Got a little person in your family who frequently rubs her eyes
and complains of a runny nose and headache? Allergies might just be the culprit. What if you
suspect that the family pet makes matters worse? Here are some
great tips to help you address how to keep your child much more
comfortable:
-
Pet
dander (flakes of skin on an animal’s coat) frequently releases
cells that trigger allergies. So keep the family pet off your
child’s bed, where dander can then be dropped on the linens.
- Don’t allow...
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Although experts agree that mattresses and pillows collect dead
skin cells and dust mites through the years, they are less likely
to agree on how much weight that ends up adding.
There are stories that after 8 to 10 years, your
mattress could weigh anywhere from 10 pounds more to doubling the
weight of the foam, filler and springs.
No
matter how much weight is added, it's all pretty disgusting when
you think how much time we spend rolling around on it EVERY
day. It's very likely that dust mites...
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There has been an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) here in central
Indiana in the last week. TB is highly contagious and is spread
through airborne bacteria. Vaccinations are available to prevent
someone from getting TB, but many families are opting to forego
vacinnations
due to other health concerns. Worldwide, TB is one of the six
deadliest diseases.
Traditionally, the treatment of TB took about nine months! A new
treatment recommendation was issused by the Centers for
Disease Control in...
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A study of pregnant mothers by Umea University reports that
high levels of traffic exhaust fumes and ozone can lead to
a greater risk of premature birth than the mother
smoking.
Yes, you read that correctly - exhaust fumes and ozone can be
more dangerous than the mother smoking!
Going indoors and "avoiding" polluted outdoor air is not really the
answer, either. In a recent press release, Jonas Holst of Blueair
said, "Our homes and offices are constantly being bombarded by high
levels of airborne...
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Secondhand smoke is a real danger for people. I mean, obviously it
is a problem for people with respiratory ailments, but a recent
Live Science article states that
people exposed to
secondhand smoke in social settings and work places have a 25%
greater risk of cancer.
Here in Indianapolis, the state government
is once again engaged in the battle over banning smoking in all
public spaces. I heard on the radio the other day of a group
considering banning cigarette smoking in cars. (How could...
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A new revolution is brewing in China.
That may be an odd topic for us here at
AirFlow
Technology, but we are interested because it is an air quality
revolution! A recent article in the Beijing Times by Edward Wong
(and reported by the New York Times) shares the information.
For years we have heard about the poor quality of the air in
Beijing due to the fumes from cars and the smog created from the
factories.
The Chinese government reports that the quality of the air is most
often "good" or...
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I recently wrote about the smog-eating pavement
being tested in a St. Louis suburb - and now I learn that that
might be a good thing for even one more reason!!
I just read an article about a
study that links air
pollution with - are you ready? - adult onset
appendicitis!!
Doctors aren't certain of the cause for adult appendicitis and it
almost always requires a surgical procedure.
A Canadian team led by Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan of the University of
Calgary identified more than 5,000 adults in Calgary...
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The
Blueair HEPA
Silent Air Purifier has been named a top-seller by
AirPurifierPro.com. We already knew it was popular - which is why
we offer it!
Besides being great for eliminating known allergens like dust,
pollen, pet dander and mold spores, one of the best features
about the
Blueair HEPA
Silent AirPurifier is that it actually works to eliminate odors
as well.
I was recently in a popular fast food restuarant chatting with a
friend. We were seated pretty close to the entrance door. That
meant...
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With the heat in full blast and the pollution in the air,
people across the nation are dealing with ozone alerts. It makes it
hard to breathe outdoors for everyone and particularly, those
people who suffer with allergies. So many do their best to remain
indoors.
Pollen is the biggest trigger
of allergies - and it comes into our homes every day with
us. Air purifiers with HEPA filters battle the
problem in homes - and appliances like the BlueAir
HEPA Silent Air Purifier that we have available make...
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I
topped my salad this week with the first tomato from the garden.
Bright red, juicy - it was absolutely delicious. It was just a
small tomato but I didn't have to share it with anyone as my
husband was off traveling.
There just isn't anything like
the taste of a home-grown tomato.
But gardening takes time, effort and well, hard
work. I have friends who say it is just as easy to pick up produce
from the local farmer's market. True - maybe. But I think there is
some extra sweetness to the produce...
