Simple steps to ease allergies
May 7, 2009
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Jennifer Brown
Allergy season has begun and most sufferers resign themselves to being miserable – but it doesn't have to be that way.
"The first step is to really try and control the environment and avoid the allergens that cause you grief," says Dr. Alan Kaplan, a Richmond Hill doctor who is chairman of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada.
For example, if dust is your nemesis, tackle the things that cause dust, starting with mites.
"Dust is a hard one – dust is ubiquitous," explains Kaplan. "But dust mites are insects that live on the skin we slough off every day, and it's actually their poop that we are allergic to."
Mites can gather in carpet and furniture, so it's a good idea to replace carpet with wood or tile floors. But the biggest exposure comes when you are sleeping in your own bed.
Kaplan says a pillow can be about 50-per-cent filled with dust mites after five years, so your best defence is to wash pillows regularly, or get new ones every year. Also, keep them in zippered, mite-proof cases and cover the zippers with tape. Similar protective covers are available for mattresses.
He says dust mites can be disposed of by either "freezing or frying" them, so wash sheets and pillowcases in extremely hot water (55 to 60C) once a week. Stuffed toys are a great place for mites to gather, so wash them often and dry them in a hot dryer, or place them in a freezer for 24 hours, then wash in cool water to rinse out dead mites.
It's also a good idea to change furnace filters regularly and use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum once a week to keep dust down. A true HEPA air filter must remove 99.97 per cent of all respirable particles (those small enough to get through the nose and into airways and lungs).
Pets are a prime culprit and Kaplan's advice is plain but not simple: get rid of them.
If you can't part with the family feline or pooch, at least try to prevent them from sleeping in the same room as the allergy sufferer, and make sure pets are bathed often to reduce the offensive dander.
When it comes to pollen, resist the urge to throw open your windows to the fresh spring air during high pollen, mould and smog seasons. It's best to keep windows shut tight.
Medications can help, including prescription inhalers, Cromolyn nasal spray and eyedrops, or montelukast, also known by its brand name, Singular. It's a single pill that works quickly.
It's always good to review treatment options with your doctor, including an annual review of inhaler needs. For more information, go to asthmameds.ca
– Jennifer Brown
Toronto Star
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