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Asthma triggers are things that make breathing problems worse for people with asthma. There are many kinds of asthma triggers. These include air pollution, pollen, cold weather, colds and stress.

Some of the strongest triggers are found in the home. These include dust mites, cockroaches, mold and tobacco smoke. Triggers can be allergens or irritants. Allergens are things people are allergic to. Irritants are things that irritate the lungs. Your doctor can help you figure out what asthma triggers may affect your family.

You can do a lot to reduce exposure to household asthma triggers:

• Get rid of the source of the trigger.
• Reduce moisture in the house.
• Keep dust levels down.
• Make the bedroom a trigger free space.

There may need to be some repairs to the house and changes in some habits. Your home will be a healthier and more comfortable place for everyone in the house. Does asthma run in your family? If so, reducing a baby's exposure to triggers may mean less chance your child will develop asthma when older.

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What are household triggers?

Dust Mites
Our bodies shed thousands of dead skin cells every day. The dead skin cells collect on bedding and stuffed furniture. Dust mites are insects that eat the dead skin. They are so tiny you cannot see them. Dust mites are a normal part of life. Every house has them. The problem is that many peole are allergic to dust mite droppings. Dust mite droppings are an asthma trigger for them.

Dust mites and their droppings build up on sheets, blankets, mattresses and pillows. Mites and droppings are on stuffed toys, furniture and rugs. They are also part of the house dust.

Allergen-proof covers for pillows, mattresses and box springs keep dust mites from building up. Wash bedding often in hot water. See the section below Create a Trigger Free Bedroom for more information.

Replace stuffed furniture with smooth-surfaced furniture, like vinyl, if you can. Dust mites cannot hide on smooth surfaces.

Get rid of carpets and large rugs, too. Hard surface floors reduce the build up of dust mites and are easier to clean.

Dust mites grow best in moist conditions. See Reduce Excess Moisture below for more information.

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Cockroaches
Many houses have problems with cockroaches. Many people with asthma are allergic to cockroach dust. Cockroach dust comes from roach body parts and droppings. It is a very strong asthma trigger.

Cockroaches have defeated our best efforts to get rid of them for years. Now there are new methods and products that really work. The new products are also safer than the roach bug sprays that have been commonly used. The new roach control method is called integrated pest management (IPM). IPM can be used by pest control companies, landlords, homeowners and tenants. See Getting Rid of Roaches below.

The roach dust is still around and is an allergen even after the roaches are gone. Use a household cleaner and clean rinse water to cleanup the roach dust. See Cleaning Asthma Triggers below.

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Mold
Molds are tiny plants that can grow on moist surfaces in houses. They look like dark or stained fuzzy areas. They may have a musty odor. Many people are allergic to molds. Molds are common asthma triggers.

A certain kind of black mold may cause a serious lung disease in babies. This mold can grow on wood, paper, wallboard or similar products that have been soaked by leaks or flooding. Call your local health department for help if there is a baby living in your house and you think this mold is present.

Throw out boxes, wallboard, newspapers, clothing and anything that is wet or has mold growing on it. Use a household cleaner to cleanup mold. Paint over the area with a paint like Permawhite™ that stops mold from coming back. See Cleaning Asthma Triggers below.

The key to reducing mold is getting rid of excess moisture in the house. See Reducing Excess Moisture below.

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Animal Dander
Dander is dead skin cells from animals. Some people with asthma are allergic to the dander from pets in the house. Cats are usually the problem. Fewer people are allergic to dogs.

• Get rid of the pet if you can.
• Keep the pet outdoors.
• Do not allow pets in the bedroom.
• The dander sticks to clothes and hands. It may help to wash hands and change clothes after handling a pet or being in a house with a pet.
• Bathe the pet often. (Check with your vet.)
• Vacuum and clean pet sleeping and play areas often. See Cleaning Asthmat Triggers for safe ways to vacuum.

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Tobacco Smoke
Tobacco smoke is a serious breathing irritant and a strong asthma trigger. There are other serious health problems caused by breathing tobacco smoke.

It is best for the health of everyone in the house for the smoker to quit smoking. That can be very hard to do. There are programs that can help. Call the American Lung Association (1-216/781-5656), the American Cancer Society (1-800/227-2345), or your doctor.

• Do not allow smoking in the house. Have people smoke outside.
• Do not allow smoking in the car.

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Fuel Burning Appliances
These appliances are stoves, furnaces, water heaters, space heaters and fireplaces. The fuel they burn can be natural gas, kerosene or wood. Fuels produce gases, smoke and particles (soot) when they burn. These can be irritant triggers for asthma. Fuel burning appliances that do not work properly can produce carbon monoxide. This is a deadly gas. If these appliances are not vented properly they can put a lot of moisture into the house.

