Exterminating Pests (Cockroaches and Mice). Use professional exterminators to eliminate cockroaches. (One study reported that ridding a home of cockroaches and cleaning the house using standard housecleaning techniques failed to eliminate the cockroach allergens themselves.) Exterminate mice, and attempt to remove all dust, which might contain mouse urine and dander.
Outdoor Protection
Avoiding Outdoor Allergens. The following are some recommendations for avoiding allergens outside:
- Avoid scheduling camping and hiking trips during times of high pollen count (in the Northern states, May and June for grass pollen and mid-August to October for ragweed).
- Patients should avoid strenuous activity when ozone levels are highest, which usually occur in early afternoon, particularly on hot hazy summer days. Levels are lowest in early morning and at dusk.
- Asthma attacks are often higher during thunderstorms. Some evidence points to a build-up of ozone that accompanies such storms. Other evidence suggests that the changing airflow patterns bring a sudden downdraft of air containing concentrations of pollens, small particles and allergens.
- Patients who are allergic to mold should avoid barns, hay, raking leaves, and mowing grass.
- Exposure to automobile fumes may worsen asthma. Fungi in car air conditioners can also be a problem.
Reducing Exposure to Air Pollution. Several studies have linked air pollution to asthma. Children breathe faster than adults, taking in more pollutants, and therefore appear to be particularly susceptible to soot and other small particles in the air. A 2001 study found an association between higher rates of asthma and other health problems in children who were exposed to high levels of specific pollutants (particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide). Diesel fuel exhaust has also been associated with worsening asthma in children.
Some experts point out that asthma rates in North America have increased over recent years while the prevalence of many common air pollutants have declined. So pollution is unlikely to be a primary cause of asthma. Regardless of whether pollution is an important cause of asthma, evidence strongly suggests that it can affect existing asthma.
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