XMICROBE™ at Home

Did you know that your home harbors some pretty nasty germs and other surface and airborne contaminates?  Constant exposure to harmful bacteria and other microbes could you leave vulnerable to illness and infections.  Reduce your risk and take control of your indoor environment with XMICROBE™.

Here’s where you can start:

In the kitchen, keep counters, cabinets, walls, sinks and drains, light switches, and a multitude of other surfaces free of harmful bacteria.

In bedrooms, prevent bacteria, mold and allergy and asthma triggers from accumulating on your sheets, pillow cases, blankets, and window shades.

Use XMICROBE™ to prevent harmful bacteria and mold in your bathroom by applying it to your bathtub, toilet, sink, drains, and walls.

The places you can use XMICROBE™ are endless!

Do You Have Problems Keeping Your Watercraft Free From Odor, Pests, Bacteria, Mold and Mildew?

 

For most people, boat cleanliness and maintenance is a huge problem. Boats are constantly exposed to water and other elements and are made with materials such as wood, carpeting, cushions, etc. These factors provide excellent food for mold growth and mildew. Even on boats that are operated in cold environments, parts of the hull become much colder than the warm, humid air you are comfortable with when on-board heating systems are used. This causes the warm, humid air from your breathing, cooking and dish washing to condense onto the cooler surfaces, essentially “watering” a mold colony like you would water a lawn or garden.

In addition to mold and mildew aboard your vessel, unwanted pests such as mice, rats and cockroaches may be using your boat as a temporary home for themselves, as they can feed off of organic matter on surfaces.  Once these pests have invaded your boat, their feces, urine and saliva can leave behind unsightly odors, stains or harmful bacteria that can be detrimental to you and your passenger’s health.

Some surfaces are designed to resist mold. Unfortunately, those surfaces are not manufactured to withstand the effects of accumulated sunscreen, dirt, residual soap and water. Wherever there is water, there is usually mold as well. And wherever there is organic residue, there is microbial growth. Even if you cover your boat’s seats, moisture can still penetrate them causing unsightly mold growth and stains that can be difficult to remove. Proper cleaning and care of your boat will pay off in the long run. Not only will you create a safe environment for your passengers, you will also ensure your boat is showroom ready if you decide to sell it. What’s more, it will cut down on expensive resurfacing jobs and help preserve the integrity of your boat for years to come.

The Solution?

The solution is to take a different approach to managing the environment throughout your watercraft and marina.

The first step in putting your company ahead of the competition and protecting your watercraft from bacteria, mold and mildew is to become an IASQ™ Certified Professional! With our one-of-a-kind Indoor Air and Surface Quality™ training, you can become knowledgeable in the IASQ™ Industry and offer Healthier Environments to promote safer, cleaner air and surfaces to your existing and future customers, as well as stay ahead of the competition by having access to the IASQ™ Certification Course 24/7! From here, you will have the knowledge and training you need to better manage your indoor environments by using unique antimicrobial technologies and cleaning techniques.

So What’s Next?

You see, protecting your watercraft from bacteria, mold and mildew is easier than ever with XMICROBE™ unique antimicrobial technology. Our XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial offers an antimicrobial protection that works every minute of every day with just one simple application and it’s affordable and long-lasting. XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial creates a durable bond to the surfaces of your watercraft preventing further growth, spreading of bacteria and hard to remove stains.  Protect your customers and employees and ease your mind as XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works to control Microbial growth.

If you’re wondering how the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial works, take a look!

Click Here for Animation!

XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial is an EPA registered revolutionary product. And it prevents the growth of an amazingly wide array of bacteria, mold, mildew, algae and yeast by acting like a bed of microscopic spikes that pierce and physically rupture the cell walls of microbes without the use of poisons. Since XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial’s methodology is mechanical instead of poisons, it does not create “Superbugs,” which are microbes that build up a resistance to treatment, and since each microscopic spike is only about 1000 the diameter of a human hair, they are too small to harm large cells in mammals. This is a totally new approach to providing long-lasting antimicrobial protection. What makes the XMICROBE™ Antimicrobial unique is its ability to create a strong bond with a multitude of surfaces (porous and nonporous), forming highly durable and protective coating.

Here’s the bottom line…

If you want a cleaner, healthier watercraft for your clients, employees, and yourself without relying on ineffective harsh toxic chemicals to keep the place clean, then you should look into XMICROBE™. Give us a call today at 888-558-5254 and take the first step towards a Healthier Environment!

How to Stop Allergies at Home

Health.com -

Stop your sneezing
Your home harbors a surprising number of sneaky allergy-causing culprits. Here’s where they’re hiding, and how to send them packing.

Clutter gathers dust
A messy home = nice digs for dust mites, bugs, mold, and mice. Recycle old newspapers, magazines, cans, and grocery bags weekly—and keep the bins outside if you can.

Carpet harbors dust mites
Dust mites and pet dander love carpeting and rugs, so bust out your vac weekly. Make sure it has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to trap tiny particles. (Non-HEPA vacs just recirculate ’em.)

Bedding
Banish mites and mold by washing bedding in 130-degree water weekly.