• Get a carbon monoxide detector. It can save lives.
• Have the heating system checked once a year.
• Check the chimney clean out opening. Keep it clear.
• Do not use non-electric space heaters unless they are vented to the outside.
• Do not use stoves for heating.
• Do not use wood burning fireplaces.
• Use an exhaust fan in the kitchen.
• Do not leave a car running in the garage.
• Put a timed exhaust fan in your attached garage.

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Cleaning Asthma Triggers
House cleaning is needed after asthma triggers are under control. Allergens are built up in dust and are stuck to floors and other surfaces. Some of these allergens can stay strong for years. They need to be removed.

A person with asthma should not be in a room being cleaned. The cleaning can stir up dust and trigger an attack.

Rugs and Carpets
Remove old carpets that are heavily soiled, if you can. They are probably loaded with allergens. It is best to use area rugs that can be washed often.

Carpet removal can release a great deal of dust that can go all over the house. Removal needs to be done very carefully.

A person with asthma should not be in the room when carpet is removed.

• Seal off the room with plastic sheeting.
• Mist the carpet with water mixed with a little dishwasher soap.
• Cut the carpet into small sections and roll them up.
• Wrap the sections in plastic sheeting and seal with tape.
• Mop the floor as each section is rolled up. Map the whole floor again after all the sections have been removed.

Do not use any carpets or rugs than cannot be washed frequently in the basement, bathroom and kitchen. Rugs can get wet in these rooms and mold can grow on them.

It is very important to vacuum any carpets you do have safely and often. Do not vacuum when a person who has asthma is in the room. It is best to use special "HEPA," "allergen" or "low emission" vacuums and bags. These reduce the amount of allergen dust that gets into the air during vacuuming. You may be able to get allergen filter bags and special exhaust filters to up-grade your regular vacuum.

There are things you can do to help keep the dust down if you do not have a special vacuums or bags. Use a bag that is already 1/2 full. New bags let out too much dust. When you put in a new bag, clog it with flour or cornstarch. Pour 1 to 2 cups of flour or cornstarch on the floor. Vacuum it up.

Try to vacuum every week. Vacuum very slowly. Spend three times longer than usual. This will help pick up all the allergen dust. A vacuum with a beater bar works best. A "dirt finder" light will help you find all the dust.

For Surfaces That Can be Wet Cleaned
Use a household cleaner to thoroughly clean counters, cabinets, vinyl floors, and woodwork. Use a paper towel or rag dipped in the cleaning water to clean small areas. Throw the towel or rag away after an area is cleaned. Do not dip anything back into the cleaning water. You want to pick up all the allergens and not spread them around.

Use a cleaning bucket and a rinse bucket for large floor areas. Rinse the mop each time before dipping back into the cleaning water. Change the rinse water often.

Cleaning with bleach can destroy allergens so that they no longer trigger an allergic reaction. Use about ¾ cup of household bleach in a gallon of water. Leave the bleach on the surface for a few minutes so it has time to work. Then rinse the bleach off.

Never mix bleach with any other cleaning products. Dangerous vapors can be produced. Open a window and use a fan to keep the air moving when you clean with bleach. Some people are sensitive to bleach vapors. They should not be in the area being cleaned with bleach.

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Reduce Excess Moisture
Too much moisture in a house can increase dust mites, mold and roaches.
They need moisture to live. Moisure can come from a variety of sources:

• roof and plumbing leaks
• poor air circulation
• flooding
• sewer backups

Moisture Control Methods

• Air Circulation — Do not keep the house closed up too tight. Be sure the air can circulate in all the areas in the house. Make sure to let fresh air in and stale air out.
• Exhaust fans — Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom to get rid of moisture. Keep the door open after showering if there is no bathroom exhaust fan.
• Drying clothes — Hang clothes outdoors to dry or use a clothes dryer that is properly vented outsides. Do not vent the dryer into the basement or crawl space. Do not hang clothes to dry in a basement or attic. That can create a too moist environment.
• Fix leaks — Fix roof or plumbing leaks. Stains or mold on plaster, wallboard or wood are signs of leaks and water damage.
• Clean up standing water — Clean up flooded basements or other wet areas right away. Throw out everything that is water soaked.
• Humidifiers — Do not use humidifiers. They will only add to your moisture problem. They are also a perfect place for mold to grow.
• Dehumidifiers — Dehumidifiers are sometimes needed to dry out basements. They must be emptied and cleaned regularly. If not, they will be a place for molds to grow. Use a hose to connect the dehumidifier to a drain. That way you will not have to empty it.
• Air Conditioners — An air conditioner can help to control moisture in the air in the summer time.
• Basement — Moisture problems in basements are often related to drains. Drains need to be kept free of clogs.
• External Water Drainage -- Your basement will get wet if outside water does not drain away from the house.
  • Slope soil around the house so that water drains away from the foundation.
  • The storm drain under ground may be leaking. Disconnect the downspout and run the downspout water at least 5 feet away from the house. Do not let water affect your neighbor's house.
  • Keep gutters clean and pitched toward downspouts. This will help rainwater run to the downspouts.
• Crawl Space — A crawl space can be a big source of moisture. Clean any junk out of crawl space. Make sure the surface is even. Then lay 6 mil plastic sheeting over all the soil. Lap the edges over each other by at least 1 foot. Secure the plastic 1 foot up on the outside walls. This is not costly and it works wonders in reducing household moisture.

