Many of the recommendations that I and other indoor air quality professionals make can be very expensive – like installing hardwood or tile floors, or replacing a hot-air heating systems with baseboard or radiator heat. But there are a number of things you can do that won’t cost a fortune and that can help keep the air in your home clean and allergen and irritant free. Below are 15 examples. Read the rest »

If your son or daughter has allergies or asthma, there may be conditions inside the school building that could cause your child to experience health symptoms. What are some of these conditions, and what you can you as a parent do about it?

Carpeting. Many modern school buildings have wall-to-wall carpeting, which is often cleaned in the summer, when weather is most humid. If the carpeting remained damp for more than 48 hours, it may well contain mold growth, subsisting on captured dust. If your child’s classroom smells musty, the carpet may be the culprit. Ask the school to have the carpet dust tested for mold (or contact DACI lab at Johns Hopkins University and find out how to take a sample yourself). Read the rest »

Have you ever noticed that runners have strong defined thighs, cyclist have firm, toned calves, swimmers have strong v-backs, and gymnasts are compact and strong all over? It shows that your body can be shaped by the exercises you do. For example, for many years I was a competitive gymnast. Because gymnastics entails lifting your body weight, I was small and buff all over. After college I was into weight lifting and put on a bunch of muscle mass, especially in my shoulders and upper back. In graduate school I got really into yoga and started teaching it. My body transformed-my muscles became lean and long! I’ve found the perfect combo of exercises that give a defined, lean, long look and I’ll share a little with you. Read the rest »

Of the 70 million US households owning dogs or cats as pets around 10% of the population are allergic to them. That is, approximately 7 million pet lovers who suffer from allergies at the paws of their canine companions and feline friends.

Pet allergies are an immune system reaction to animal proteins that trigger inflammation in the lining of the nasal passages. These allergies cause sneezing, runny nose and a stuffy head for some sufferers; however, others experience more serious symptoms including contraction of the airways resulting in hives, wheezing, shortness of breath and other breathing problems. Read the rest »

Of all the environmental hazards in houses, lead paint is potentially one of the most serious, because it can and does have the largest number of victims. Lead-poisoned children number in the tens of thousands and suffer from reduced learning skills, behavioral and nervous system disorders, and in the worse cases of poisoning, mental retardation. Lead can also affect unborn children.

Up until 1978, nearly all exterior paints and most interior wood trim paint contained lead pigment. In the Boston area where I live, 80% of the homes contain lead paint, because much of the building stock in the city is older. If you live in an older home, contact your local health department to see what you must do about lead paint. Read the rest »

Parents and child care providers work hard to provide a loving, stimulating environment that is safe for even the smallest children. One element of a healthy child care environment that is often overlooked is pest control. Pests may be harmful to children’s health, and pesticides used to control them may also be very harmful. Pest control in child care should be 100% kid-safe: it should effectively manage pests without exposing children or staff members to potentially harmful pesticides. Read the rest »

Soot particles are small enough to be breathed deeply into the lung and even pass directly through capillary walls into the blood stream. The particles may contain carcinogens – such as benzo[a]pyrene – and can also act as “surrogate allergens.” The medical community recognizes that the cornstarch powder in latex gloves (used to keep the rubber from sticking to itself) can acquire latex allergens. When the powdery granules become airborne and are inhaled by someone who has latex allergy, that person can experience an allergic reaction – sometimes severe. Similarly, the microscopic particles of soot that settle on surfaces that contain mold or pet dander can become contaminated with allergenic substances. The particles can then become airborne again and be inhaled when surfaces are cleaned or otherwise disturbed in some way. Read the rest »