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Environmental allergies to pollen, dust mites, mold and even cockroaches can impact severely on a child’s quality of life by triggering asthma and repeated respiratory infections.

Treatment normally consists of three basic methods.

1. Medication like antihistamines, decongestants and steroid nasal sprays.
2. Immunotherapy – which is not a full-proof method at all.
3. Avoidance of the allergen.

Realizing that your child is allergic to things in the environment which you hardly have any control over, can be very demoralizing. Yet, there are steps that may reduce the presence of these allergens in your house. There are 4 basic things to keep in mind when starting to sort out your house.

Keep it clean, well-ventilated, cool and low in humidity.

A child spends at least a third of 24 hours in his or her bedroom. This should be the first place to focus your attention on.

• Pollen counts are highest early in the morning. It may be wise to keep a child indoors ’till a bit later. Do not let him sleep with open windows or put his bed near an air-vent. Driving around town with open windows can also aggravate a pollen allergy. Rather opt for the air-conditioning.
• Do not let him play outside while the grass is mowed. Working in the garden together is a wonderful way to spend time as a family but in cases of a severe allergy to pollen, this should rather be avoided.
• Soft surfaces and materials like carpets, upholstery, bedding and curtains are perfect breeding grounds for house mites, dust and mold. Hard surfaces are much easier to keep allergen free. By removing carpets from a house (or at least a bedroom) and replacing it with a hard surface like tiles, vinyl or wooden flooring one can reduce dust mites by as much as 90%.
• Removing carpets or replacing upholstered furniture with leather ones is not always an option. Thus, vacuuming becomes essential. Modern vacuum cleaners tend to be allergy-aware with special filters in place. Older models can often be fitted with a high-filtration bag to ensure that dust mites are not blown all over the house. Be sure to vacuum furniture and curtaining too.
• There are product on the market in the form of powders and sprays that can limit and control dust mites. Tannic Acid temporarily neutralizes the allergen in dust mites as well as cats. Keep in mind that it can stain carpets and upholstery.
• Acaricide is a chemical that kills dust mites and comes in a spray or powder form. This product can be difficult to get hold of in some countries.
• Keep in mind that vacuuming carpets and upholstery makes some of the dust mites air-borne. It takes a while for them to settle and it is recommended that the person suffering from the allergy should not be in the room for at least 1 hour after vacuuming.

• Always damp dust after you vacuumed. This means using a damp cloth to wipe off all surfaces to get rid of dust mites. Normal soap and water is sufficient.
• Get rid of clutter – this  becomes dust collectors. Open bookshelves are another favorite hiding place for dust. Keep drawers closed and do not let clothes lie around in the room. Do nor store anything under the bed.
• Avoid venetian blinds, mini blinds, pleated shades or thick curtaining. It is very difficult to keep them dust free. Rather opt for curtaining that can easily be washed at high temperatures (130F/55°C).
• Wash sheets, mattress pads, spring boxes (night frills) and blankets in warm water (130F/55°C) every week.
• Cover pillows and mattresses in plastic barrier cloth that is allergen proof.
• Store bedding in plastic bags with zippers when the season changes.
• Ban the following from a child’s bed. Pets. Soft toys. Feathers. Woolen blankets. Foam rubber. All of these are dust collectors.
• Researchers in Spain found that children who bunk in a bottom bunk bed have a much higher risk of developing an allergy than those who sleep in the top bed.
• Overhead mobiles tend to collect dust and should rather be avoided.
• Store books in closed cupboards rather than on a shelf.
• Mold is a type of fungus that can be found inside and outside the house. It has been linked to chronic sinusitis and asthma. Mold can be found on food such as cheese and bread and tends to attach itself to wood, paper, feathers, rubber, hair and all sorts of places inside a house. It prefers temperatures between 10°C and 32°C and high humidity of above 60%. Allergic reactions can occur after inhalation, skin contact or eating moldy food.
• If a room seems to be stuffy, use a fan to improve ventilation.
• Avoid humidifiers as far as possible. They are ideal breeding grounds for dust mites and mold and should be thoroughly cleaned after every use. Using them in a room creates the ideal environment for dust mites, mold as well as bacterias and viruses. A child can develop  “Humidifier-fever”  – a flu-like infection in the respiratory tract.
• Avoid having plants indoors. Mildew can thrive on pot plants.
• Do not keep wood inside the house. Mildew grows on the outside of wood.
• What do saunas, greenhouses, antique shops, summer cottages, hotels, shower curtains, bathrooms, sleeping bags and car air-cons have in common? They are all perfect breeding grounds for mold. There are many products on the market to combat mildew. All of them have 2 basic ingredients.  Bleach and ammonia. Use this inside showers, bathrooms or any place that tens to be damp. For mildew that grows outside the house use Copper Sulfate mixed with water 3 to 4 times per year.
• HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air-Filters) under a bed can help decrease air-borne allergens like pollen and dust but does not work well for dust mites. Remember to keep windows closed while using such a filter and to replace filters often. Though these filters is not the ultimate solution, it will help manage allergens.
• If high humidity is a problem (humidity higher than 50%) it may be a good idea to make use of a dehumidifier. It is essential to keep these very, very clean  – else the situation will get worse and not better.
• Avoid heaters that blow hot air as this tends to blow dust-mites and dust around. Rather opt for space heaters. Be careful to not over-heat a room as the air will become very dry and this can make breathing more difficult.
• Air-conditioners seem to be a great aid in combating allergens. They filter the air and dehumidify at the same time – thus combating dust and mildew. If the filter is a minimum of 5 microns, it should work very well. Be sure to replace the filters often to maintain optimum hygiene. On a positive note, cockroaches also prefer not to be in well-ventilated rooms and

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