XDRIER Celebrates Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
- Jay Bual
We understand the implications of indoor air quality and its potential effects on health.
As such, we value initiatives and programs such as the Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month for their contributions to global health reform and their role in informing the public about important health matters.
This month, XDRIER participates in spreading awareness about the symptoms and the ways we can help improve the health and overall quality of life of family, friends, and other people in our communities with allergies and asthma diagnoses.
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
The Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month’s goal is to get more people to actively participate in helping improve the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies.
There’s a myriad of ways to do this, including pushing for legislation for affordable medications and insurance coverage for asthma and allergic diseases. But it’s also important to take things down to the community and household levels. These will impact people with asthma and allergic diseases directly, and any improvements that can be achieved could be felt immediately.
And so, the organizations behind the National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month seeks to educate the public about the risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and the best ways to manage the effects of asthma and allergies on patients’ day-to-day.
What You Need to Know About Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that causes the airways to swell, constrict, and produce excessive mucus, resulting in shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing.
People with asthma can relatively function normally, however, certain triggers might prompt a coughing or wheezing fit. When a severe asthma attack strikes, patients may have trouble breathing and experience a tightening sensation in their chest.
The symptoms and manifestations of asthma are an annoyance at best and fatal at worst. They can interfere with a person’s everyday life, making certain activities like sports and outdoor excursions difficult, if not impossible.
What You Need to Know About Allergies
You may not realize this, but allergies are chronic diseases.
A person with allergies has a hypersensitive immune system that overreacts when the body encounters a substance—an allergen—that it considers harmful. The immune system produces immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to combat the allergens, and in the process, the body exhibits symptoms or allergic reactions.
The most common allergens are food, drugs, animal hair, latex, mold, dust, and pollen. People who are allergic to them may experience the following:
- Sneezing or runny nose
- Coughing
- Itchy nose, eyes, and mouth
- Rash
- Swelling of the area in contact with the allergen
- Swelling of the airways
- Hives
- Low blood pressure
- Anaphylaxis
Of these symptoms, an anaphylactic shock is often the most dangerous.
Anaphylaxis is a rapid progression of several symptoms, like itchiness, swelling, difficulty breathing, and numbness. These can happen in minutes, with the severity increasing very quickly. For people with extreme allergies, anaphylaxis can be lethal.
This is why allergies must be taken seriously. When people say they are allergic to peanuts and seafood, those who prepare their food must pay attention because those allergies could be deadly.
If you know of someone with severe allergies, it will help them immensely to learn how to alleviate their condition.
Treatment for Asthma and Allergies
There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed. Since every person with asthma manifests differently, physicians create an asthma treatment plan to address their individual symptoms. They may prescribe any of the following:
Inhalers
Nebulizers
Oral
Inhalers
Nebulizers
Injections
IV infusions
| Asthma Treatment | Description | Administration |
| Quick-relief medicine | Offers immediate relief from symptoms. People with asthma usually have these on hand because an asthma attack can happen anytime. | Inhalers Nebulizers |
| Controller medicine | Keeps the airways clear and open. They mainly “control” the swelling and mucus formation in the respiratory tract. | Oral Inhalers Nebulizers |
| Combination medicine | Medicines that do a bit of both | Inhalers |
| Biologics | Unlike other asthma medications, biologic therapy for asthma targets the immune system—antibodies that cause severe asthma symptoms. | Injections IV infusions |
Allergies also don’t have a cure. But like asthma, they can be managed. People with allergies require treatment plans specifically addressing their symptoms and how severe they usually get. Their doctors may:
- Provide medications like antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids (nasal sprays).
- Administer immunotherapy, which is a radical treatment that aims to make the body get used to allergens and reduce sensitivity by exposing the patient to select allergens in gradual doses.
Avoiding Allergens: The Simplest Preventive Measure
Asthma and allergies can both be triggered by irritants and allergens that send the immune system into hyperdrive. As such, the best way to avoid the debilitating effects of an asthma or allergy attack is to avoid its triggers.
The EPA and AAFA lists the following as the main respiratory triggers for asthma and allergy attacks:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold (odor and spores)
- Second-hand cigarette or cigar smoke
- Pet dander
- Household pests
- Nitrogen dioxide (i.e., fuel in gas stoves)
- Wood smoke
- Chemical irritants (i.e., fumes from cleaning products, hair products, and aerosols)
- Outdoor air pollution
These allergens are everywhere and are difficult to avoid when you’re outdoors. There’s only so much a person can do to avoid contact with them (i.e., wearing face masks, keeping the windows up while driving, avoiding places that are prone to dust, pollen, and smoke).
Thankfully, avoiding allergens while indoors is a different story.
In line with Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month’s goals, knowing how to keep indoor air clean and free from all kinds of airborne irritants is vital for maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for people with asthma and allergies.
Keep Indoor Air Clean and Fresh with XDRIER
Maintaining clean air and keeping humidity at a comfortable range indoors is easy when you have the right equipment.
Air conditioning units and ventilation systems do a lot to filter indoor air and regulate temperature. But another household equipment that’s vital for maintaining indoor air quality and eliminating allergens is a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers also have filters that purify the air of particulates that get past the ACs and vents. For XDRIER dehumidifiers, our units use MERV-1 filters and have built-in ionizers.
This is a fantastic combination for filtration because an ionizer charges the air passing through the dehumidifier with negative ions. This makes airborne particles like dust, pollen, and smoke residue stick together in bigger clumps, which are then captured easily by the fibers in the MERV-1 filter.
XDRIER can be an asset in the homes of people with asthma and respiratory or skin allergies. It is a reliable, powerful dehumidifier—and it doesn’t hurt that it has a sleek design that looks good with contemporary interior design. It will do its job quietly and efficiently without taking away from the beauty and coziness of your home.
Interested in joining the movement for asthma and allergy awareness?
Visit AAFA.org or the EPA website for tips and materials that you can use to spread the word about these diseases.
If you are looking to improve the living conditions of a family member who has asthma and respiratory allergies, consider buying an XDRIER dehumidifier for your home. Visit our shop today!
