Posted by john on November 9th, 2008
Environmental medicine is a relatively new field of study. Once regarded with skepticism by some, environmental medicine has recently gained more attention and prestige, thanks in part to the green movement.
As more people learn about environmental chemicals, they’re realizing that these chemicals can indeed cause environmental illness, also known as sick building syndrome. Indoor mold, for example, can cause all sorts of illnesses – from allergies and asthma to neurotoxic poisoning. Read more about green environmental health
Posted by john on November 8th, 2008
I rarely watch television (I prefer online media), but when I do watch TV, one of my favorite shows is House M.D. Dr. House always considers all potential causes of illness, including environmental factors. In fact, in several episodes, the maverick diagnostician sends his interns to break into the homes of sick patients.
While I appreciate Dr. House’s efforts, I wouldn’t want a bunch of 20-somethings dressed in white coats breaking into my home! Thankfully, US News and World Report offers an alternative: take photos of your home to show your doctor. Read more about environmental photos and allergies
Posted by john on November 6th, 2008
Forbes reports that your office may be making you sick – literally. From poor indoor air quality to unhealthy lighting, workspace woes can lead to chronic illness, stress, and depression. Read more about environmental illnesses at work
Posted by john on November 2nd, 2008
If you have asthma, you should be familiar with all of your asthma triggers so that you can avoid them. Get tested for allergies if you haven’t already. Most asthmatics are sensitive to at least one common household allergen.
Indoor air quality is a major concern for people with asthma. If you can manage to avoid inhaling the particles that make you sick, then you’ll feel better. Read more about air quality and asthma
Posted by john on October 30th, 2008
Mold can invade any home, but mobile homes are at increased risk of mold problems.
Tom Riley discovered this after his family moved into a mobile home in Mississippi. Within six months of moving in, his family experienced respiratory problems, coughing, and laryngitis. At one point, his seven-year-old son collapsed in the hallway.
Riley then found mold dots sprinkled throughout the mobile home in the top of closets, according to the Clarion Ledger.
“With the mobile home industry, structure and installation is a problem. Builders are in a hurry; things get in a hurry. Who wants to step up to the plate and fix this? It will be expensive to fix. Medical issues are expensive. Environmental cleanup is expensive,” Riley said. Read more about mold in mobile homes
Posted by john on September 27th, 2008
Keep your indoor relative humidity below 50 percent to avoid growth of mold and dust mites. That’s standard advice for allergy sufferers. But what exactly is relative humidity?
Relative humidity is a measurement of the amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage of how much water vapor the air could hold. If relative humidity is 100 percent, for example, then it’s raining. Most people are comfortable with an indoor relative humidity of 45 to 50 percent. When relative humidity goes above 50 percent, the excess moisture in the air makes it easier for mold and dust mites to spread. Read more about relative humidity
Posted by john on September 23rd, 2008
Last week four federal agencies held their first Healthy Homes Summit in Baltimore. The goal of the summit was to promote the building of healthy homes free of lead, chemicals, mold, moisture, and pests.
“Health doesn’t happen in the hospital. It happens at home,” says Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Our goal isn’t to be Big Brother, but people are asking for advice and information.” Read more about the Healthy Homes Summit
Posted by john on September 3rd, 2008
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has released its list of 2008 fall allergy capitals – the worst places to live during fall allergy season – based on pollen counts, number of allergy medications used per patient, and number of allergy specialists per patient.
Ragweed, the most common seasonal allergy trigger, peaks in September in most parts of the country. Mold allergy is also a problem during the fall. This year, more than 50 percent of the U.S. population lives in one of the top 100 Fall Allergy Capitals! Read more about fall allergies
Posted by john on August 30th, 2008
Even a slight increase in stress and anxiety can substantially worsen allergic reactions to common allergens, according to a new study from Ohio State University. Anxiety and stress also cause the allergic reaction to last longer.
Anxiety can also trigger late phase reactions which appear hours after exposure to the allergen (typically the next day).
“What’s interesting about this is that it shows that being stressed can cause a person’s allergies to worsen the next day,” explains researcher Janice Kiecolt-Glaser. “This is clinically important for patients since most of what we do to treat allergies is to take antihistimines to control the symptoms - runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, and congestion.” Read more about anxiety and allergies
Posted by john on August 27th, 2008
Here in Georgia, it rained for five days straight because of Tropical Storm Fay. The aftermath of the storm is now moving up the East Coast, as Tropical Storm Gustav threatens to slam the Gulf Coast next week.
An abundance of rain this time of year is not a good sign for allergy sufferers. Heavy rain causes ragweed plants to grow much faster – and produce more pollen.
Ragweed allergies affect 10 to 20 percent of Americans, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Ragweed pollen is a major nuisance to allergy sufferers because the plants are so widespread (they grow well even in urban areas) and because the pollen grains can travel so far. Ragweed pollen has been found 400 miles out to sea and two miles up in the atmosphere! Read more about fall allergies
Posted by john on August 21st, 2008
I know all about mold allergy. During my first few years of grade school, it seemed like I always had a cold. My chronic cold turned out to be allergies, mold and grass pollen allergies in particular. After the diagnosis, I was given allergy medication and allergy shots (immunotherapy) – but back then, I never learned about the other effective method of treating mold allergies: Environmental control. If you can eliminate the source of mold in your environment, then your allergy symptoms will subside.
PR Newswire recently published a press release from Sylvane.com: Creating a Healthy Home Environment: Mold and Mildew Free.
Stephen Hong, President of Sylvane.com, explains, “The key to mold control is moisture control… Indoor mold is a major cause of sinus infections, allergies, and asthma attacks, not to mention structural damage to buildings, but if you control your home’s humidity, then mold doesn’t stand a chance.” Read more about how to combat mold allergy using environmental control
Posted by john on August 17th, 2008
I still clearly remember the day in sixth grade when I got called to the front office. I was wondering if I was in some kind of trouble when the secretary informed me that my mother was on her way to pick me up from school early. I was ecstatic about leaving early – until my mom told me that the bottom level of our house had flooded. My video games were down there!
My video games turned out to be okay, thanks to my fast-acting father. However, the carpet wasn’t so lucky. Instead of calling a water damage restoration professional immediately, my parents did what they could to clear out the lower level of our split-level home and dry things out. Unfortunately, they didn’t act fast enough. Read more about flood damage restoration
Posted by john on August 10th, 2008
Wyndham hotels now offer allergy friendly rooms designed by PURE Solutions. Dubbed “CleanAir Rooms,” they feature hypoallergenic bedding and medical-grade HEPA air purifiers.
Wyndham.com states: “The state of the art air purification system operates continuously, eliminating up to 98-100% of viruses and bacteria. In gest rooms, you’ll sleep on PURE mattress and pillow covers that are resistant to mold and dust mites.” Read more about allergy friendly hotel rooms
Posted by john on August 6th, 2008
Last week in the Ithica Journal, indoor air quality expert Jackie Mouillesseaux-Grube wrote about the connection between indoor air quality and human health: “Daily behavior impacts indoor air quality, so we can minimize our exposure to harmful substances and manage the overall impact air quality has on our health by considering ventilation, excessive moisture and common pollutants.”
In the article, Mouillesseaux-Grube addressed two common indoor air pollutants: household chemicals and mold. Read more about indoor air quality
Posted by john on August 4th, 2008
Steven Hong, President of Sylvane.com, recently appeared on the syndicated radio talk show “At Home with Cheryl Gillepsie” to speak about how to create a healthy nursery. He went on to cover all the basics of making a healthy home.
Here are some great healthy home tips from the interview:
