NEW AIR PURIFIERS HELP HOMEOWNERS BREATHE EASIER DURING ALLERGY SEASON

With allergy season upon us, ServiceOne employs a team of professionals whose job it is to provide homeowners with the latest products and services designed to optimize indoor air quality. 

ServiceOne founder and president Bill Gouty believes indoor air quality should not be taken for granted; with a world full of pollutants and allergens, clean air takes more than just a well-maintained air conditioning system.  

For residential and commercial areas ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet, Service One recommends the new Air Oasis Nano 9" as the ideal in-duct UV air purifier. It is easily mounted inside a standard HVAC system and can improve the indoor air quality for the entire home, effectively purifying the air wherever the HVAC system reaches. The Nano 9" Induct can be installed in less than 15 minutes and requires minimal maintenance. Once installed, the Nano 9" will immediately set to work reducing carbon-based contaminants in the air like mold, bacteria, viruses, and volatile organic compounds that can cause unpleasant odors. 

"The Nano 9" will continuously clean the air in the home until a replacement cell is needed, at which time a blue LED light will advise the owner to make the change," said Gouty. "Cells only need to be replaced about once every two years, making the Nano 9" Induct the best whole-house air cleaner for those who do not wish to spend a lot of time on upkeep."

Central Florida homeowners can enjoy better air quality by turning to Service One for items such as: air purifier systems that trap and kill bacteria, viruses, mold spores, allergens and other pollutants in the conditioned air, and keep them out of the air; humidifiers which are very popular in the winter by helping reduce sore throats, chapped lips, itchy skin and sinus problems; and ventilators which are designed to remove stale air from the home, while keeping valuable energy from escaping.

"Although we may not always think about it, indoor air quality may bring more pollution and irritants than outdoor air. It can present itself in the form of headaches or chronic allergies, impacting your quality of life," said Gouty. "ServiceOne will test for harmful chemicals and install air filters to ensure you’re breathing clean air in your home. We also offer UV lighting to help rid your home of harmful bacteria."

ABOUT SERVICE ONE: Founded in 2003 in Longwood, Florida, Service One is a locally owned and operated air conditioning, heating, and plumbing company. Service one repairs, services and maintains all makes and models of air conditioning, heating, and plumbing equipment and fixtures. The company serves residential and business customers in Orange, Seminole, Southwest Volusia, North Osceola and portions of Lake Counties. The company recently opened a new location in Orlando at 4556 36th Street, just south of downtown. This new office will service customers from downtown Orlando, south to Kissimmee.

Indoor air purifiers may aid heart patients

(Reuters Health) - People with heart conditions may benefit from using indoor air purifiers, suggests a small study from China.

While the study can't say air purifiers prevent heart attacks or other major medical problems, several risk factors for heart disease improved among young and healthy adults who were exposed to purified air.

"In countries of the world where air pollution is a problem, I think this would be especially important," said Dr.

Sanjay Rajagopalan of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The new findings suggest that using an air purifier may lead to a reduction in cardiovascular events, said Rajagopalan, who coauthored an editorial accompanying the new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Previous studies found that fine particles in the air are tied to an increased risk of heart-related problems, including heart attack and stroke, the study authors say.

For the new study, Renjie Chen and Ang Zhao of Fudan University in Shanghai and colleagues had 35 healthy college students in Shanghai randomly use real or fake air purifiers in their dorm rooms for 48 hours. Two weeks later, the students spent another two days using whichever type they hadn't used the first time.

China has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. 

The target air pollution level set by the World Health Organization is 35 micrograms of tiny particles per cubic meter - but daily air pollution in major cities in Asia often exceed 100 to 500 micrograms per cubic meter, Rajagopalan writes in his editorial.

Air purification in the students' rooms reduced air pollution by 57 percent, from about 96 micrograms per cubic meter to about 41 micrograms per cubic meter, the researchers say.

When the students had the real air purifiers in their rooms, they had significant improvements in several measures of inflammation and blood clotting. 

