Indoor Air May Be Worse For Allergies
'Sick House Syndrome' Traps Stale Air
POSTED: 4:09 p.m. EDT May 14, 2002
CLEVELAND -- If you have allergies, you may have been forced to stay indoors to try to get away from them.
But indoor air can often be more polluted than what you breathe outside.
Both of Barbara Norris' sons have chronic asthma and allergies, and the symptoms get even worse in the house.
"They used to run the little air purifiers in their room, and they made so much noise they couldn't sleep," she said. "And it really wasn't that effective, from what it seemed like."
A lot of asthma and allergy sufferers don't realize their symptoms can be aggravated by something called "sick house syndrome." It is created when lighter, more energy-efficient homes inadvertently trap stale air, which can leave those who live in them feeling sick.
"These tight homes and the ventilation systems often are not bringing in the air from the outside, are giving us people who are feeling sick," said Dr. Roger Katz, an allergist. "They're having headaches, they're having stomachaches, they're feeling fatigued."
One way to make things easier is to add a Hepa filtration system throughout your home. One called the Guardian Plus will cost you about $600 installed.
The system promises to remove pollutants like dust, odors, bacteria and pet dander.
Contaminated air is exhausted, and fresh air is filtered in.
Since it was installed in the Norris home, they said that they've been able to cut back on the kids' prescription medications and that the young ones don't get headaches anymore.
Dr. Kent Knauer of University Hospitals said that the filtration system might help, but it's not going to work at all unless a person has the air conditioning or the heater running all the time. Knauer said that it's best to attack the problem room by room.
He said that there are more affordable ways to try to make your house allergy-free.
First, ensure a good night's rest, and keep the animals out of the bedroom.
Also, close the door to your bedroom or other room that you use a lot all day.
You can also buy a quiet room-sized air purifier.
Doctors also said that now is a good time to check in with your allergist since we're in peak allergy season.
But indoor air can often be more polluted than what you breathe outside.
Both of Barbara Norris' sons have chronic asthma and allergies, and the symptoms get even worse in the house.
"They used to run the little air purifiers in their room, and they made so much noise they couldn't sleep," she said. "And it really wasn't that effective, from what it seemed like."
A lot of asthma and allergy sufferers don't realize their symptoms can be aggravated by something called "sick house syndrome." It is created when lighter, more energy-efficient homes inadvertently trap stale air, which can leave those who live in them feeling sick.
"These tight homes and the ventilation systems often are not bringing in the air from the outside, are giving us people who are feeling sick," said Dr. Roger Katz, an allergist. "They're having headaches, they're having stomachaches, they're feeling fatigued."
One way to make things easier is to add a Hepa filtration system throughout your home. One called the Guardian Plus will cost you about $600 installed.
The system promises to remove pollutants like dust, odors, bacteria and pet dander.
Contaminated air is exhausted, and fresh air is filtered in.
Since it was installed in the Norris home, they said that they've been able to cut back on the kids' prescription medications and that the young ones don't get headaches anymore.
Dr. Kent Knauer of University Hospitals said that the filtration system might help, but it's not going to work at all unless a person has the air conditioning or the heater running all the time. Knauer said that it's best to attack the problem room by room.
He said that there are more affordable ways to try to make your house allergy-free.
First, ensure a good night's rest, and keep the animals out of the bedroom.
Also, close the door to your bedroom or other room that you use a lot all day.
You can also buy a quiet room-sized air purifier.
Doctors also said that now is a good time to check in with your allergist since we're in peak allergy season.
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