Other Asthma and Allergy Resources

• Allergy and Asthma Network, Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
  AANMA, a national nonprofit network of families, offers information about living with allergies and asthma ... more
• Allergy Basics Center
• Alliance of Community Health Plans
• Asthma Intervention for Inner-City Children
  This site provides background information about the intervention ... more
• Allies Against Asthma
• Allies Against Asthma Resource Bank
  This is a centralized system for sharing information about tools and materials that may be useful to coalitions and community programs addressing asthma ...
• more
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• Taking on Asthma
  This site provides information about an initiative to reduce the negative health consequences associated with asthma ... more
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
  1-800-822-2762
• American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
  1-800-842-7777
• American Association of Health Plans
• Taking on Asthma
  This site provides information about an initiative to reduce the negative health consequences associated with asthma ... more
• American Lung Association's Asthma Site
  ALA provides information about asthma and older people , teens and asthma , asthma medicines and attacks , peak flow meters , and home control of allergies and asthma .
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  AAFA provides information about asthma and allergy education, advocacy, and research ... more
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
  A new publication from ASTHO's Environmental Health program is a case study on using educational data for asthma surveillance. The case study titled, "Tracking Childhood Asthma with School Data in Three States," features asthma surveillance programs that have incorporated school-based data into their work. States included in the case study are Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. The case study is available online at http://www.astho.org/pubs/
  TrackingChildhoodAsthmawithSchoolDataFeb.2006-final.pdf [PDF, 96 Kb]
• Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS)
  CHCS directs national programs on behalf of two major health care philanthropies: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
• Improving Asthma Care for Children Program
  Improving Asthma Care for Children projects underway at five health plans are seeking to improve the health and health-related quality of life for children with asthma, develop and sustain partnerships with key community stakeholders, and institutionalize innovative clinical models in asthma care ... more
• Institute of Medicine
  Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposure
  This book provides information about the role that indoor air pollution plays in asthma causation, prevalence, triggering, and severity ... more
• National Allergy Bureau - 1-800-9-POLLEN or 1-800-976-5536
• National Association of State Boards of Education
  State-Level School Health Policies
  This site includes information on state legal codes, rules, standards, administrative orders, mandates, and resolutions, and links to additional resources ... more
• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
  NHLBI Information Center
  1-301-251-1222
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
  NCSL is a bipartisan, national forum for state lawmakers to communicate with one another and to share ideas on various topics, including asthma.
• Asthma Web Resources
  This site includes links to policy briefs on asthma, analyses of state legislation, and a searchable database of state legislation and statutes ... more
• Asthma: A Growing Epidemic (Environmental Health Series, 2000)
  Rates for asthma have steadily increased over the past 20 years in all age groups. Children under age 5 have been the hardest hit, experiencing a two and one-half fold increase. Despite advances in medical treatment, asthma deaths nave nearly doubled since 1980 and now total more than 5,000 per year ... more
• State Policies Regarding Student Rights to Possess & Self-Administer Prescribed Medications for Asthma & Anaphylaxis
  A map showing which states allow students to carry and self-administer presecribed medications for asthma and anaphylaxis ... more
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
  This site provides information about the program and about asthma according to target audience ... more
• Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma
  The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) Expert Panel identified key questions about asthma management and used a systematic review of the evidence to prepare answers and update recommendations for clinical practice ... more
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  NIAID provides support for scientists conducting research aimed at developing better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent asthma ... more
• National Library of Medicine (NLM)
  NLM, the largest online medical library, provides health information, library services, research programs, and general information related to topics such as asthma ... more
• PBS Kid's Asthma Tips
  This site helps children learn what asthma is, what can trigger asthma attacks, and how to stay active and healthy if they have asthma ... more
• Quest for the Code: An Adventure Game About Managing Asthma for Children
  This site provides information on a free CD-ROM created to help children ages 7 to 15 learn how to manage their asthma ... more
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • AirNow Web site
    This site offers air quality information by state and select cities, air quality forecasts and corresponding health effects, ozone maps, air pollution publications, and steps you can take to reduce air pollution ... more
  • Asthma and Indoor Environments
    This document provides information on how to reduce common asthma triggers in the home and other indoor environments ... more
  • Clear Your Home of Asthma Triggers [PDF, 245 Kb]
    This document provides information on how to eliminate asthma triggers in the home and how to reduce symptoms in children.
  • Mold, Moisture and Your Home
    This guide tells how to clean up residential mold problems and prevent mold growth ... more

What Can You Do?

