How to Control Asthma at Night with Air Conditioning

Green Leaf Shares a Few Tips to Help Improve Indoor Air Quality

Remove Some of the Fear from Asthma Attacks Due to Poor Air Quality

Green Leaf Shares Some Preventative Measures

Asthma attacks at night are enough to frighten any person, let alone a young child. Not only can these attacks thoroughly scare a child, but they can also leave a child sleep deprived. If you suspect asthma attacks are preventing your child from sleeping soundly, here are a few tips that will help you achieve indoor air quality improvement with air conditioning.

Remove Allergens from Indoor Air

The air in most homes is tainted with allergens, especially during the summertime. Most allergens can trigger both allergies and asthma attacks. These asthma attack triggers include pollen from plants, dust mites, mold, and mildew.

Air conditioner units have filters that can improve indoor air quality by removing these allergens. Just ensure you replace the air filter of the unit regularly so that it remains functional and efficient.

Control Indoor Humidity

Another way you can use your air conditioning unit to control asthma attacks is by controlling the humidity in your home. High humidity environments are a major trigger for asthma attacks for most children. This is because humidity can trigger the inflammation of the bronchioles. This inflammation partially closes these air pathways, limiting both the inhalation and exhalation of air.

An hour or two before your child’s bedtime, you should open your air conditioner to start reducing the humidity in your home. Keep the unit on throughout the night to keep the humidity low. You can also use a dehumidifier to keep indoor air humidity between 30% to 50%.

Indoor Air Quality And Asthma

Understanding the Causes

Asthma is a problem that is not going anywhere anytime soon. According to the CDC, in 2009 1 in 12 people in the US were receiving treatment for asthma. That’s 25 million people who regularly suffer from impaired breathing. If you or a member of your family has asthma, you know how scary it can be. Environmental factors continue to be one of the main reasons people suffer from asthma. Is the indoor air quality in your home causing you or a member of your family respiratory distress? Let’s look at some of the causes present in many homes.

Mold can be found in even the cleanest homes. It it often present wherever there is dampness. Bathrooms, basements, and kitchens are the usual suspects when it comes to pinpointing where mold is in your home. Leaky faucets are also a common source.

Did you know that dust mites are present on every continent except Antarctica? They’re hard to get rid of, and are often a trigger of asthma and allergies. They are found just about anywhere in your home. They can be found in carpets, bedding pillows, stuffed animals, and anything plush. Plus, they thrive in environments between 68 and 77 degrees. That’s the temperature most of us keep our homes! Regular exposure to dust mites can cause an immune response known as allergic rhinitis and can severely impact quality of life year round.

Allergy season can be a nightmare for asthma sufferers, and most experts agree that the fall and spring allergy seasons are only getting worse. The Harvard Health Letter asserts that allergies are starting earlier each year than in seasons past, and around 36 million Americans suffer each year. Those allergic to pollen can do their best to avoid it outside, but there is no way to avoid bringing it in the house. It makes its way into our homes on the bottoms of our shoes, clothes, out pets, and through open windows.

If you have asthma, one of the most important things you can do it take a proactive approach to managing your condition. Once you have identified your triggers, what next? Reducing the presence of these triggers in your home is an important step to improving your quality of life.

Kid Sneezing from Dust in the Air