Keeping Kids Free of Household Allergens

Each year, allergies take their toll on a large percentage of the American population. More than 35,000,000 people in the U.S. suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Allergic rhinitis is triggered by airborne irritants such as pollen, mold, animal dander, or dust mites. This causes itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose. Allergic diseases develop at any age, and heredity plays a key role in who will contract them. If one parent has an allergic disease, the estimated risk of a youngster developing allergies is 48%; if both parents have allergies, however, the risk increases to 70%.
It's impossible to completely eliminate all the things that might trigger a child's allergies, but taking steps to delay the child's exposure to certain allergens may help," suggests David Patterson, a fellow of the AAAAI. To help lower the risk for developing allergic rhinitis, allergists recommend taking the following steps to reduce the levels of allergens that may be in the home:
Dust mites. Use zippered, plastic covers on pillows and mattresses to lessen their presence. Minimize the number of stuffed animals kept in the bedroom and remove carpets from the room. Wash bedding and stuffed animals in hot water (130 [degrees] F) weekly. Keep indoor relative humidity below 50% to inhibit dust mite growth.
Indoor mold. Fix leaky faucets and pipes, avoid vaporizers, and reduce indoor humidity to less than 50%.
Cockroach allergens. Do not leave food or garbage exposed, and use boric acid traps.
Animal dander. Remove furry pets from the home to prevent exposure, particularly in the child's first year of life. If the pet cannot be removed from the home, keep it out of the infant's bedroom, frequently vacuum rooms where it lives, and wash the pet weekly to decrease the amount of dander, urine, and dried saliva.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Society for the Advancement of EducationCOPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group