Odours
Things with strong odours such as cooking in hot oil, burning of incense, after-shave lotion, highly perfumed washing powders and other cleaning agents can irritate the asthmatic. Aerosols, ammonia, chlorine bleach and even having roses or other sweet smelling flowers can be a problem particularly in poorly ventilated rooms.Buy low-perfumed products where possible, wear a mask or get someone else to do your cleaning.
Formaldehyde is released from particle board, plywood and from some materials used for insulation. Although you cannot smell formaldehyde, the fumes are frequently irritating to asthmatics. The removal of items made with these materials from the bedroom would therefore be beneficial.
Cigarette Smoking
If you have a child who is asthmatic then the best thing you can do for your child is to give up smoking. Toddlers who live with at least one smoker are three times more likely to wheeze than those who live in smoke-free homes. Smoking is a leading cause of respiratory illness and death. Make your home a smoke-free environment and help your family members give up. It isn't easy to quit smoking but there are many programmes to help you.The Garden
Gardening is enjoying for most people unless it gives you asthma.Tips to help make the garden a nicer place include:
- Remove plants which release a lot of pollen, spores or are very highly scented
- Wear a mask when mowing the lawn
- Fences rather than hedges will reduce dust and pollen from other people's gardens
- Take the rubbish to the tip instead of burning it
Other Triggers
Food allergies known to trigger asthma can generally be avoided without causing too much of a problem for the rest of the household. Treats for birthdays or special occasions should be modified to suit the asthmatic.A sharing of household chores may be necessary at certain times. For example, if the car needs filling with petrol and your asthma is playing up, perhaps someone else could do it this time.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.buteyko.co.nz)
