There’s never a moment of reprieve when your home is filled with allergens that trigger your asthma. Carpets, bedding, and even the air in your home can harbor asthma triggers.

Keep Bedding Clean

Like blankets, couches, mattresses, pillows, and other linens, soft surfaces can potentially harbor many, many dust mites. Dust mites irritate your lung cells that your body struggles to repair, causing shortness of breath and worsening other asthma symptoms.

Pet dander will also tend to stick to your soft surfaces in the home. If you have a pet in your home, whether dog, cat, or hamster, their dander and fur are added to your home. Without regular cleaning of the animal and your home, these allergens can become a major trigger for your asthma.

Change your bedding once a week, wash it in hot water, dry thoroughly before putting it back on your bed, and any other washable linens you may have in your house.

Some items that aren’t washable can be placed into a freezer bag and put into a freezer for 3 to 5 hours to kill dust mites.

Fragrances Can Be A Trigger

Fragrance sensitivity is another common symptom of asthma. Chemicals in manufactured scents, and even natural ones, can be irritating to your senses. Candles, air fresheners, lotions, cigarettes, and laundry detergents are common triggers.

Avoiding these triggers is the most effective way to manage the allergen, though that isn’t always possible. Communicating with your partner or coworkers about the items causing your issue can help others make changes where possible to aid with this distress.

Keep Mold Out of Your Home

Keeping mold out of your home seems like it should be pretty straightforward, but it is a common asthma trigger. Anywhere in your home where water can settle, or humidity can sit is at risk of developing some mold. Keeping a bathroom fan on or opening a window during or after showers can be the difference between having a mold haven or a safe place to bathe.

Other common areas to watch for mold are under sinks, basements, and where you wash your dishes. Keep areas clean and dry so that mold doesn’t have a space to grow on.

While not all asthma and allergy symptoms will be handled by keeping a clean home, it helps to keep your linens clean, moisture levels down, and artificial fragrances to a minimum.

If you are having problems with asthma or allergies, visit one of our neighborhood locations or click here to schedule a Telemedicine visit.

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