure dust. The dust in any home is composed of different substances than the dust in any
other home. When we move into a new home we
are especially vulnerable to the NEW dust that greets us because our bodies have
not built up an immunity to that new combination of dust.
From Dust to Dust
|
| According to the
Allergy Store: "Rather than a single substance, house
dust is a varied mixture of potentially allergenic materials. The
particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight may contain fibers from
different types of fabrics; cotton lint, feathers, and other stuffing
materials; bacteria; mold and fungus spores (especially in damp areas);
food particles; bits of plants and insects; and other allergens peculiar
to an individual home." |
Even though ragweed reactions are more prevalent in the United States, house
dust mite allergy is the major year-round allergy in the world. Small enough to
be invisible, mites snuggle up in bedding, flourish on the furniture, and cut capers
on even the most expensive carpets. Microscopic mites are like airborne rangers,
being carried from room to room in house dust by fans and air conditioners. Their
waste products are what actually provoke the allergic reactions.
|
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In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim which
states that consuming 25 grams of soy protein per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
The approval came after a year and a half review of studies conducted over a
period of 20 years. Indeed, the FDA has only granted final approval to 14 health claims over the past 12 years.
|
 According to Jeffrey C. May, author of
My House is Killing Me, published
by Johns Hopkins University Press: "There are dozens of different species
of mites. Some specialize in eating grains, others molds; some live in soil,
some in or on other animals. Pet food and even flour can become contaminated
with mites." Click on the picture for a larger view and more
information.
Waste products from your friendly cockroaches also contribute their share to
allergy symptoms experienced from household dust.
Some advice from the EcoBedroom..
What is recommended is to put on two sheets at the beginning of the the week,
and then take off a bottom sheet and put on a new top sheet on Wednesday. Then
on Sunday, take all the sheets off and sun and air the bed.
Sunning mattresses and bedding that is made out of natural materials helps to
clean them. I'm sorry to say that this does not work for products made out of
synthetic materials.
Sunlight kills the dust mites and they don't like air. Whenever you can,
leave the covers pulled back from the bed, on any day. Dust mites need your body
and your body's moisture to survive.
|
*
I think you will concede the point; Dust in a home is
not pure dust! Consequently, it can easily produce symptoms like:
- watering eyes
- itching eyes, nose, or throat
- sneezing often
accompanied by a runny or clogged nose
- a dry, hacking cough
- postnasal drip
- swelling of the eyelids, causing red-rimmed, swollen
eyes, and even crusting of the eyelids.
- and symptoms MUCH worse!
So, here we are, moving into a new (to us) house. I don't care how hard
the people leaving it cleaned up, that house is still dirty! If you begin
to experience any combination of the symptoms above, you will want to make some
of the efforts listed below to remove the offending particulates. If you already know you are
allergic to many forms of dust, don't wait for the symptoms to appear before you
take all of the precautions listed below.
- If you are going to do your own cleanup, use a dust mask. Good
dust masks come in packages of five and cost about $2.00 Two in a
package of the best dust masks cost $5.00
- If the house has central heat or central air, find the INTAKE chamber and
remove the filter. Then clean out the chamber itself. The last
house I bought had crud in there an inch thick and the filter itself came
apart in tattered shreds as I struggled to remove it. Replace the
filter, making a note of
when your new filter needs to be changed, and REMEMBER, that suggested time
period is for NORMAL people who aren't allergic to dust.
- Use a long feather duster to dust off anything you can't reach, paying
particular attention to the fan blades on any ceiling fans.
- Sweep and mop or vacuum anywhere you can.
- Make any repairs you have to make, such as ripping out soiled carpets,
repairing broken water lines, removing asbestos, putting in sub floors, and
fixing up the bathroom.
- Scrub the walls and do any painting you want done.
- Sweep and mop or vacuum anywhere you can reach, again.
- Air the house out. Open the doors and windows and set fans to
circulating. Professionals will use professional quality air
movers. If you can't find the big air movers then concentrate several
sets of fans to accomplish as much as possible.
Why do I start out with the central heat and air? Mostly because very
few people care enough to take care of it.
| "The air circulating in
the ductwork of your home or office can be some of the poorest quality anywhere,"
says D & D Chemicals.
"Molds, bacteria, yeasts, dust mites, viruses- all could be present in
every breath you take." |
| And remember this, you fill your lungs up with
air about 20,000 times each day. |
But what if you have already moved in only to find
yourself beset with racking coughs and hideous streams of sneezes? Before
the pile of used Kleenex® gets a foot
high, get yourself a dust mask then sweep and mop or vacuum anywhere you
can reach. Next, reach for the can of Lysol® Spray and carry
it with you to use anywhere in the home you will remain for more than a few
minutes. Gradually you will get control of the environment of your new
home.
There are many products to help control dust,
once you have it under control. Air Purifiers, Air Cleaners, Air Filters, HEPA Filters, and even inside water fountains are ready to help you control the environment you care most about.
Summary: For a person with allergies, potential hazards are
hidden around every corner. A severe allergic reaction can quickly turn into a
life-threatening medical emergency. Even a very small amount of allergen can
cause a severe attack—and with little warning. Click
HERE for even more information.
Lin Stone is very familiar with allergies: "For the victim, nothing is harder to explain than
how can anyone be allergic to --. I remember the first time I
picked up a plain old plastic hose and drank from it. What looked like
pure water, wasn't, not to me. It was as if my mouth, throat and all the way down to
the bottom of my stomach was coated with plastic from that one tiny swallow.
I fell to the ground writing in agony. For what seemed like an eternity, I
writhed there with vomit erupting and sweat pouring from my every pore.
"Years later I learned that a few others had experienced similar
discomfort from plastic hoses. In the United States the use of that kind of plastic was
forbidden in the manufacture of anything that might be eaten from or drank out
of. But now with imports flooding our store shelves, that
kind of plastic is found, mixed with other kinds. Consequently, I still
have to be VERY careful what I drink from when dining out."
Mr. Stone is an author, writer, photographer. His web work appears on
many domains. Most of it is yours to read for free. http://www.talewins.com/StoneSoup.htm
reveals direct links to many of them.
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should be used as a substitute
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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the
online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical
Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more
than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including
"Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of,"
"Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal
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