Environmental Hygiene

The hygiene of the physical environment is of great importance in allergic diseases, especially because they are measures aimed at delaying the clinical manifestations of the disease, or even minimize them. Therefore, regardless of drug treatment, environmental hygiene in the home of an allergy should be careful.
We know that especially in pediatric patients, most asthmatics are allergic (~ 85%) mainly to house dust mites, allergens and pet cockroaches. The dust mites are microscopic animals that live inside the houses, very close to the man, as if peeling use of human skin as a main food source. For 1 night, 1 to 2 g descamamos skin, and therefore the environment of choice for proliferation of mites is our bed: in particular the mattress, pillow and bedding. Other important sites would upholstery, curtains and carpets. Thus, it is easy to establish priorities in combating this enemy, namely:
In the bedroom:
• encasing mattresses and pillows with impermeable cover the passage of mites or their excreta. Wash these covers at every 3 or 4 weeks
• Washing bedding 1 or 2 x per week, leaving them to soak in water with temperature> 55 0 C for 10 'or use dryer heat to reach these levels
• removal of curtains
• cleaning the floor with a damp cloth
• Do not use cleaning products with oil vehicle (waxes, furniture polish)
• if the carpet can not be removed immediately, clean them 2x per week with a vacuum cleaner household type, taking care to remove the allergic patient environment for about 30 minutes
• keep surfaces free mobile objects
• avoid leaving exposed to toys and books that do not accumulate dust. Find store them indoors. Avoid stuffed toys
• clothes and papers inside cabinets
• the dormitory asthma should receive sun.
In other places of residence:
• guidance regarding carpeting is the same as for the dorm
• The upholstery should be preferably leather jacket or similar, capable of cleaning with a damp cloth
• residency in general should be well ventilated and sunny.
Pets:
Regarding guidance for pets, the ideal is that the patient does not have allergic household contact with dogs and cats. If proven to be allergic to animals through allergy tests or examinations and laboratory, the only truly effective measure is being away from socializing. In the case of children, because of the great emotional attachment and the difficulty of a disrupted attachment often need to resort to alternative measures, which although not as effective, reduce the burden of allergens in the environment, namely:
• use of air filters in appropriate environments (HEPA)
• removal of carpets and curtains throughout the residence
• coating upholstered with leather or similar material
• Washing weekly animal (cat princ.) by immersion
• cockroaches are combated by the use of bait, preventing aerosols environment.
Smoke:
Another important environmental hygiene in the allergic patient, is the removal of inhaling cigarette smoke. Are currently well established the damage caused by smoking in the lung of asthmatics, whether a smoker this asset or liability (especially children). Due to small children remain the most time with their mothers, we ask the mothers of asthmatics to refrain from smoking inside the home environment. This guidance also applies to the other residents of the house.
The habit eastern removal of shoes when you step into the home, it becomes of great interest when it comes to asthma patient, since, through the soles of shoes carreamos bacteria into the households. These bacteria can release substances (endotoxins), which, if inhaled, can in combination to allergens, lead to a worsening of symptoms.
It is extremely important to know the importance of environmental hygiene measures in the development of allergic disease in general. With the possibility of this type of information, it is possible to draw a goal, prioritizing actions to be taken, so individualized to each patient.