They also had some significant decreases in blood pressure and a reduction in a measure of airway inflammation known as exhaled nitrous oxide.

The researchers also found some improvements in lung function and blood vessel constriction, but those findings may have been due to chance.

"You’d have to take the results of these studies as good supportive evidence that these strategies would work," Rajagopalan told Reuters Health.

Dr. Rachel Taliercio, a lung specialist in The Cleveland Clinic's Asthma Center in Ohio, cautioned that the benefit of air purification systems in homes might not be equal for everyone.

"Certainly there is no harm in doing it and there are obviously some benefits," said Taliercio, who was not involved with the new study. "How big those benefits will be is unclear."

Pollution levels in North America, for example, are much lower than in Asia, she said. "So, it’s hard to know if what you see in China is beneficial for North America."

For people who live near high-pollution areas, such as major roadways and coal power plants, air purifiers may be something to look into, Taliercio said.

But, she added, for those living in suburban areas, the devices would be difficult to justify, especially when people consider the cost.

Home air purification systems range in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The devices often require replacement filters on a regular basis.

"From the standpoint of what you can do to protect yourself in these polluted environments, investing in home and car air filtration systems will lead to better air quality in the long term," Rajagopalan said.

"One message is at least the awareness that air quality does influence health and chronic diseases, such as heart disease," he said.

Allergy Survival Guide: 10 Tips From A Top Doctor

CBSNEWS - There have been plenty of alarming reports this spring about the "pollen tsunami" sweeping America, and millions of people are suffering through one of the worst allergy seasons in memory.

"It's really bad," Dr. Neeta Ogden, an allergy specialist and spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, told CBS News. "There are people with new symptoms for the first time."

Over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications can help with the symptoms, but for many people they're just not enough. "I think that because it's such a bad pollen season, I'm seeing a lot of people who are maxed out on the meds," Ogden said.

She offered some practical advice to reduce the sniffling, sneezing and wheezing that can make springtime so miserable.

Get out of those clothes

The first thing to do when you get home? Take off the clothes you've worn outside all day. Otherwise, Ogden warns, you'll be tracking pollen around the house and prolonging your exposure.

Shower

Ogden recommends taking a shower and washing your hair as soon as you get home. You definitely don't want to go to bed covered in pollen. "If you put your head on your pillow and sleep all night, that's what's going to trigger a reaction," she said.

Wipes or saline wash

A shower alone may not be enough. Ogden also recommends using a saline wash to rinse the eyes and nose before bed. "Some of my patients use eyelid wipes, like baby wipes," she says. "The whole idea is to reduce pollen exposure."

HEPA Air Purifier

An air purifier can help reduce allergens in your home. "I tell people to invest in an air purifier. A small one can be good, but they have to be HEPA," Ogden said. HEPA, or High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance filters, remove 99 percent of airborne particles such as pollen and other irritants. "Maybe even get one for your desk at work," Ogden suggests.

Stay hydrated

Be sure you're drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated during allergy season. "Studies have shown that when you're dehydrated your body produces higher histamine levels and that drives allergies," Ogden said. "When you get dehydrated you could run risk of making your symptoms worse." And it can be a vicious cycle, because the decongestants many people take for allergies can dry you out.

Drinking plenty of water is essential, but Ogden says you need to replenish electrolytes, too. She suggests keeping packets of a hydration powder like DripDrop handy to add to your water for an extra boost of electrolytes.

Vitamins & supplements

There's growing evidence that vitamins and minerals can have an impact on allergies. Ogden says vitamin D and Omega 3, found in fish oil, may help.

"A number of studies have shown that when they're incorporated into the diet, there's a decrease in allergy and asthma symptoms," she said. "I have had patients say, 'Oh, I went back on my vitamin D and my allergies improved.'"

Hose down the dog

Man's best friend can be your worst enemy when it comes to allergies. Dogs can track pollen all over the house.

