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Cleaning
Ducts
In brief:
according to recent research that we have read, cleaning ducts in
a house may not be as effective in protection against dust mites
as previously thought. Cleaning duct-work does help in reducing
dust from being blown around the house but an examination of the
ingredients of duct work revealed that it contained only a microscopic
amount of dust
mite allergen compared to the amount of allergen found in bedding,
upholstery and carpets. So the moral of the story is to concentrate
on reducing the dust
mite allergen in places other than your ductwork.
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Ocular
Allergies
by Lawrence
Schwartz, MD. Board certified In Ophthalmology.
Did you realize
that many of the eye irritations you experience are allergic in
nature? Here Dr Lawrence Schwartz unravels the mysteries of eye
allergies and gives some recommendations for treatment based on
his patients he sees in his practice in Los Angeles.
Q. What exactly are eye allergies?
A. The eye and eyelid are a very common site for allergic
reactions. About 50 % of conjunctivitis (inflammation of the whites
of the eye) seen by primary physicians is allergic in nature. The
eyelid is connected directly to the covering of the white of the
eye called the conjunctiva. Because the skin of the eyelid is so
thin (because it has to stretch) it is especially prone to minimal
irritants, such as cosmetics or even detergents used on pillowcases.
Allergic eye conditions may be significantly under diagnosed. The
symptoms may persist long after the allergic exposure.
Q. When do allergic eye symptoms occur?
A. Allergic eye symptoms may be seasonal, usually in the
late spring or fall when pollen counts are the highest. This is
called Vernal Conjunctivitis (vernal for summer). This is common
in persons with allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema or hay fever.
Up to 80% of hay fever patients may have allergic eye conditions.
Ocular allergy comes when histamine is released from mast cells.
Pollen and dust come in contact with the mast cells of the conjunctiva
producing what is called a type one hypersensitivity reaction with
release of histamine and other mediators leading to inflammation.
The symptoms include burning, itching, watery discharge that is
often thick and is accompanied by nasal discharge and other allergic
symptoms.
Q. What causes allergy of the eye? Are there different
types?
A . There are many causes and types of ocular allergies.
Eczema refers to an allergic eyelid inflammation, with redness,
vesicles, crusts, oozing, scales, and itching of the lids. Psoriasis
and seborrhea dermatitis are related conditions. Allergic lid edema
may be part of a systemic allergic reaction to drugs, bacteria or
parasites, food such as shellfish, or generalized urticaria or angioneurotic
edema. Many patients give a history of eating shrimp and then the
eyes swell. Insect bite, ultra violet exposure or sunlamp, contact
with irritants can lead to severe eyelid swelling. Because of the
thinness and laxity of the skin of the lids, this swelling may be
more extreme than in other parts of the body, but is usually benign
and will respond to appropriate treatment. Contact Dermatoconjuncticviatis
involves the conjunctiva and the surrounding skin. It is often secondary
to eyedrops or cosmetics. Neomycin-containing preparations are the
most commonly implicated ophthalmic antibiotics. Atropine, local
anesthetics, and some glaucoma medications, including alphagan,
Iopidine, and Trusopt are occasional offenders. Various sprays,
colognes, clothing, jewelry, metals, and plastics, as well as soaps
and detergents mat also be offending antigens, and can be eliminated
after careful detective work. There is usually no family allergic
history. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid margins, often
from a combination of an infectious agent (bacterial, viral or fungal)
and an allergic reaction to the organism or it's protein deposits.
Stapylococcus aureus or epidermidis are the most frequently involved
bacteria. The lid margins may be scaly and red with dandruff or
crusts on the lashes, Burning, itching, tearing, and light sensitivity
are common symptoms. This is a common condition that can be controlled
with local treatment, but usually not cured, and requires daily
treatment including washing and rinsing. Vernal conjunctivitis usually
occurs in children and is most common in warm weather. It is often
in both eyes and may be recurrent. It is characterized by severe
itching, and a thick mucous discharge, which contains many allergic
cells, called eosinophils. Large papillae may form on the conjunctiva
under the upper lid and white dots or spots may form on the cornea.
Vernal ulcers may be present on the upper part of the cornea. This
comes with the summer weather. Contact lens conjunctivitis is known
as Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC) and is quite common. It
is believed due to an allergic reaction to either the contact lens,
protein deposits on the lens, or sometimes, the preservative in
the contact lens solution. It is characterized by increased mucous
discharge in the morning, burning and itching, slight blurring of
vision after a few hours wearing time, and progressively increasing
lens intolerance. It is more common in hard contact lens wearers
and least common in those with disposable lenses, especially the
one-day or one week types. Sleeping in contacts greatly increases
the risks of developing GPC.
