How Healthy is Your Home?

[Guest guest]

How Healthy is Your Home?

Healthy Homes = Healthy Children

By Trish Riley

Could that persistent cough or cold mean your child is allergic to her home?

It's a strong possibility - and something worth checking even if your doctor

doesn't suggest it. Many asthma sufferers are unaware that their symptoms

may be reactions to the air they breathe. Air quality experts agree that:

Chemicals and toxins in the environment can cause irritation, yet they are

often overlooked as the cause of common respiratory and allergy problems.

More medications are being prescribed to deal with symptoms that may be

alleviated simply by eliminating the toxins in the environment. The American

Lung Association reports that an estimated 26.3 million Americans have been

diagnosed with asthma, more than a third of them children. The disease

accounted for 3 million adult sick days from work and 10.1 million lost

school days. Asthma is the leading chronic illness in American children.

" Ever since Madison was born it was nothing but runny noses and sinus

problems, " says Randi Warner, whose daughter is now 3 years old. " For a long

time I passed it off as teething, but suddenly the doctor said it was

asthma, and that we'd need to rip up the carpets and put in tile. We had

just built a brand-new home in Weston and now the doctor was telling me we

have to have the air conditioning vents cleaned and put Madison on a

nebulizer and medication ¿ all this drastic stuff. We didn't want to put her

through the testing or the medication, but I trusted our doctor. "

As Warner and her husband began to absorb the idea that their child had

serious respiratory allergies, and perhaps asthma, that would require major

medical intervention and expense plus major household changes, she noticed a

display of home test kits at the hardware store. " I said to my husband,

'Let's just try this.' Sure enough, the test for mold in the home came back

positive. " McDonnell, owner and founder of the test kit company,

ProLab, grew up sleeping with a humidifier and still keeps an inhaler in his

pocket for asthma. He knows about airborne pollutants and environmental

hazards. His company, based in Weston, now has 11 tests available nationwide

to check air and water for contaminants such as lead, radon, carbon

monoxide, bacteria, pesticides and metals. ProLab has tests in development

for anthrax and arsenic, as well as a total water-quality kit and a

microwave radiation-leak tester.

Common contaminants can make you sick

Airborne contaminants can come from so many places, it's a wonder we're not

all sick. Pesticides, carbon monoxide, radon, dry-cleaning chemicals.

Formaldehyde and other chemicals used in the construction of furniture,

countertops, carpets and building products. Air fresheners, paint, cleaning

products and the fragrances added to household-cleaning and grooming

products. All of these are common air contaminants and pose potential

respiratory dangers. Some, including radon, pesticides, formaldehyde and

dry-cleaning chemicals are known carcinogens.

Sometimes doctors are unaware of the dangers, and fail to inform their

allergic patients of the irritants common in their environment. Patients

don't make any changes to the air quality of their home, school or work, and

they don't realize that their allergy problems could be aggravated or even

caused by their hair gel or perfume, wallpaper or carpeting.

" This then leads to a need for more medications to stabilize the allergic

individual for long periods of time, " says Dr. Albert Robbins of the

Environmental Medicine Center in Boca Raton. That leads to " the risk of

progression of the allergic disease as well as the risk of developing side

effects from the medications. "

Physical clues that the environment might be posing health problems include

dizziness, headaches, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, asthma, skin rashes

and flu-like symptoms. All can be symptoms of mold allergies or sensitivity

to other environmental toxins.

Dr. Robbins says most people go through " a series of treatments and a series

of doctors in a bewildering array of diagnoses and treatments that just

frustrate them. Lots of times by the time they come to my office, they are

totally at their wits end. "

But he says finding the problem can be simple: " Take them out of the

building and see if their symptoms stop. If symptoms increase as the day

goes on, but they're better on the weekend at the beach, then we know there

may be a link between the environment and health problems. "

Common South Florida air problems

Many South Florida homeowners may be unaware that radon is a factor in

Florida, just as it is farther north. Radon becomes most dangerous in

air-tight homes where lack of ventilation prevents the gas from flowing

outdoors. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, following smoking,

according to the Surgeon General's office. The National Academy of Science

estimates that between 15,000 and 22,000 lung-cancer deaths per year are

caused by radon.

Closed buildings exacerbate problems of poor indoor air quality. " The only

time gases can escape is when people open up the doors, " McDonnell says.

