Frequent attacks of sneezing, wheezing, coughing and a runny nose while in the comforts of home can mean hidden dangers lurking right in your household.
The usual suspects: (1) airborne dust, (2) wee bits of fur from animal pets, (3) tobacco smoke, (4) pollen from plants, trees and grasses, (5) mold spores, (6) bugs and dust mites, and (7) volatile organic compounds released from household items such as laundry products, paint, and air fresheners.
It would be nearly impossible to rid out all such suspects…and turn up a sterile home environment that can be more hostile to your children’s and your own health and wellness. In wee doses, each likely source of allergy triggers also provides stimulus to strengthen the immune system.
Say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” More apt as description than prescription for hormesis–the process in which organisms become more resistant to tougher challenges after getting exposed to low levels of stress or toxins. Hormesis–it comes from the Greek word hormáein (“to set in motion, impel, urge on”)–describes favorable biological reactions that stem from low exposures to toxins and other stressors.
Anyway, ambuscades from allergy triggers can be curbed.
Improving ventilation can lessen indoor pollutants–airborne dust, dander or wee bits of fur from animal pets, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen particles. Easy-to-wipe vertical blinds and shades gather less dust and are easier to clean than heavy curtains or drapes. And it won’t hurt having a strategically fitted exhaust fans to shoo away heat build-up and most airborne indoor pollutants.
Go for hard. Fabric and cloth surfaces–carpets, rugs, fabric upholstered furniture, drapes–serve as home for dust mites. Hard-surface flooring such as wood, vinyl or stone tiles are tops for a low-allergen home. But shun grooved wood surfaces that turn into dust magnets.
Nose knows. Solvent components in certain brands of paint can cause more irritation over others. As a general rule, the higher the VOC content of a product– paints, varnishes and wood stains including laundry detergent additives, and air fresheners– the stronger the odor. With reduced solvent content, water-based paint reeks less than oil-based types.