"Dogs, especially with lots of fur, long hair, are going to need to be hosed off or bathed" whenever they've been playing outside, Ogden said. Wear a mask and gloves while bathing the dog, or better yet, "if there's someone at home who doesn't have allergies -- make them do it."

Dress for protection

You can help shield yourself from pollen exposure by wearing a hat and sunglasses outdoors. Ogden recommends "big sunglasses -- it's just about protecting your face -- and a hat to keep pollen out of your hair and off your face."

Use Vaseline to “trap” pollen

Ogden suggests applying a thin coat of Aquaphor or Vaseline around the rim of your nostrils as a way to "trap" pollen and keep it from entering the mucous membranes of the nose, where it can cause irritation.

Plan your activities 

Dawn and dusk tend to be the worst times of day for allergies, so try to plan your outdoor activities around them. Check pollen counts online before you go out, and take extra precautions or minimize your time outside when conditions are especially bad.

Dyson unveils next-generation air purifier

The Pure Cool has a 360-degree filter

Image Gallery (4 images)

Not content with vacuums and fans, Dyson is expanding into the realm of air purification with its Pure Cool purifier fan, which was unveiled today. Building on the company's Air Multiplier technology, it's designed to capture ultrafine particles, which are a major component of air pollution. To learn more, Gizmag talked to Dyson engineer Robert Green.

• 
• 
• 

According to Green, the Pure Cool is aimed initially at Asian markets, such as China, where air pollution is a major problem. We tend to think of air pollution as being either gases like carbon monoxide, or large, obvious solids, like soot, but it's the microscopic particles suspended in the atmosphere that are among the biggest hazards. That's because ultrafine particles can penetrate the lung's membranes and cause major damage to the cardiopulmonary system.

Green admits that the Pure Cool isn't the first air purifier on the market. In fact, purifiers are major sellers in Asia, but he claims that the Dyson purifier is one up because of the technology crossover from the company's other products.

"The filtration system in an air purifier is not that dissimilar to the HEPA filters that you'll see in a vacuum cleaner," says Green. "So it was a logical step for us to take that technology from our vacuum cleaner and apply it to our Air Multiplier range to give us this purifier product."

The Dyson Pure Cool looks very similar to the company's bladeless fans, but it differs in that it includes a 360-degree glass HEPA filter to trap ultrafine particles. The filter is made of borosilicate microfibers set in a "bird's nest" design with a wrap-around configuration to provide a much larger surface area than previous filters of similar size.

Behind this borosilicate filter is an active carbon layer to remove odors, fumes, and vapors and, unlike other systems, this active layer is an integral part of the replaceable filter. Green says that this integrated design is a first and produces a more efficient filter that only needs replacing once every 12 months. He adds that Dyson has made this economically viable thanks to piggybacking on the company's vacuum cleaner manufacturing and supply infrastructure.

In a press release, Dyson says that the Pure Cool removes 99.95 percent of ultrafine particles as small as 0.1 microns and that is was put through a series of tests, including the smoke from 228 cigarettes, and still maintained performance.

In addition, the Pure Cool is capable of handling any size room, though larger spaces require longer filtration times. Green says that the current unit can filter a 13 sq m (140 sq ft) room in about 25 minutes.

The Dyson Pure Cool is available in Japan and China and will roll out in other markets later this year. No price has been set yet.

Source: Dyson

How To Protect Kids From Pet Allergies

Written by: Archana Mukherji 

Pets are always fun to be with. They make great companions. Once they get accustomed to your family members, they become a huge part of the family themselves. They love and care for you equally, like a family member would do. But one thing that is concerning for most parents who have little kids is that they might be prone to some kind of pet allergies. But what is the reason for such allergies? It is all our carelessness and lack of attention towards our pets and kids. 

