Asthma triggers affects nearly 25 million people in the U.S

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is commemorating World Asthma Day by bringing awareness to a growing nationwide problem. Asthma has consistently increased over the past decade with more than 4 million additional cases reported, including nearly 1 million additional cases reported in children. One out of every 10 school aged children is affected and approximately 13 million people have reported having an asthma attack in the past year. EPA is taking action to ensure cleaner air and a healthier environment for children and families dealing with asthma.

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for millions of Americans. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers. EPA is committed to educating all Americans about asthma so that everyone knows what asthma is, how the environment can affect asthma patients and how to manage environmental asthma triggers.

"All Americans should be able to breathe easy whether they’re at home, at work or on the playground," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. "Yet too many of our children and family members suffer from asthma, resulting in doctor and hospital visits, lost learning time, more sick days and higher health care costs. It's our mission at EPA to protect the health of our communities by putting Clean Air Act safeguards in place to reduce levels of harmful pollutants in the air we all breathe. "

Asthma Triggers:

Learn more about factors found in the indoor and outdoor environment that can cause, trigger, or exacerbate asthma symptoms and what you can do to reduce their impact. You might be surprised by the list of common environmental asthma triggers (see below) and how simple it can be to eliminate or reduce them from your environment.

Some of the most common indoor asthma triggers include secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, household pets, and combustion byproducts. Click on the links below to learn more about these triggers and how to reduce your exposure to them.

• Dust Mites are too small to be seen, but can be found in almost every home in mattresses and bedding materials, carpets, upholstered furniture, stuffed toys and curtains.
• Mold can grow indoors when mold spores land on wet or damp surfaces. In the home, mold is most commonly found in the bathroom, kitchen and basement.
• Cockroaches and other Pests body parts, secretions and droppings, and the urine, droppings and saliva of pests, such as rodents, are often found in areas where food and water are present.
• Warm-Blooded Pets (such as cats and dogs) skin flakes, urine and saliva can be found in homes where pets are allowed inside.
• Secondhand Smoke is a mixture of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled by the smoker that is often found in homes and cars where smoking is allowed.

The good news is that evaluating and understanding these indoor allergens has never been easier.  The indoor environmental professional Building Scientists’ at Pure Air Control Services, have serviced over 600M sq ft of building environments over the past 25 years in over 10,000 facilities worldwide and are available to inspect, test, evaluate and provide professional, practical IAQ solutions to help create a better indoor environment whether at home or at work. You can contact a Building Scientists at 1-800-422-7873 ext 802 to discuss your next IAQ project.

If you are the do-it-yourselfer the IAQ Screen Check DIY test kits are available at www.indoorairtest.com, Grainger, Sears or other online retail outlets or call 1-800-422-7873 ext 804 and ask for Cy garner.

As part of Asthma Awareness Month, the scientists at Pure Air Control Services are offering a 10% discount on their personalized indoor air quality evaluations or DIY test kits.  Call toll free at 1-800-422-7873 and ask for the Asthma Awareness Month 10% discount special.

About Pure Air Control Services:

Founded in 1984 by Alan Wozniak, President/CEO in what began as a small mechanical contracting business has grown into an award winning, industry leading indoor air quality (IAQ) service company serving many fortune 500 corporations, school boards, county, city, state and federal governments and consumers across the US.  The firm has serviced over 600 million square feet of indoor environments in over 10,000 facilities. 

Pure Air’s nationally performed services include: Building Sciences Evaluation; Building Health Check; an AIHA accredited Environmental Microbiology Laboratory; Environmental Project Management; and Duct Cleaning & Mold Remediation Services, among other indoor environmental services. The company’s expanding client roster includes the General Services Administration (GSA); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Allstate Insurance; Carrier Air Conditioning; Naval Air Warfare Center, Orlando; and Naval Air Station - King's Bay, Georgia, and many other Fortune 500 companies, school boards, and city, state, and county governments, making Pure Air a reliable industry leader.

For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.pureaircontrols.com or contact Dr. Rajiv Sahay or Alan Wozniak at 1-800-422-PURE (7873) ext 301 or 802.