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The National Lung Association has put out the 12th Annual State of
the Air report. State of the Air 2011 is a dismal report on the air
quality across the United States - ozone and particulate pollution
are the two main culprits.
Ozone confusion
There is confusion about ozone. I mean, we hear constantly how the
ozone layer around the Earth is being depleted and that's bad. The
ozone layer protects the Earth (and all us inhabitants) from the UV
rays of the sun.
However, ozone at ground level is a...
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Well, since I don't believe in celebrating Earth Day (I think we
should consider the importance and live like EVERY day is Earth
Day), I have been spending some time collecting Earth-friendly tips
and ideas. Now is the perfect time because the media
distributes the information considering it "newsy" at this time of
year.
So I thought I would share a few of the interesting tidbits - and
things that make you go, "hmmm."
We are becoming more and more aware of Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs) that...
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In a recent press release from Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis,
doctors talked about the estimated 40 million Americans who suffer
from allergies and what they can expect with the advent of
spring.
In a nutshell, they can expect misery - especially if they open
windows or go outside. That must be a really depressing realization
since most people are so eager to get out of doors by the time the
weather breaks.
Doctors offer suggestions for allergy
sufferers
Dr. William Baker, allergy section chief...
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I
saw a touch of yellow outside my kitchen window this morning. A
crocus was peeking through the grass and leftover leaves in my
backyard. It’s that time of year again when nature is coming
alive.
Stores will begin to sell more plants - for both indoor and outdoor
use. Many people with allergies think they could not, or should
not, own any indoor house plants – but now I have discovered that
is a fallacy.
Indoor plants reduce air contaminants
NASA scientists
and the Associated Landscape...
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In
the second February 2010 issue of the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine the results of a study were
published indicating that
the use of high efficiency
particle air (HEPA) filters significantly improved a key
measure of cardiovascular health in healthy, non-smoking elderly
individuals.
The key measure was the function of small finger
blood vessels. In a prepared statement, Dr. Steffen Loft of the
Institute of Public Health in Copenhagen, said, "This effect most
likely...
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They
call it source control. They being the
American Lung
Association (ALA) and what they are referring to is
finding ways to keep pollutants from being added to the air in your
house. The ALA says this is the first line of defense.
I have read that there is some data that shows indoor air
can be more polluted than outdoor air, but I haven't seen the
actual report.
We all know the common pollutants like radon,
secondhand tobacco smoke and combustion pollutants from sources
such as fuel (gas,...
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Living in a large metropolitan area, there is a tremendous amount
of road construction. I am used to that, but yesterday I saw a
hazy cloud of dust that seemed to be settled on top of the
houses next to the expressway.
I don't think yesterday was an ozone alert day, but the sight of
that dust cloud made me think of all the outdoor air
pollutants that end up inside our homes. I'm glad I don't live next
to the expressway, but I am not sure that really, truly makes a
difference. When there is a...
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Ask someone about a HEPA filter and they’ll say they know what
you’re talking about. But ask them what HEPA stands for and,
chances are, they won’t know. Everyone has the general idea
that HEPA filters are good, but often, that’s about as much as they
know.
HEPA
stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. Believe it or
not, the filters were first developed by the military during the
Manhattan Project. Yes, the same Manhattan Project that
developed the atomic bomb. The filters were supposed to...
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As
fall arrives and the pollen and dust gets stirred up, my husband is
starting to sneeze and use up box after box of tissues.
If someone in your family has this problem, you might be
looking for a way to remove
the allergens in your home. Whether you call them air
purifiers or air cleaners, they are available to
improve the air quality so everyone, especially
the allergy sufferers in your family, can breathe and
sleep.
There are some units that are permanently affixed to the
furnace. But most...
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The weather has cooled a bit the last few days and everywhere I
go people have turned off the air conditioners and opened doors and
windows - and I am sniffling and sneezing. I have never
been bothered too much with allergies, but today I have all the
symptoms and I'm not liking it much.
This might be the time for me to really start looking
into an air
purifier. I know that units with HEPA
filters are the most preferable since they remove 99.97 percent of
the tiniest 0.1 micron particles on level...
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