Ways To Prevent Pet Allergies At Home 
If you know the ways to protect kids from allergies, you will never have to forsake your pets. There are many people who take a drastic decision to immediately get rid of their pets when they find that their child is allergic to pets. This is a very sad happening because it is just like abandoning a family member because you think he/she is not fit enough to be with you. When you plan to have a pet, you should also know how to protect kids from allergies. 

Simple Pet Care Tips For An Injured Dog 
Unless you find that your kid is suffering from asthma or severe respiratory problems, throwing away your pet for simple allergies makes no sense. There are many effective solutions and ways to protect kids from allergies. One important point to be noted is that pet allergies are not caused due to the shedding of their hair, whereas, it is the dander or the dead cells that shed from the pet’s body. Keeping an eye on this and following the tips below on how to protect kids from allergies will definitely help keep your family and your pet healthy and happy. 

Air Purifiers 
Air Purifiers are found to be highly effective ways to protect kids from allergies. Choose an air purifier that can remove airborne pet dander. This will help you keep your kids’ allergen free. Depending on the size of your house, you might need an additional air purifier.

Regular Brushing 
Make sure you keep your pet very clean by bathing and brushing them as often as you can. Bathing your pet atleast weekly once is necessary. Regular grooming will help to minimize or even diminish the amount of dander your pet carries and your kids will be safe from pet allergies.

Keep Pets Outside Your Bedroom 
Make sure you keep your pets away from your nursing and bed rooms. This will keep your beds, carpets, curtains and clothing free from pet dander and help you have an allergen free sleeping environment.

Daily Damp Dusting & Vacuuming 
Another easy and effective way to prevent pet allergies is to vacuum clean and damp dust your home every-day. Pets have the tendency to shed dander on the carpets and furniture or wherever they wander. If this keeps accumulating, then your child may be prone to some kind of per allergy. Vacuum cleaning and damp dusting on a daily basis helps to remove the loose dander and also prevents it from accumulating. 

Regular Hand Washing 
One of the best ways to protect kids from allergies is regular washing of their hands. Every time you touch or play with your pet, wash your hands immediately when done, this will keep you away from any pet allergies. 

Apart from these tips, make sure your house has proper ventilation system.

Poor indoor air quality can trigger allergies

When the weather report issues an air quality warning, some people stay indoors, but there's no guarantee that the air in the home is any healthier than the air outside. Common indoor air pollutants such as dust mite grime, pet dander, mold, tobacco smoke, and airborne allergens and germs may be lurking about without anyone ever noticing.

Adults spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors and inhale approximately 2,300 gallons of air a day. Given that, people face significant, ongoing exposure to a variety of unwelcome indoor air pollutants. Extended exposure to these pollutants can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory problems, headache, fatigue and even allergy symptoms. Asthmatics, the elderly and children are the most vulnerable to indoor air pollutants and can develop more serious symptoms. Prolonged exposure to some pollutants has even been linked to cancer or other serious diseases.

Homeowners do, however, have the power to combat indoor air pollutants and improve their home's air quality.

One common first line of defense is a home air filtration system. These devices filter pollutants from the air circulating throughout the home. 

But an air purifier shouldn't have to do all the work. Homeowners need to do their part by maintaining a clean household. Simple things like asking people to take off their shoes at the front door or preventing family and guests from smoking indoors go a long way toward clearing indoor air, allowing homeowners to breathe a fresh sigh of relief.

Indoor environment

Many things that can potentially trigger asthma symptoms can be found in your home, including carpets, certain furnishings and cleaning products. You may also come across triggers in other people’s houses or in your workplace. But there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of any indoor allergens leading to an asthma attack.

What’s the best way to reduce the risk of triggers in the home affecting you?

Whatever’s triggering your asthma, the reality is that it’s impossible to get rid of all allergens in your home. And if you only get rid of some, it might not make any difference to your asthma. The evidence is clear that when it comes to coping with asthma triggers – including indoor ones - the best thing you can do is stay on top of your asthma. If you manage your asthma well, your body is in a better position to cope when you come into contact with any asthma triggers.

