Allergy Be Gone Newsletter - February, 2004

Environmental Wellness During Winter
Winter and the heating season are here, and it is very important to know how to maintain health and wellness in the house & workplace. If you are tired of putting a bucket of water under the bed or a pot with water on the stove to remove dryness out of the air, this may be a good reason to consider a humidifier.

When dry air is drawn inside your home by your heating system, it acts like a sponge, seeking out and absorbing moisture wherever it can find it. Cold, dry air will dehydrate you and your family, drying up delicate body tissues such as your skin, eyes, throat and nasal passages. Symptoms caused by dry air can be dry nose and throat to more frequent colds, making it worse for asthma and allergy sufferers. Even your home is dramatically affected by the cold and dry air, which is known as the "Dry-Home Syndrome", causing wall paneling, wood trim and hardwood flooring to shrink. Also, joints in wood furniture sometimes become loose.

Winter Dry Skin
Dry skin is a very common skin problem during winter, when the environmental humidity level is low. Lines of the skin become visible and the skin feel rough and appears dull and flaky. Keeping humidity in the environment prevent skin dryness. Oils and moisturizer also helps making the skin softer, smoother and less likely to become dry, cracked and itchy.

Asthma Sufferers - Surviving Winter
Asthma sufferers experience different challenges in different seasons. Winter brings its own special problems to asthmatics. Lack of humidity combined with the effects of stale heated air causes an increase of respiratory irritation as well.

It is important to know how to treat asthma properly. Keeping indoor humidity between 40% and 60%. This could be achieved by using a humidifier with capability to adjust the output. It is also recommended to use a Peak-Flow Meter to track any change in the airway funtcion by taking Peak-Flow reading.
Proper home humidification with air purification qualities promotes healthier air quality by making it less hospitable for viruses, bacteria, and many allergens.

See what the Consumer Product Safety Commission has to say about environmental health