And those perky air fresheners used to alleviate the musty odors of mold and

mildew just compound the problem. " There is a great increase in smelly

products, " Robbins says. " Aerosol sprays, scented candles and air fresheners

don't correct an indoor air problem ¿ they just add more volatile chemicals

to the air. "

In hot, humid South Florida, mold is a major ¿ and extremely common ¿

contributor to air quality problems. McDonnell says that half of the tests

coming in to ProLab for mold analysis are turning up positive. He says that

rain can soak the underlying framework and foundation of a home during

construction, and the wet wood is then covered up by roof and interior

walls. The mold grows unseen, deteriorating the structure and producing

poisonous gases that make people sick. " It's a tremendous problem in South

Florida. "

How to make your home safer

After you have checked your home for common airborne toxins such as radon

and mold, it's time to started cleaning up and cleaning out. Often that

means getting rid of synthetic materials in construction supplies,

furniture, paints and carpets, says interior designer Bernadette Upton of

North Palm Beach, who specializes in helping to eliminate toxins from the

home environment. Upton serves as consultant to the American Lung

Association, and has helped the organization design a demonstration " Healthy

House " in Orlando.

" There are certain things to be cautious of, " Upton says. " The paints and

glues that [people bring into their homes] usually are very, very toxic.

Look on the label for paints that have low or no VOCs [volatile organic

compounds]. Carpets should be off-gassed outside or in a warehouse before

being brought into your home. "

Upton contributed to the American Lung Association booklet " A Baby's Breath:

How to Create a Healthy Home for Your Baby, " which provides extensive

information and tips for the nursery and home. The free booklet is available

from the American Lung Association of Southeast Florida, 800-330-5864.

The American Lung Association adds to the checklist for the home: Store

hazardous chemicals, cleaning supplies, pesticides and medicines safely away

from children. Use doormats and remove shoes at the entry to prevent

tracking pesticides into the house. Maintain a smoke-free home.

Avoid using pesticides by controlling insects naturally. For indoor and

outdoor pest control, try using boric acid, bait traps and insecticidal

soaps made by mixing a small amount of liquid detergent such as Ivory with

water, and sprays made with hot pepper and/or garlic mixed with water. Keep

food supplies tightly stored and countertops clean so they won't attract

bugs. For more information on natural pest control, request a copy of the

book Common Sense Pest Control. The book is available for free from the

Broward County Department of Planning and Environmental Protection.

Although ProLab does not sell solutions (one of the reasons Warner says she

trusts the test results), McDonnell does have some recommendations for those

who find positive results for environmental contamination. Radon levels can

be reduced by installing pipes that vent the gas from the ground under a

home. And radon in water can be removed with a reverse osmosis water filter,

also the best for filtering other waterborne germs and bacteria as well as

the chlorine and heavy metals common in water supplies.

If molds are the problem, McDonnell suggests first removing the source,

whether it is mildewed drywall or other material. Check the air conditioner

for mold growth. Air ducts may need to be cleaned to remove dust and mold

from the circulating air. But before investing in the cleaning, the American

Lung Association recommends asking the duct-cleaning company for

verification that the ducts present a health threat to individuals in the

home. If cleaning is required, be sure that ducts are properly sealed to

prevent forcing contamination into the home. Some molds can be killed by

cleaning the infected area with a mixture of one part bleach and 10 parts

water, but remember that bleach is also toxic. Be sure to use in a

well-ventilated area. Like bleach, ammonia is a highly toxic cleaning agent,

and both should be replaced with friendlier products for everyday cleaning.

Create your own nontoxic cleaners using vinegar and water, borax, baking

soda, club soda and hydrogen peroxide. Natural essential oils help fight

bacteria and produce a gentle, pleasant aroma when mixed with hot water and

used for cleaning. However, Robbins warns, even natural scents can cause

allergies and aggravate respiratory problems.

Pet hair and dander can trigger allergies, too. Keep pets clean, brushed,

away from bedding and furniture, and out of the bedrooms of allergic family

members, if not outside altogether. Dust and the mites that thrive in dusty

environments are irritating allergens. Keep dust down by cleaning surfaces

frequently with damp rags and mops. Vacuum carpets, furniture and mattresses

and frequently change the vacuum-cleaner bag. High-efficiency bags are

available that prevent airborne microparticles from escaping once captured.

The American Lung Association recommends installing a high-efficiency air

conditioning/heating system with microfilters that can catch the tiniest

particles and keep them from circulating in the air. But if you use these

filters, be sure to change them often. McDonnell notes that poorly

maintained air filters can cause mold and mildew problems. Clogged filters

trap moisture, promoting mold growth.

Ventilation is one of the best ways to move toxic fumes and gases from the

home, and truly fresh air is a great boon to health as well as mood. Many

South Floridians are finding that they prefer to open their homes to the

breeze, when possible, considering this to be more healthful than air

conditioning. A balance between open windows and air conditioning might

serve best except for those who already suffer from pollen allergies and

absolutely require air filtering. Remember to keep the indoors dry so molds

won't develop, and to keep air-conditioning filters clean to perform

optimally.

Maybe some of the millions of children with asthma don't need to be sick at

all, like Madison Warner, whose asthma has almost gone away now that her

parents work to keep her indoor air fresh and clean.

Trish Riley is a freelance writer and a mother. She lives in Sunrise.