Asthma and Home - Interior
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is characterized by difficulty in
breathing. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways.
During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and
constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow
of the air passages to and from the lungs.
Various factors inside your home can be important triggers or causes for the
symptoms of asthma and asthma attacks.
House-Dust Mites
Many people with asthma are sensitive to the droppings of house-dust mites.
These are tiny insects that live in the dust that builds up around the house –
in carpets, bedding, soft furnishings and soft toys.
If you suspect or know that house-dust mites trigger your asthma, then you may
be able to reduce some symptoms by following all the recommendations below:
- Use complete barrier covering systems on your mattress, duvet and pillows.
- Remove all carpets and replace with hard flooring.
- Vacuum all areas frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner that has good suction and a
filtered exhaust that does not scatter dust. Damp dust all surfaces or use an
attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
- Remove all soft toys from beds. Put them in a bag in the freezer for a minimum
of six hours every one to two weeks to kill house-dust mites.
- Hot wash (at 60 degrees C) sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week.
Although some people are allergic to feathers there is no conclusive evidence to
show that synthetic hypo-allergenic pillows are any better.
- Clean your soft furnishings with anti-house–dust–mite chemicals (although
these can sometimes cause symptoms to get worse).
- Use a dehumidifier to dry the air, as this makes it more difficult for the
house-dust mites to survive.
- Ask someone else to vacuum while you stay out of the room.
Carpets and Furnishings
Furniture, flooring and shelving made from chipboard or MDF may trigger asthma
symptoms in some people. This is because it contains formaldehyde resin, which
gives off a pungent, colourless gas that can irritates the airways.
Carpets can also be a source of formaldehyde gas left over from the
manufacturing process. If you are buying a new carpet you should ask the shop if
they could unroll and air it before you bring it home.
People who are allergic to latex should avoid carpet with a foam underlay.
Some people report that their asthma is triggered by the smell of new sofas and
soft furnishings. Try airing new furniture before bringing it into the house and
keep the windows open for a few days.
Those allergic to pets may continue to have symptoms for many months after a dog
or cat last lived in the house. This is because pet allergens can linger for a
long time on furniture and in carpets and are very difficult to remove without
resorting to a rigorous cleaning measure, such as steam cleaning. When moving
house it is wise to check whether the previous homeowners had pets.
Heating and cooking
Dampness in housing has been linked with asthma in some people. Research has
also shown that asthma symptoms were harder to control in people with homes
without central heating.
There is no type of heating that is best for everyone with asthma.
- Ducted air heating. No medical research has been carried out on links between
this type of heating and asthma. However, expert doctors have seen many patients
who they would agree have worse asthma symptoms due to the ducted air heating.
This could be because more house-dust mites are breathed as the air is
re-circulated. Fan heaters and convectors also move the air and dust around.
- Gas heating and cooking. Houses that have gas fires and gas cookers have
higher levels of nitrogen dioxide. In some people with asthma nitrogen dioxide
may cause other triggers to have slightly more effect on their symptoms. There
is no evidence to show whether gas central heating increases asthma symptoms.
Wood and coal fires
Wood and coal fires without adequate flues can cause mild worsening of breathing
problems, compared with central heating.
Cleaning, decorating, building work and repairs
In everyday life, and especially while redecorating, a wide assortment of
domestic products and solvents are used around the home, many of which release
chemicals that can cause breathing difficulties in some people with asthma.
These chemicals are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many household
and DIY products such as cleaning fluids, varnishes, glues and paints contain
VOCs.
- Furniture polish, air fresheners, carpet cleaners and dry-cleaned clothes can
all trigger asthma because they contain VOCs.
- Use solid or liquid alternatives rather than sprays where possible. Use as
little of the product as possible and open windows.
- Decorating: To date, there has been little medical research on the many
chemicals used in renovating or decorating a home.
- Wet paint can cause problems as it gives off chemicals that can trigger asthma
symptoms in some people. There is no one type of paint that can be guaranteed as
safe for everyone with asthma.
- New low-odour, water-based gloss paints are now available that may be slightly
better for some people with asthma.
- These paints are available at most large DIY outlets and manufacturers'
details can be obtained by contacting the Paintmakers Association.
- Stripping wallpaper can unsettle dust so wash down wallpaper before starting
as this may help to dampen down the dust. Ensure there is plenty of ventilation
while working.
- Some people prefer to wear a mask during decorating and even during everyday
cleaning, but no special masks have been shown in trials to reduce symptoms.
Building work and repairs
There is a link between poor housing conditions and asthma. It is important to
ensure that housing problems such as damp, poor ventilation and inadequate
heating are resolved as quickly as possible.
Major renovation or structural repair can cause a lot of dust and other irritant
triggers.
Problems can also arise when treating a house for woodworm, damp and dry rot.
You can also ask your local council's environmental health department for
advice.
Some insulation materials contain formalin and formaldehyde. It is important
that the skin containing the insulation is not cracked, as this can leak fumes
into the house. If you are having cavity wall insulation installed check with
the builder or contractor exactly what they intend to use. Micafil is free of
these chemicals.
If you are contemplating any building work within your home it is worth seeing
your doctor or nurse to check if a temporary increase in medicine is needed.
At a Glance … Asthma
and Home - Interior-
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial
tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by
difficulty in breathing.
-
Various factors inside your home can be important triggers or causes
for the symptoms of asthma and asthma attacks.
-
House-dust mites, carpets and furnishings materials, heating and cooking
fuels, wood and coal fires, and chemicals and materials used for cleaning,
decorating, building work and repairs can all have major impacts on asthma.
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Asthma Resources
The asthma resources on this site are based on various reports and the experience of respected authorities.
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