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Asthma and allergies can be treated and prevented in many cases. The following are tips to manage the conditions: For Allergies: •Avoid the substances to which you are allergic and eliminate allergens from your home and environment. •Keep the air cleaner in the home with a HEPA (High Energy Particulate Absorption) filter. A whole-house HEPA filter will continuously circulate the air throughout the house, removing allergens. •If you have a cat or a dog, bathe your pet weekly. •Use over-the-counter or prescription medications such as antihistamines, skin ointments, eye drops and nasal decongestant sprays. •Try allergy shots, called immunotherapy, for hay fever and animal allergies. This involves being tested for specific allergens, then giving the patient increasingly higher doses of their allergens over time to make the person become less sensitive. •Keep your home clean. Dust often to control dust mites, vacuum often, keep doors and windows closed to shut pollen out, and reduce moisture in the home to reduce mold. Wash bedding weekly. •Replace wall-to-wall carpets with flooring and eliminate heavy draperies, they trap dust. •Stay indoors on windy days, when dust and pollen are more likely to be in the air. If you do go out, cover your face with a mask or scarf. For Asthma: •Use long-term controller medications, generally if you have symptoms more than twice per week. These medications prevent or reverse inflammation in the airways. •Use quick-reliever medications such as inhalers to relieve symptoms like wheezing and coughing. •Control allergies, which trigger asthma attacks. Sources: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, American Lung Association. Resources For more information of asthma and allergies, visit these websites. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: www.aafa.org American Lung Association of Orange County: www.oclung.org |
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