Q. How are allergies for the eyes treated?
A. Although the etiology may vary, the treatment for ocular
allergic problems is the same. The first goal is prevention, as
allergies are often chronic. The second goal is relief of the major
symptom of itching, and the third is the cosmetic relief of the
red eye. First and foremost are appropriate behavioral modifications
when appropriate. Ocular hygiene is also very important. Avoidance
of exposure to offending allergens is critical. This may involve
avoiding pets if sensitive to animal dander, staying inside when
the pollen count is high, eliminating rugs or drapery from the bedroom,
frequent vacuuming or the use of special electrostatic air cleaners.
Offending foods, clothing, makeup, detergents, sprays, or medications
should be avoided. Hands should be washed frequently, and care should
be taken to avoid touching the eyes. Dust proofing the bedroom may
be needed. Drive only with windows closed. Close bedroom window
because plants pollinate at 5 AM. Patients with GPC may have to
temporarily discontinue their contact lens wear, change their type
of lens or lens solution, reduce their wearing time, or switch to
a daily disposable contact lens for occasional use. The giant papillae
under the lid may persist for months despite these measures. Ocular
medications, such as Cromolyn or Alomide, which prevent degranulation
of the mast cells, preventing histamine release, are often used
in this condition, sometimes for several months. These medications
should not be used while contact lenses are worn. Cold compresses
may be useful in providing initial symptomatic relief, as are artificial
tears, readily available over the counter (OTC) to dilute the allergens.
Patients often try OTC drops first to relieve their symptoms of
red, itchy eyes. While these may be effective, they don't get to
the underlying inflammatory process. The relief is often temporary,
and there may be a rebound effect, with further release of histamine
from the mast cell with continued redness and itching. The OTC drops
are often a combination of vasoconstrictors and anti-histamines,
and include drugs such as Vasicon A, Naphccon-A, AlbalonA and Ak-Con-A.
More effective prescription medications include mast cell stabilizers,
such as Alomide and Crolon which are helpful in GPC and seasonal
allergic conjunctivitis, and Livostin, which is a potent anti-histamine.
Alomide is a non-steroidial anti-inflammatory (NSAID) which stabilizes
the mast cell and serving as a histamine antagonist. It is used
two to three times daily and provides up to eight hours of relief.
All of these drops may cause burning and stinging upon installation.
Allergic eye conditions that are unresponsive to the above or are
part of a systemic condition may require topical or even systemic
steriods. HMS, FML, and Vexol are lower strength steroids that have
been used, but caution must be taken because of potential long term
steroid side effects, including elevated introcular pressure and
cataracts. Alrex is a new short-acting steroid with fewer side effects
and shows great promise in allergic eye disease. In summary, try
to discover what is causing you eye allergy and then avoid it as
you would for any allergy product. It may take considerable trial
to find the mascara preparation that agrees with you. But it doesn't
mean that the more it costs the better. Often it is the reverse.
Immediately use cold compresses for itching and swelling.
Lawrence J
Schwartz, MD
Board Certified in Ophthalmology
Staff Cedars Sinai Hospital
8635 W. 3rd St. Suite 390W
Los Angeles, Ca 90048
310-652-1133
e-mail drschwartz@foreyesight.com
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Central
Vacuuming System or Miele Vacuum Cleaner?
By Mercia Tapping, President, AllergyBuyersClub.com
A question was
asked recently about whether to buy a central
Vacuum System or a Miele
vacuum cleaner, a brand that we rate highly. I will share with
you my reply. I happen to personally own both a central vacuum and
a Miele - so am probably in a unique position to tell you the pros
and cons of both. The advantages of a central system are that if
you own your own house, the dust can be exhausted to the outside
- so nothing can be cleaner than that.
If you live
in a condo as I do, with a condo association which does not allow
outside exhausts, the dirt collects in a giant collection bag in
a container in the basement and needs replacing every few months.
It is a little dusty when you replace the bags but nothing too much
to grumble about considering how infrequently you do have to do
this. One very long hose goes about 30 feet or so .It is a very
quiet method of vacuuming as all the noise goes in the basement.
One thing I
didn't know until recently is that central vacuum systems do not
have to be built into a house right from the start. In fact, it
is very easy to retrofit them. Eureka
swear that their central
vacuum kit can be installed by someone handy in half a day.
