When you discover your child has allergies, your allergist will likely provide you with a plan for helping treat them. This might include a daily medicine regimen or regular shots. It can also include taking steps to allergy-proof your home. Here are some styles you can take to make your home a more allergy-friendly place for your child.
Reduce Fabric Surfaces
While you can't get rid of all upholstery and fabrics in your home, reducing the amount of surfaces that can collect dust and other small particles can be a big help. This may mean reducing your child's collection of stuffed animals, removing carpeting in favor of wood or tile floors, and even switching from drapes to blinds. You can supplement the loss of these items by adding other accessories to the room, such as wipe-clean bean bag chairs, to keep a soft touch in the room.
Use Air Filtering Technology
There are many different products on the market you can use to remove allergens from the air. Air purifiers feature powerful filters that can remove dust, pollen, and allergens from the air. You can also invest in a vacuum cleaner with these same types of filters. They work to prevent dust and allergens from escaping back into the air as you clean carpets and bare floors. If you keep the windows open in the summer, be sure to make air filtration part of your allergy plan, as even small particles can enter the home through screen windows and doors.
Limit Pet Space
Children can have a hard time reconciling allergies to pets with their love of the family dog or cat. However, there may be ways to coexist if you limit the space the animals have access to. Consider creating a dedicate space for your pets to play and sleep in. This might mean letting them stay in the kitchen and dining room where there are tile floors that might be more easy to clean, or it might mean setting up a cozy animal corner in the basement.
Talk to your child's allergist about how to approach life with pets. In some cases, your allergist may recommend weekly allergy shots and preventing pets from entering your child's room and bed. The approach you take will likely depend on the severity of your child's allergies. Remember that you should also regularly bathe and groom your pets to reduce the amount of dander your child might be exposed to.
Share3 January 2019
As a child, I used to spend my days roaming through the woods. I climbed trees, smelled the flowers, and laid in the grass looking at the clouds. My love for nature continued through my teen years, but when I turned 23, I began to sneeze whenever I left my home. I could no longer enjoy my outdoor hikes and I started taking antihistamines so I could at least open my windows on warm days. My allergies got worse though and I met with an allergist who completed a variety of skin tests. I started receiving allergy shots and my allergist taught me about natural cleaning processes and sinus rinses. The injections and natural treatments improved my quality of life greatly. Even if you do not want to start allergy injections, you have a variety of options that can lessen your symptoms, and you should learn what these options are.