The best ways to manage your asthma are:

• Take your preventer medication exactly as your doctor has prescribed. It is specially designed to work in the background every day to help reduce your body’s reaction to triggers you meet in your daily life.
• Use your written asthma action plan [link] to help you identify when your asthma needs extra help and what to discuss with your doctor or asthma nurse.
• Get your asthma reviewed regularly, so you and your GP or asthma nurse can make sure the medicines you’re taking are doing the best possible job for you

Some common triggers in the home

House dust mites, animals, mould and cigarette smoke are all common asthma triggers in the home – you can read about them by clicking on the links. But there are other things found indoors that can also potentially trigger your asthma in different ways. Speak to your GP or asthma nurse about what you can realistically do to reduce your risk of an asthma attack. You can also call the Asthma UK Helpline on 0800 121 62 44 and talk to an asthma nurse specialist, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Central heating

Some people find that their asthma gets worse when the heating is turned on in the autumn and better when it goes off in the spring. This could be because once the heating is turned on, dust mites multiply very quickly and for some people these are an asthma trigger.

However, "Research actually suggests that asthma symptoms are harder to control for people who don’t have central heating at home", says Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK. “One reason for this is that central heating gives out a dry heat, and asthma is worse in homes that are damp.”

Central heating also helps keep a good background level of warmth. This works well for people with asthma who need to avoid sudden changes in temperature (such as going from a heated room into a cold hall) and makes it a better choice of heating than a gas or electric fire just warming one room.

Open fires

Open fires, or wood-burning stoves, can make asthma symptoms worse for some people. Burning wood gives off fine particles and breathing them in can make the airways inflamed. If you have a wood or coal fire make sure any flues are in good condition and working well, and the chimney is swept regularly, so that the smoke can escape.

Whatever kind of heating you’re using - be aware of any new asthma symptoms when you first start using it as the weather changes. You might want to book an asthma review with your GP or asthma nurse if you know there is going to be a weather change so you can be prepared. Ask your GP or asthma nurse about increasing your medicines for a time, or keeping your home well ventilated, by opening windows. Good ventilation can cut the risk of your asthma being triggered by smoke. It can also reduce the humidity that can result in dust mite levels increasing when the heating goes on.

Carpets

A chemical called formaldehyde is sometimes used in the manufacture of some carpets. This chemical is a type of volatile organic compound (VOC), which means it becomes a gas at room temperature. It can irritate the airways and in some people may trigger asthma symptoms. New carpets may release formaldehyde gas, although old ones don’t. You can reduce your exposure by:

• Asking the shop to unroll a new carpet and air it before you bring it home.
• Keeping the room well aired when it is put down. The amount of formaldehyde gas given off will reduce within two or three days.
• Considering finding carpets made without using formaldehyde as part of the manufacturing process – they do exist.
• Avoiding carpets with a natural latex foam underlay if you’re allergic to latex. Most modern carpets are made with synthetic latex, which shouldn’t cause any problems.

When you’re moving house it’s a good idea to check with previous owners if they had a pet. If pets trigger your asthma you might want to get the carpets in your new home professionally cleaned before moving in.

Furnishings


New furniture, bedding, flooring and shelving can trigger asthma symptoms in some people, research has shown. This is because these products can contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is classed as a volatile organic compound (VOC), which means it becomes a gas at room temperature. This gas can irritate the airways. Some people also tell us the smell of new sofas and soft furnishings triggers their asthma.

• Formaldehyde is most often found in furniture made from MDF or chipboard, so if you think this is a problem for you, you could investigate alternative materials such as wood. 
• You could buy second-hand furniture instead – after a few years, products stop giving off formaldehyde. 
• Synthetic bedding can also contain formaldehyde. Washing bedding before you use it can help remove chemicals. Or you could look for alternatives such as feather bedding, as research shows this is less likely to trigger asthma attacks.
• Try airing any new furniture before bringing it into the house, and keep windows open until the smell settles down.

