How to Reduce Allergens and Asthma-Proof Your Home

Allergies are very common in the UK and affect as many as 1 in 4 people at some point in their lives*. Reducing the number of allergens in your home can help reduce allergic symptoms and manage breathing difficulties such as asthma.

* NHS

What is an allergy?

Allergies are immune system responses to substances such as pollen, dust mites, pet hair, foods, mould, insect bites, chemicals and medicines. Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, itchy skin and eye irritations.

Allergies and asthma often occur together, as the same allergens that trigger allergy symptoms often also trigger asthma.

If you have little ones with asthma or if you suffer from it yourself, there are several ways you can prevent flare-ups and asthma attacks by being vigilant around the home.

What is asthma?

Asthma is all to do with the tubes inside your lungs called bronchi, whose job is to carry air in and out. When you have asthma, these become inflamed and hyper-sensitive when exposed to certain irritants.

These irritants or 'triggers' cause the airways to narrow, an increase in phlegm and the surrounding muscles to contract. This leads to wheezing, chest-tightening, coughing and shortness of breath, or in extreme cases, an asthma attack.

There are 5.4 million people in the UK suffering from asthma each year – including 1.1 million children.* This time of year is worse for asthma sufferers as the extreme heat and a high pollen-count can aggravate symptoms.

* Asthma UK Asthma statistics

Common household allergy and asthma triggers

According to Allergy UK, indoor pollution can be considerably higher than outdoor levels. The main allergens include pet hair, mould, dust, strong odours and cigarette smoke. Read on to find out how you can reduce these in your home.