10 Step Program to Allergy Recovery

10 Step Program To Allergy Recovery

Most people spend approximately 86% (more or less) of their lives indoors. Some are more fortunate, and have jobs that take them outdoors in the open air. Individuals who spend a lot of time indoors risk being exposed to chemical and biological contaminants in this environment. Some of these contaminants can be carcinogens. Being exposed to these agents may influence the risk of developing respiratory problems such as asthma or allergies. There are more serious things that can be contacted such as lung cancer from exposure to Radon or Smoking. This article is not going to cover this topic, but focus on Allergies and Asthma Symptoms.

There is a lot of conflicting data concerning allergens and it seems no one can agree on the causes only
what drug to give the person for the symptoms. Just watch the commercials on TV, there seems to be a new drug everyday to fix your symptoms. Its funny, no one says anything in these commercials about fixing what causes the problem.

From my experience on dealing with individuals with Asthma and Allergies, the most common problem is exposure to simple allergens in the home. Examples would be cats, dogs and dust mites in the home. Let's not forget about birds either. It seems most individuals start to get better after removing pets from the house under a strict protocol of cleanliness of the home. I will list them in the order of doing this.

I call this the 10 Step Program To Allergy Recovery.

1. Remove the pets from the living area.

2. Remove the pet contaminated carpet from the home.

3. HEPA Vacuum the entire house, especially the areas that were occupied by the pet.

4. Wash the walls and floors with TSP or Trisodium Phosphate. This is a non-toxic cleaner that painters use to remove oils from walls before painting. Do not use the liquid type, use the bag type that is mixed on site. Be sure to test the surface to see if it is compatible with TSP before using the product. Rinse the walls after use with clean water.

5. Repaint all indoor walls of the house using a non-toxic paint that the allergic individual is not allergic to. Do not use any form of oil based paint indoors where the allergic individual will reside. Why paint you ask, to help seal the walls from odors from the pets. Several manufacturers offer low VOC paints or no VOC paints. They are Sherwin Williams, Dulux Paint, Porter Paint, Benjamin Moore and Mystic Paint. Be sure the individual is not allergic to the paint being used. I personally use Delux's "Lifemaster 2000" paint, but cannot use Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. Everyone is different.

6. Flooring should be tile, marble or terrazzo only. Wood is OK but not recommended because the dust mites love the dark, damp areas under the wooden floors at ground level, second story wood floor is ok. It has to be sealed on the surface and in all the joints. Wood has to butt up against the drywall with a baseboard over it.

7. No drapes or dust dust catchers in the home.

8. Home must be cleaned once a week using a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner.

9. No one in the home can smoke. If someone does, they can not get near the allergic individual because of the smoke residue in the hair and clothes of the smoker.

10. Have your home tested for Radon, Allergens and Mold after all the work is complete to verify you have done the work right. Most individuals forget to do this most important part of verifying that the work was done right.

The first thing you probably said after reading these steps is, not me, this is too much. Well, guess what, the allergic individual will not begin to get better unless they begin the recovery process. In the end, if this does not work, you will have figure out what else they are allergic to. There are lots of items in today's' homes that they can be allergic to.

In conclusion, most homeowners can improve the air quality in their homes, often with relatively simple measures, which should provide health benefits immediately.

The first is keeping their homes clean. Dust is the number one cause of allergies from my experience. Check your own home out now, go pull out the couch or end table, look behind it and guess what you find. Dust that has been sitting there for 6 months or longer.

Most individuals do not clean very well due to work schedules or obligations. They also hire incompetent cleaning services that do a mediocre job of cleaning. If it is going to get done right, do it yourself, its your health. Also, before doing any of these steps, check with your Doctor to see if it is alright to use this program.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us during business hours, at (954) 531-6476 or visit our website for free information on Mold and Radon.