Asthma Triggers: Household Products

Excerpted From: The Asthma Handbook

“Triggers: Know Your Troublemakers”

Available from the American Lung Association

http://www.alaw.org/asthma/asthma_handbook/triggers_know_your_troublemakers.html

When I work at home, I sometimes have asthma trouble. What household products can trigger asthma?

Our homes are loaded with products that can irritate the sensitive lungs of people with asthma and bring on episodes. Try to avoid breathing vapors from cleaning solvents, paint, paint thinner, and liquid chlorine bleach. Also avoid household sprays such as furniture polish, starch, and cleaners.

Personal products in the home also can irritate your lungs. Common troublemakers are spray deodorants, perfumes, hair sprays, talcum powder, and scented cosmetics.

Reactions to these products may be mild or severe. Some people are helped by using baking soda in water or special baking soda cleaning products for household cleaning. Some jobs, like painting, may have to be done by someone else. Even if you notice little or no reaction from household products , it's best for everyone with asthma to avoid sprays and breathe the cleanest air possible.

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LINKS TO OTHER ASTHMA INFORMATION

Infants Exposed to Herbicides and Pesticides Are Much More Likely to Develop Early Persistent Asthma.

http://www.protectingourhealth.org/newscience/asthma/2003/2003-1209salametal.htm

Asthma Forum

http://forums.about.com/ab-asthma/messages/?msg=2708.1

Fact Sheet: Pesticides and Schools

www.nrdc.org/greensquad/library/asthma.html

Pedipress Asthma Information for Schools

http://www.pedipress.com/asthmaschool1.htm

California Healthy Schools Campaign, Pesticides and Asthma

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/envirocaliftoxics.asp?id2=9616

ARC PestEd Action Alert Page – North Carolina

http://www.ibiblio.org/arc/involved/actionalerts/asthma.html

Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) School Environmental Health & Safety

http://www.cehn.org/cehn/reportschool.html

Asthma & Allergy Information Page

http://members.aol.com/DonationDrive/AsthmaAllergyInfoPage.html

How Environmental & Air Contaminants Affect Childhood Asthma

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Education/CASLE/casle.html

Handout provided by Toxics Information Project (TIP), P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940 For further info on toxics in everyday life & healthier alternatives, contact TIP at

Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org,Website:www.toxicsinfo.org