If my husband installed it, it would be longer. If you buy the kit
on the web and you have someone else install it for you, factor
in the labor cost. The big minus of our central system as far as
I was concerned was I had to buy an apron with big pockets and load
it up with the hand tools. So guess what, the tools stayed in the
closet - and if you really want to get your place dust free- and
in my case, cat hair and dander free - using those tools are imperative.
I also found
wrestling with yards of hose somewhat awkward, although I have to
say my system is 10 years old and I intend to replace the hose sometime
as now hoses are much lighter and easier to manipulate. And, remember
-for total particulate free vacuuming, central vacuuming is the
best way overall for allergy sufferers. It is a bit more expensive
but not as much as you would think. In the meantime, I personally
bought a Miele
- the "Red Star", but if you have little carpet or no pets,
The Miele
"White Star" is easier to use, cheaper and will do
you fine. Make sure you get a Miele with a hepa filter as not all
Mieles come with one [carbon instead] although the carbon filter
can be replaced with hepa in most instances- but it is an extra
cost.
The advantage
of the Miele is that it is that it is light, easy to move around
and the tools are on board. I use the tools for everything- dusting
bookshelves, lights in the bathroom pleated lampshades etc . Although
the Miele consistently scores top or near top in any testing of
particulate emissions- I was a little concerned before I bought
one for my own personal use that it was not spewing dust particulates
all over the place[ the trouble with most vacuums].
So, when I was
doing some informal testing, I held a particulate counter right
next to the exhaust. Interestingly enough, although there was some
stirring up of particulates in the area right next to the exhaust,
it really was microscopic and returned to normal in 4 to 6 seconds.
I also held the counter up at head height and there was no change
in readings what so ever.
Since, I decided
that I was not going to be pressing my nose against the exhaust
in everyday usage, I felt I was not going to give up much by using
it instead of my central system. You do have to change the vacuum
cleaner bag more often in the Mieles[same with any regular vacuum]
as opposed to a central system and you do need to replace hepa filters
at least once a year[more is better]- so there is some ongoing replacement
costs with any regular hepa vacuum system. I am very happy with
the Miele but I have found out recently that I can buy a hose and
power brush from another company and retrofit it to my central system-
still going strong after 13 years.
So I will probably
do that sometime. Not out of dissatisfaction with Miele, which I
truly think is an excellent machine but professional curiosity and
somehow feeling as an allergy sufferer I SHOULD be using the central
system.
If you prefer to order online - the internet equivalent is the Red
Star with the HEPA filter sold in our store.
The Eureka
Central Vacuum may be purchased in our store.
Top
Choosing
the Best Air Cleaner
By Mercia Tapping, President, AllergyBuyersClub.com
We received
a question recently about how to choose the best
air purifier. This is a complex topic to which I will try and
give you some simplified information on a complex topic and then
make some brief comments about specific brands. Ionization - it
does have some air cleaning effects but ionizers work slowly and
rely on the natural air currents/flow of your house.
If you have
an air tight house an ionizer is best used in the presence of a
fan. Ionizers drive particulates to stick to surfaces known as the
"black wall effect". The big plus of ionizers is they are silent
and cheap to maintain. Personally, I think the added benefit of
ionization is best used in what we call combination machines which
also have collection plates to avoid the black wall effect. Hepa
filters - very efficient but tend to be noisy as they have big fans,
degrade over time and most machines do not tell you when the hepa
filter needs replacing. I bet most people with hepa filters have
ones, which are almost useless, because the filter needs replacing
and they do not know it. How often does it need replacing? - Well
as they say, that all depends as to whether you have it running
a few hours at night in pollen season in your bedroom or run it
all day and night.
My other pet
peeve is most of these filters don't tell you when you have perfectly
clean air and don't need to continue to run the filter. This is
clearly a waste of electricity and wears the filter out earlier.
Smart sensors, telling you when to change filters, do not come with
most machines.
The other thing
about hepa
filters is you should make sure the filter is true
hepa - there are many cheaper- hepa -like filters which are
cheaper [better than nothing] but are not so effective and the question
answered here was about "best". The other thing to look for in hepa
machines is the CFM rating. A higher number means more air changes
per hour or ie the machine covers a bigger area. In other words,400
CFM is a more powerful machine than one rated at 250 CFM.
What difference
does that make you ask? Well, vendors routinely overstate the effective
cleaning area of a machine because the area is calibrated at the
machine's high fan speed. Now, try to sleep with that fan on high-
it sounds like a train going through your bedroom. Reality is you
need 4 air changes per hour for health reasons, and low fan speed
is the only level comfortable for sleep. So you need a pretty powerful
machine to accomplish that objective, more in the 350 to 400 CFM
range.