Cleaning

A lot of the cleaning products we use every day contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some research shows VOCs can irritate the airways and trigger asthma. They are found in furniture polish, air fresheners, carpet cleaners, oven cleaners and in the chemicals used in dry cleaning. Sprays can be more likely to trigger asthma than solid or liquid cleaning products, because you end up inhaling the chemicals. Some people also tell us the smell of cleaning products and air fresheners can trigger their asthma. Professional cleaners and others who use a lot of cleaning products all the time are at more risk of developing asthma.

These steps may help:

• Avoid spray cleaners
. It’s better to use solid or liquid cleaning stuffs, rather than sprays, as sprays get into the air and can be inhaled more easily and get further down into the airways, causing irritation. If you can, use as little of the product as possible, and open windows when you’re cleaning for good ventilation. Even using spray cleaning products now and again can trigger asthma.
• Avoid scented products
. If you think the smell of cleaning products triggers asthma symptoms, go for unscented products. 
• Consider other cleaning methods. 
The best way to avoid exposure to the chemicals found in cleaning products is to avoid using them. Use a damp cloth for cleaning instead whenever possible and look for products which are labelled allergy friendly, as these have lower levels of VOCs and are usually fragrance-free. 

Decorating

The products used in decorating and DIY contain certain VOCs, which research shows can irritate the airways. And some people tell us the smells from paints and other decorating products can trigger their asthma. Try these steps:

• Look for paints low in VOCs
. There are now lots available at big DIY stores and paints are clearly labelled with their VOC levels. Low-odour, water-based gloss paints might also be slightly better for some people with asthma. 
• Always keep windows open when you’re decorating.

Building work and repairs

There’s a link between poor housing and asthma so it’s important to make sure problems like damp, mould and poor ventilation are sorted out as soon as possible. If you have work done in your home, make sure you’re not putting your asthma at greater risk.

• Be aware the the chemicals used when treating a house for woodworm or damp and dry rot may irritate the airways and trigger an asthma attack. Keeping windows open may help. Or, if you find your symptoms are getting worse, you could stay somewhere else while the work is being done. 
• Cavity wall insulation keeps a home warm and free from damp but before having it put in make sure you check the materials are going to be used. Some insulation materials give off gases which can trigger asthma. For example, foam insulation can release formaldehyde, which can irritate your lungs. 
• If you’ve got any building work planned in your home there’s likely to be more dust and fumes about. Ask your GP or asthma nurse if you should take more asthma medicines while the work is going on. If you can stay with friends or family while the work is being carried out that would help your asthma even more.

Other steps that may help

People with asthma have told us they’ve tried these tips for helping to reduce their risk of having an asthma attack due to triggers in the home:

Air filters and purifiers

Air filters and purifiers clean the air and can reduce the number of asthma triggers such as pet dander (flakes of skin), mould spores, dust and tobacco smoke particles. Some people tell us having an air filter or air purifier helps them with their asthma symptoms. However more research is needed to prove this. Most studies suggest that they do improve symptoms, but only if used alongside other methods. They can’t remove all allergens and even a few left behind can trigger asthma symptoms.

If you’re thinking of using an air filter or purifier you need to:

1. Check what type of allergens it captures
2. Check that the air purifier is ozone-free. Some purifiers give out low levels of ozone which can make asthma symptoms worse
3. Clean and replace all filters when necessary

Humidifiers and de-humidifiers

Some people with asthma tell us that humidifiers and dehumidifiers help with their asthma symptoms, but once again only if used alongside other methods. There isn’t much research evidence about how effective they are.

Good ventilation

Keeping your home well ventilated by opening windows or using extractor fans reduces humidity. Less humidity means fewer house dust mites and mould spores. Good ventilation also helps get rid of gases produced by heating and cooking.

Opening a window is better than using a fan, or extractor fan. Fans or extractor fans need to put in the right place so they don’t just blow allergens around the room.