Bathroom
Moist bathroom or basement walls love to breed mold. In the fall, mold also moves indoors via wet leaves on shoes and damp firewood. Store wood in a separate dry space, like the garage, and keep the yard leaf-free.

Crumbs in the Kitchen
Crumbs and overflowing garbage lure mice and roaches—and their droppings can aggravate allergies. Keep your space clean.

Open windows bring outdoor allergies in
Refreshing fall breezes are great—unless they usher ragweed pollen indoors. Keep windows shut between the high-pollen-count hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (If it’s warm, keep the air conditioner running; it filters out pollen inside your home.) Change the AC (or heater) filter monthly. And remove shoes outside to avoid tracking in pollen particles.

Houseplants can hold mold
Your potted plants can harbor sneeze-producing mold on their leaves. Remove any moldy leaves immediately, and don’t let water pool in the pot’s tray. Check with a plant-care specialist if the problem persists.

Pet dander
Pet dander and saliva spell trouble for 30 percent of allergy sufferers. Washing or brushing your pet weekly (do it outside) can lower your home’s dander level. Keep dogs and cats out of the bedroom, and cover air vents with cheesecloth to keep dander from spreading from room to room.

Fabric furnishings hold dust and dander
Dust weekly. Wash blankets and throw rugs in hot water (or have them dry-cleaned). Pick up pet fur with your vac’s upholstery attachment, and try to keep pets off furniture. Make sure the air temp is below 70 degrees, too: Mites, as well as fungus and roaches, dislike cool temps.

See the Slideshow Here

Damp House Linked to Kids’ Risk of Nasal Allergies

Children who live in damp, water-damaged homes may be more likely than other kids to develop nasal allergies, a study suggests.

Researchers found that of nearly 1,900 Finnish children they followed for six years, those who lived in homes with dampness or mold problems were more likely to develop allergic rhinitis during the study period.

Allergic rhinitis refers to symptoms of congestion, sneezing and runny nose caused by allergens such as pollen, dust, animal dander or mold.

In this study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, 16 percent of children whose parents reported dampness in the home went on to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis over the next six years. That compared with just under 12 percent of children whose parents reported no dampness problems — that is, no visible signs of water damage to the ceilings, walls or floors, and no visible mold or mold odor in the home.

The researchers weighed a number of factors that might help account for the connection, including families’ socioeconomic status (asthma and allergies tend to be common in lower income children) and whether children were also exposed to second-hand smoke.

However, damp, moldy conditions in the home remained linked to an increased risk of children’s nasal allergies. Children whose parents reported any mold or water damage in the home at the outset were 55 percent more likely than other children to develop allergic rhinitis — connected to any allergen, and not just mold.

“Our study strengthens the evidence that exposure to indoor dampness increases the risk of developing allergic rhinitis,” lead researcher Dr. Jouni Jaakkola, of the Institute of Health Sciences in Oulu, Finland, told Reuters Health in an email.

Previous studies, he said, had measured children’s exposure to dampness and mold, and their rates of nasal allergies, all at one time — making it impossible to tell whether the exposure preceded the allergies’ development.

The fact that this study followed children’s rates of allergy development over time strengthens the case that household dampness is a risk factor for nasal allergies — though the findings alone do not prove cause-and-effect. It is still possible that there are other factors that explain the link.

However, Jaakkola said that based on other research, it is plausible that damp conditions in the house contribute to nasal allergies. Such conditions, he noted, encourage the growth of dust mites and fungi, and attract cockroaches — all of which can serve as allergy triggers. Moisture may also boost the emission of chemicals from building materials, according to Jaakkola, and those chemicals could potentially create inflammation in the airways.

The bottom line for parents, Jaakkola said, is that they would be wise to look out for signs of water damage at home.

“In general, we should try to avoid dampness problems in homes and repair (damage) as soon as the problems appear,” he noted, adding that parents of children who already have any form of allergy should be particularly careful to do so.

Is Your Laundry Making You Sick?

Prevention -
By Celeste Perron

How to minimize germs, allergies, and other surprising ways doing the wash can affect your health

1. Empty the washer ASAP
Why: Protect against germs
Bacteria flourish in wet areas, so take clothes out within 30 minutes of a completed cycle; if they sit for an hour, rewash the load. But wouldn’t just-laundered clothes be germ free, you wonder? Not necessarily, says Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. These days, many people are trying to save energy and money by washing with cold water, but harmful bacteria can easily survive in it, explains Gerba, whose research found that 25% of home washing machines contain fecal bacteria. Although the strains of E. coli found were fairly harmless, their presence alone indicates that bacteria and viruses can linger on laundry, he says.

Though Gerba recommends using hot water to kill germs, cold is better for energy bills—and the planet. To help protect your family, don’t overload the washer, so detergent can penetrate all the fabric; and wash your hands after removing wet clothes so you don’t spread lingering germs. The dryer’s heat will kill most of the remaining bugs.

2. Wash undies alone
Why: Protect against germs
Not surprisingly, the primary source of fecal bacteria in a washer is underwear. It’s best to do underwear in a separate cycle, with hot water and regular or color-safe bleach, suggests Gerba. And once a week, run an empty cycle with only a cup of bleach. “That prevents bacteria from hanging out in the drum,” he adds.