We have not
done formal long term testing of the ultra violet machines but the
lab testing data we have on some of these newer machines looks very
compelling. We have also tested electrostatic machines and they
are not so efficient, but much quieter, cheaper to maintain as you
just put the collection plate into the dishwasher .We would add
the proviso that disassembling and reassembling the machine is simple
for the mechanically oriented and a bit daunting if you are not.
Some quick notes
on brands- Alpine- just please no, no, no. Overpriced with lawsuits
still out standing for false advertising. Austin,
Care,
and Blueair
probably are your best bets. Bemis,
Hunter,
Electrocorp,
Friedrich,
and Lakeair
as runners up. To my mind, there is no perfectly designed air filter
YET. There are filters that do the job. I don't have the space here
to give you the pros and cons of each of these machines but I hope
this helps. BTW we use the Austin
Healthmate in our own bedroom- it is quiet- or relatively
speaking.
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Just
a note of caution
There are many
vendors on the Internet offering products as miracle cures for allergy
sufferers. What we have found is they "bend" the truth about
the effectiveness of their products. What we try and do is give
you the pros and cons before you buy a product so that you make
an educated purchasing decision. In doing so, maybe we can help
you avoid the closet full of useless products that we have tried
and discarded along the way. One thing to always get clear about
is how easy or difficult is it to maintain these machines
- change and wash filters and the like. We have found that machines
not only differ in ease of use but ease of maintenance - and a poorly
maintained machine is like a car without gas - it is not going to
get you very far.
Top
Product
review: Eureka Deluxe Enviro Steamer
When Eureka
came out with the deluxe version of their Enviro
Steamer we decided to give it another trial and put it out
for panel review. This time it was in the middle of winter and we
chose three problem areas to put the Enviro-steamer through its
paces. A furnace room with a vinyl floor, a bathroom with a tile
floor, a room with a vinyl floor primarily used to house a cat litter
box. All these areas had not been cleaned, their shame-faced owners
admitted in "nearly a year". We also threw in a kitchen tile floor
that was similarly filthy, [yes let's be frank here]. So we reckoned
these were a fitting challenge for the Enviro-steamer.
Pluses
Having been somewhat half hearted in our review last year of the
standard Enviro-steamer,
we were pleasantly surprised with this one. The improvements in
the deluxe version were sorely needed but Eureka did come up with
solutions.
This machine
can be assembled fast and quickly without even referring to the
manual. It heats up fast and the new side clips hold the waffle
cloth firmly in place. Thoughtfully, Eureka
provides a replacement cloth with every kit, and the cloths are
sturdy and will last a while.
The new "ready"
and "empty" warning lights are just plain good common sense and
the machine while only lasting 15 minutes before needing a refill,
nevertheless cools down quickly and refilling seemed painless and
fast.
So how did the Enviro-steamer
rise to the challenge? Well it certainly cut through a tremendous
amount of ground in dirt quickly and painlessly in all four rooms.
Using vapor steam, a boon for those with chemical sensitivities,
the machine lifted up more dirt than we care to mention. The waffle
cloth absorbed a tremendous amount before it needed washing and
replacing.
Minuses
We were tackling the grimiest of jobs. However, we found that when
the waffle cloth got full of dirt, it was inconvenient, compared
to a squeeze mop and a bucket of hot water, to wash the cloth and
put back a clean one. This wouldn't be an issue with most normally
dirty floors but our cloth needed to be replaced several times,
otherwise we were just pushing around dirty water. You have to really
go to a sink to rinse out the cloth and you need to turn off the
machine as you take the cloth off, and then start it up again on
return. We thought later that it might have been more convenient
to take a bucket of clean water along with us to rinse out the cloths,
but we were trying to avoid that extra step.
The steam in
the machine also can take the shine off some vinyl floors, [there
is a warning about this in the manual] and it did in fact reduce
the shine a little on one of our floors.
Summary
We liked it. We can see that it could become a favorite household-cleaning
tool, since floor cleaning with it is virtually effortless and it
is the ultimate in hygiene. We feel it is best suited to tile floors.
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Blankets
We are presently
investigating a number of new technologies and products and we hope
to be able to give you a report by next month. However, we have
posted recently a great number of new products in our online store.
You should take a visit soon.
In particular, we are in love with the all cotton hand-loomed blankets
produced for us. They are soft, substantial and the patterns are
gorgeous. Usually we find things to grumble about in any product,
even those we give a five star rating. In this case, we think the
weaver has produced a superb product. There is nothing else to add.
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Pillows for those with allergies, HEPA Vacuum Cleaners, Air Purifiers - Allergy Consumer Review - Issue #4
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