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Get Rid of Roaches

          
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM is a safer and more effective way to get rid of cockroaches. IPM does not use roach bug sprays, foggers or bombs. Those methods create too much exposure to chemicals that are poison and may be asthma irritants.

IPM uses baits and changes in the household to get rid of roaches. The baits are roach poison mixed with roach food. Using this form of roach poison cuts down on human exposure. The poison kills the roach after it gets back to its nest. Other roaches eat the dead roach and they are poisoned, too. This way, many roaches die for each one that eats the bait. Soon all the roaches are gone.

The IPM Method is Simple and Effective

• Use roach poison in bait form to safely attract and kill roaches.
• Deny the roaches entry, food, water and shelter.
• Do not use roach bug sprays, foggers or bombs.

• Place bait stations near roach hiding places and food and water sources.
• Use a syringe to put small dabs of gel bait behind the stove, refrigerator and other areas that the roaches go to.
• You can get Combat T and other brands of roach bait from hardware, grocery and drugstores. Pest control companies have them, too.
• Remove food sources. Roaches like the bait, but they like cookie crumbs and potato chips better. Cleanup food crumbs from floors, tables, counters, couches and chairs every day. Wash dirty dishes , too, or put them in soapy water in the sink. Cover all food containers. Keep trash in a sealed container. Do not leave pet food out.
• Remove sources of water. Fix leaks. Wipe up spills. Do not leave pet water out.
• Cockroaches like to live and hide in clutter. Get rid of all the boxes, bags, clothes and paper that make up clutter.
• Seal up roach living areas and entry points in walls and cabinets. Use caulk, steel wool, screens and foam to fill cracks and holes.
• See Environmental Health Watch's Cockroach Control Guide for more detailed information.
  

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Create a Trigger-Free Bedroom
A good place to start your asthma trigger control is the bedroom of the person with asthma. Even if you cannot reduce all the asthma triggers in the house, it will help to make this person's bedroom mostly trigger free.

The bed can hold a lot of asthma triggers. Dust mites build up in pillows mattress, pillow, sheets, blankets and the mattress. Roach dust, animal dander and molds can also get onto the bed. These allergens get on the bed from clothes and hands. Allergens may also be in dust that is stirred up as people move around the room. We spend about eight hours a day in bed. A person with asthma may be in close contact with high levels of several allergens for that much time every day.

There are things that you can do to reduce this exposure.  

• Use special allergen-proof covers for the pillow, mattress and box spring. The covers keep the dust mites and other allergens from building up.
• Wash sheets and pillow cases at least every two weeks in hot water. It is best to use water at 130 degrees. Be careful! Water this hot can burn skin! Keep water below 120 degrees. Raise it to 130 degrees only when doing laundry. Dry bedding in a very hot dryer. Washing bedding at a lower temperature may be effective if it is done every week.
• Use blankets you can wash. Wash them every month in hot water if you can. Wash more often if you use cold water. Wash the allergen-proof pillow and mattress covers every couple of months.
• Leave your floors bare. It will be easier to keep them dust free. See the section above on floor cleaning.
• Area rugs should be washed every month in hot water.
• Remove stuffed furniture, drapes and curtains. They collect dust.
• Remove as many other things that collect dust as you can. Put books, toys and clothes in drawers or covered boxes.
• Allergens collect on stuffed animals. Washable stuffed animals are best. Put non-washable ones in the freezer for 24 hours once a week. This kills dust mites. Vacuum them thoroughly after you take them out of the freezer.
• Do not use humidifiers or vaporizers.
• Keep the bedroom door closed.
• Use a window air conditioner.
• Remove shoes at the door.
• Use an air cleaner with a special filter called a HEPA filter.
• No smoking, no pets, no plants in this room.
• See Cleaning Asthma Triggers above.

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Asthma: Indoor and Outdoor Pollution Hazards

• Those opposed to strict air pollution regulations try to play down the harmful health effects of bad outdoor air.
• They point to the role of bad indoor air in illnesses like asthma.
• The fact that there are indoor hazards does not get outdoor pollution off the hook.
• Both indoor and outdoor pollution increase breathing problems for people with asthma.
• We need to control both indoor and outdoor air pollution.