Animal dander, house-dust mites, cockroaches, pollens and outdoor moulds, tobacco smoke and indoor pollens are common asthma triggers. What action can you take to avoid or eliminate these triggers?
One of the first step in controlling and managing your asthma, is to identify and avoid your asthma triggers.
Asthma allergens can be identified by a skin prick test (SPT) or by a blood test known as the RAST test. These tests to identify your asthma allergens can be done from an early age. The notion that an infant's allergens can only truely be identified from the age of 3 years, is not true. These tests can be done with great benefit on infants of 6 months.
Triggers of Asthma
Trigger
Action
Animal dander
Don’t keep a family pet or make sure the animal
stays out of the asthmatic’s bedroom.
Seal or cover air ducts leading to the bedroom.
Fit air filters.
House dust mites
Cover mattress and pillows with an impermeable
cover.
Wash bedding once a week in boiling water.
Reduce indoor humidity to less than 50%.
Remove carpets.
Opt for wooden rather than upholstered furniture.
Cockroaches
Keep a clean house! Don’t leave out any crumbs for the
critters.
Use poison traps to control any stray cockroaches.
Pollens and outdoor
moulds
Stay indoors when the pollen count is high.
Install air-conditioning.
Indoor mould
Fix all water leaks.
Clean mouldy surfaces.
Reduce indoor humidity to less than 50%.
Tobacco smoke
Don’t allow smoking in your home or car.
Discuss ways of minimising exposure to smoke at work.
Indoor pollutants
Discuss ways to reduce exposure to wood burning stoves,
perfumes, strong chemical cleaners.
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