Control measures and Sanitation

A number of researchers, like those at the University of Nebraska, have studied control measuresand have a set of recommendations that are proven to be effective. Recommendations focus on "dust control." One must reduce the concentration of dust borne allergens in the living environment by controlling both allergen production and the dust which serves to transport it. For the bedroom environment you will want to use some or all of the following methods. Many dustmite measures also work well for cockroach allergans. We have listed them in order of practicality combined with effectiveness.:

1. The most effective means is to enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover or other impervious cover (available here, click on allergy bedding on the left in the new page), thoroughly vacuuming mattress pillows and the base of the bed. Put an airtight plastic or polyurethane cover over your mattress. This is the method recommended by Consumer Reports (see their article here ). This tip is number one for a reason: it is in your bed (including the baby's crib) that you are closest to the mites and their feces and enclosing the mattress and pillows in a dust mite cover virtually eliminates the mites here. Encasement allergy controls, like the bug-proof fitted sheets are very effective and inexpensive . Mattresses covered with "fitted sheets" help prevent the accumulation of human skin scales on the surface. These sheets have the advantage of being waterproof, too, which helps protect your mattress from spills, babies and toddler's waste, too.
   In a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers recommend investing in hypoallergenic pillows and bed covers.
2. Wash your sheets, pillows and blankets in very hot water. Wash the sheets and blankets at least every two weeks. Wash your pillow every week or put a dust mite-proof cover (available here) on it and wash once per year. Your pillowcase goes over the dust mite cover. How hot is hot? The water used to wash your sheets and blankets should be at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C). Set your washing machine to it's hottest setting. If the water doesn't seem to be coming out hot, you may want to check your hot water heater - you may not realize that most household hot water heaters have a knob that can adjust the temperature of the water it produces. For fabrics that may not be washed in hot water; just pop it into the freezer for 24 to 48 hours to kill dust mites.
3. When traveling, Take your own pillowcases - When you stay in hotels (or with less hygienic friends and family): Take a dust mite impervious mattress (available here) , and pillow case cover along for when you stay at hotels - just think how disgusting their pillows must be!
4. Clean weekly: Weekly change pillowcases, sheets, and under blankets, and vacuum the bed base and around the covered mattress. Clean flooring: Use a damp mop or rag to remove dust. Never use a dry cloth or broom, since this just stirs up mite allergens.When vacuuming, wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling allergens. Then stay out of the vacuumed area for 20 minutes afterwards to allow any dust and allergens to settle.
5. Clean daily: Daily damp dust the plastic mattress cover.
6. Frequently wash all bedding (blankets, mattress pads and comforters) in hot water (130 degrees F [or 60 degrees C] weekly).
   Cold and warm water won't kill mites. Also wash curtains.
7. Steam clean surfaces and materials that cannot put put through the washing machine: Using pure steam dissolves dirt and grime, while removing germs and bacteria from the surfaces that you're cleaning. Steam is also an economical and environmentally friendly thing to do. There is no longer the need to use harsh and toxic chemicals. It is also a great way to kill dust mites and bed bugs. See this steam cleaner: New Vapamore MR100 Primo Steam Cleaner.
8. Remove carpeting and install laminate flooring, wood, tile, linoleum, or vinyl floor covering. Remove cloth drapes and blinds. (If you have carpet, vacuum every day.) Vacuuming your carpets and upholstery every week can help. See the caution about vacuuming below under tips. Vacuums with high-efficiency filters pick up more dust mites, but even standard vacuums work well enough. .
9. Air Purifiers: While it is better to stop the dust mites at the source, reducing the dust levels in the air is a good secondary measure. Some pest control firms sell air purifiers to eliminate the food source of house dust mites. Although ozone air purifiers emit a low level of ozone (activated oxygen) that attaches to fungus, mold, and bacteria on skin flakes, EHSO does not recommend ozone generators (neither does the US Food and Drug Administration). The same ozone that is oxidizes the dust mites is bad for your health. Air purifiers that use HEPA filtration are more effective and safe to use. Various types of air purifiers can be attached to the central air return to decrease irritants. Most filters remove 50 to 70 percent of material. HEPA filters will remove up to 99 percent of the material; not just dust mite feces, but also all types of other allergens, like animal dander, dust, pollen, cockroach feces, etc...
   See this page for information about selecting an air purifier.
10. Furnace Air Filters: Clean or replace the air filters on your furnace or air conditioner at least once a month. Filters that are rated to trap allergens are obviously more effective than plain spun glass.You can find them at Home Depot, WalMart, Lowes and, you can find the top rated ones in many sizes on Amazon here:
    Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen Reduction AC Furnace Air Filter, MPR 1900, 16 x 25 x 1-Inches
    Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen Reduction HVAC Air Filter, MPR 1900, 14 x 24 x 1-Inches
    Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen Reduction HVAC Air Filter, Exclusive 3-in-1 Electrostatic 3M Technology, MPR 1500, 14 x 14 x 1-Inches
    Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen Reduction AC Furnace Air Filter, Captures Pollen & Pet Dander, Protects your System, MPR 1500, 12 x 12 x 1-Inches
    Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen Reduction AC Furnace Air Filter, MPR 1500, 20 x 30 x 1-Inches
    Filtrete Micro Allergen Defense AC Furnace Air Filter, MPR 1000, 20 x 20 x 1-Inches,