Turn your home into an allergy-free zone
The UK has the highest incidence of asthma and allergies in the world. Numbers have trebled in the last 20 years, with a third of the population affected at some point in their lives. And the rest of Europe is not far behind.
The blame for this 21 st century epidemic has fallen on major changes in our environment and lifestyle, such as an increase in air pollutants, overuse of antibiotics, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, and overexposure to domestic allergens.
What are allergies?
Allergies are the immune system’s reaction to a substance that is usually harmless. The immune system defends the body against bacteria, viruses and parasites. When the body reacts to an allergen, it creates a specific antibody and this causes an allergic reaction. |
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| Common allergens are the house dust mite, pet hair, grass and tree pollen, mould spores, and types of food. People often suffer from more than one allergic disease, such as asthma, eczema, rhinitis, hay fever and food allergies.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include irritation, watering and reddening of the eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, congestion, swollen lips or tongue, wheezing, coughing, redness and swelling of the skin,
or a rash.
What is asthma?
Asthma sufferers have extremely sensitive airways that are easily irritated by viruses, smoke, chemicals, bacteria and common substances that are usually harmless. These irritants send the muscular walls of the airways into spasm. With frequent irritation and spasms, the linings of the airways become inflamed.
Asthma can be triggered by allergies, exercise, medicines, cold air or smoking, and has symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing.
Children who suffer from asthma may not always have symptoms to match the severity of their inflamed airways. As they will prefer not to run around because of breathing difficulties, classical asthma symptoms may not become obvious.
Asthma is often worse when you are overweight. Regular exercise helps control your weight and improves circulation. Plenty of fruits and vegetables can also help to control asthma.
What is allergic rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the nose that can be caused by allergies, viral or bacterial infections, change in temperature, spices and alcohol.
Some people are only affected by allergic rhinitis during the grass pollen season, which is known as hay fever. However, many people suffer from allergic rhinitis constantly or intermittently all year round.
Symptoms are like that of a cold, including head congestion, a runny nose, headaches and loss of smell and taste. Usually allergic rhinitis is not diagnosed or treated, although there is evidence that treatment can significantly improve asthma symptoms.
The avoidance programme
To help sufferers of allergic diseases enjoy a normal, healthy life, a comprehensive avoidance programme is essential. Allergic diseases can greatly affect sleep, so one of the most important areas to make an allergy-free zone is the bedroom:
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Cover your mattress, pillow and duvet with allergy protectors
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Change your bedroom carpet for a wooden floor
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Keep a bedroom window open for ventilation
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Hang your duvet over a chair to air and let daylight to your mattress
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Store all clothes, toys and clutter in closed cupboards
Once you have made these vital improvements to your lifestyle, don’t forget the other rooms in your home:
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Clean all upholstery regularly, but preferably choose leather
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Vacuum communal areas daily
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Clean all surfaces twice a week
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Do not dry wet clothes indoors
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Remove and treat all sources of damp
How can Nikken help you turn your home into an allergy-free zone?
For a more comfortable night’s sleep, place an Air Power5® in your bedroom to ensure that you remove 99.97% of airborne allergens and are breathing the cleanest air possible.
Invest in a KenkoDream® Sleep System, especially designed to minimise dust mites and with anti-bacterial qualities, to experience a new way of sleeping.
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