Ask your doctor for help in deciding which actions will help the most to reduce your asthma symptoms.
Number each act on item in order of importance. Carry out these actions first. Once you have completed these actions, move on to actions that are of lesser importance.
Discuss the results of these efforts with your doctor.
is high.
____ Use air conditioning, if possible.
____ Keep windows closed during seasons when pollen and mold are
highest.
____ Avoid sources of molds (wet leaves, garden debris).
____ Encase your mattress and box spring in an airtight cover.
____ Either encase your pillow or wash it once a week every week.
____ Avoid sleeping or lying on upholstered furniture.
____ Remove carpets that are laid on concrete.
____ Wash your bed covers, clothes, and stuffed toys once a week in hot (130 F) water.
These actions will also help you gain control of dust mites-but they are not essential:
____ Reduce indoor humidity to less than 50 percent. Use a dehumidifier
if needed.
____ Remove carpets from your bedroom.
____ Use chemical agents to kill mites or to change mite antigens in the
house.
____ Avoid using a vacuum or being in a room while it is being vacuumed.
____ If you must vacuum, one or more of the following things can be done
to reduce the amount of dust you breathe in.
Use a central vacuum cleaner with the collecting bag outside the home.
Use a vacuum cleaner that has powerful suction.
____ If you must have a pet, keep the pet out of your bedroom at all times.
____ If there is forced air heating in the home with a pet, close the air
ducts in your bedroom.
____ Wash the pet weekly.
____ Avoid visits to friends or relatives with pets.
____ Take asthma medicine (cromolyn or beta2-agonist; cromolyn is
often preferred) before visiting homes or sites where animals are
present.
____ Choose a pet without fur or feathers (such as a fish or a snake).
____ Avoid products made with feathers, for example, pillows and
comforters.
Also avoid pillows, bedding, and furniture stuffed with kapok (silky fibers from the seed pods of the silk-cotton tree).
____ Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate
air) filter.
outside of the home.
____ Air out the home for a few hours after spraying.
____ Use roach traps.
____ Clean bathrooms, kitchens, and basements regularly.
____ Do not use humidifiers.
____ Use dehumidifiers for damp basement areas, with humidity level set
for less than 50 percent but above 25 percent. Empty and clean unit
regularly.
____ Do not allow smoking in the home.
____ Have household members smoke outside.
____ Do not allow any smoking in your bedroom. Encourage family
members to quit smoking. Their doctor can help them quit.
____ Use an indoor air-cleaning device (for smoke, mold, and dander).
smoke increases lower respiratory symptoms.
____ Avoid using kerosene heaters.
____ Avoid perfume and perfumed cosmetics such as talcum powder and hair spray.
____ Do not use room deodorizers.
____ Use non-perfumed household cleaning products whenever
possible
____ Reduce strong cooking odors (especially frying) by using a fan and opening windows.
____ Avoid air pollution by staying indoors on days when the pollution
count is high.
____ Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly.
____ Talk to your doctor about flu shots.
____ Do not take over-the-counter cold remedies, such as antihistamines and cough syrup, unless you speak to your doctor first.
____ Take inhaled beta2-agonist or medicine before exercising.
____ Warm-up before doing exercise and cool-down afterwards.
____ Pull a turtleneck over your nose on windy or cold days.
____ Dress warmly in the winter and on windy days.
Remember: Making these changes will help keep asthma episodes from starting. An asthma trigger control plan is an important part of controlling asthma.