It’s a good time of year for everyone—those with and without allergies or asthma—to take a look at the air contaminants coming from their own home and get rid of them. If you have allergies or asthma, you probably have a deep sense of the benefit of fighting back dust and other triggers. Otherwise, noticing the difference comes down to either close attention to your airways, or close attention to other markers like energy, sleep quality, and more.
Before going over the staples of fall triggers, here’s something new to add to the list: Vitamin D. A new study has linked lack of Vitamin D with asthma attacks in mild and moderate sufferers. A Vitamin D supplement taken with regular asthma medication cut hospital/ER visits for attacks in half. While researchers aren’t sure exactly why, whatever Vitamin D is doing for the respiratory system and immune response is clearly pretty important!
So with the days getting shorter, make sure that you’re either finding time each day to be in the sun (so you can make your own Vitamin D) or taking a Vitamin D supplement (Vita One is a high-quality multivitamin that will get you the Vitamin D you need and more). Here’s a little bonus tip: get that sunlight first thing in the morning, and it will help wake you up and keep your circadian rhythm stable, even as the days get shorter.
Once you’ve topped up your Vitamin D, make sure to tackle these other respiratory triggers:
-Keep your yard clear of rotting debris, from fallen leaves to withering flowers and other brick-a-brack. If you have a summer harvest to store, make sure to do it properly, and to check it regularly so it doesn’t start decomposing and poisoning your home (and that’s actually an understatement: we grow immune to the smells of our homes, and some vegetables can put off gases that are quite toxic).
-Running a humidifier is a great way to help slow flu transmission within your own home or office, just make sure you’re following the directions for keeping it clean! Most humidifiers need both daily and weekly care (usually a wipe and a more thorough cleaning). Check the instructions to find out if you’re doing the job right (or google them!).
-Nebulize correctly. If you need to nebulize for extra lung support, always use bottled purified water. While boiling and cooling does a good enough job for a sinus rinse or flood, it’s not pure enough for your lungs. If you don’t want to bother with the risk of water (some bottled waters are just local tap water made portable, you need to read labels and check for purification!) then choose colloidal silver, which offers extra immune support to boot!
-Clear air allergens in the home, which can be worse that outside and aggravate lung conditions. Most people can change their own filters, check the batteries in their radon and carbon monoxide detectors, and keep dust wiped up. If you have severe symptoms, it’s worth a couple hundred bucks to have someone come clean your vents.
What triggers did I miss? List them in the comments!