3. Wash bedding in hot water
Why: Reduce allergens
Unsavory as it sounds, your sheets and pillowcases house legions of dust mites that dine on the skin cells you shed at night. Dust mites are the most common cause of year-round allergy symptoms. They live in clothes and carpeting, but their highest concentrations are in beds. To alleviate symptoms, it’s most important to wash your bedding weekly in hot water (set at a minimum of 130°F), says Robert Weitz, a microbiologist in Stamford, CT. “If you wash with cold or warm, you’re just giving them a nice swim,” he says. “And the dryer alone isn’t hot enough to kill them.”

4. Air out your washer
Why: Reduce allergens
Mold spores are always present in the air to some degree, but when they find a wet surface (say, the inside of a washer), they can settle in and multiply. Exposure to mold can cause congestion, itchy eyes, and wheezing; if you’re asthmatic or allergic, they can trigger an attack. To prevent mold from growing in your machine and then transferring to your clothes, when you finish your laundry, prop the door open to air it out and dry off any. Be extra diligent with front loaders—they use rubber gaskets to seal the water inside, and mold often grows on it, says Weitz. Another tip: “Buy HE, or high efficiency, detergent,” he adds. “It makes less suds than regular kinds, leaving behind less moisture.”

5. Ventilate the laundry room
Why: Reduce allergens
Moist heat from the dryer can keep humidity levels high, which creates ripe conditions for mold to grow. Leave a window open or turn on a fan when the dryer is running, and check dryer hoses. “If the vent to the outside comes loose, moisture can get trapped in the wall, and mold can grow,” says Weitz.

6. Choose unscented soaps
Why: Prevent irritated skin
You may love clothes that smell like flowers or fresh rain, but it takes a cocktail of chemicals to deliver that scent—chemicals that can irritate your skin, or worse. Researchers at the University of Washington analyzed a popular detergent and found that it emitted13 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), five of which are regulated as toxic or hazardous by the EPA. “Often, laundry products can contain hazardous chemicals such as neurotoxins and carcinogens,” says study author Anne Steinemann, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs at the university. “Exposure to them can cause migraine headaches and asthma attacks.”

The kicker: Many of these chemicals aren’t related to the detergent’s cleansing agents but instead to the fragrances they’re scented with. It’s best to choose ones free of perfumes and dyes. “Unscented may mean a masking agent was used to cover up the detergent aroma, but harmful agents can remain,” says Steinemann. And according to her latest, yet-to-be published research, laundry detergents with natural or organic scents can be just as toxic as the regular ones.

7. Skip dryer sheets
Why: Prevent irritated skin
They emit chemicals also regulated as toxic and can cause breathing difficulties and irritated skin, says Steinemann; liquid fabric softeners can have the same effect. Instead of dryer sheets, try PVC-free plastic dryer balls—they help more air pass between clothes to cut down on static cling. As a softener, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash.

10 Ways to Reduce Your Mold Allergy Symptoms

WebMD.com -
By Jeanie Lerche Davis

If you have allergy symptoms year-round — or if they get worse in damp weather — you may be allergic to mold. While people with pollen allergies tend to have seasonal symptoms, mold allergies can flare all year long. Indoor mold can be a problem in winter months, because mold will grow in your house where there is enough moisture — whether it’s on a basement wall, in your crawl space, a damp carpet, or behind the bathroom tile.

You may not even realize the mold is there — but if you’re sensitive you’ll react with coughing, wheezing, stuffy nose, or irritated eyes.

“Very often, people don’t really know what the problem is,” says John Martyny, PhD, an industrial hygienist with National Jewish Health Center in Denver. “They have an allergic reaction, lots of sinus drainage, lots of upper respiratory problems, and it doesn’t last for just a month or two. This goes on 12 months a year. It is not a minimal problem — it can really change your life.”

We’re all exposed to mold spores. Mold is a fungus that breaks down plant or animal matter, like leaves, wood, dirt, and food. It’s present both indoors and out. The trouble comes with a mold allergy, when mold spores trigger reactions like allergic rhinitis or asthma. Molds can also produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — the musty odor that irritates eyes, nose, and throat.

Black Mold: Toxic or Not?

What’s known as black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is a slow-growing mold that grows only on wood, paper, and cotton. It’s often called “toxic black mold,” but the mold itself is not poisonous.

“There’s no question that the mold spores are very potent, but they are given off in extremely low levels,” he tells WebMD. “It’s really just another mold. What we see is an allergic reaction or asthma.” 

Black mold has been blamed for serious lung problems in a small number of infants, but that has not yet been proven. It’s not uncommon for people to develop an allergy to mold — not just black mold, says David Lang, MD, head of allergy/immunology at the Cleveland Clinic. “Infants, small children, and elderly adults are more likely to react to any type of mold,” he says.

It may be hard to get a mold allergy correctly diagnosed. “Very often, the root of the problem isn’t identified correctly,” Martyny says. “People have these symptoms, but they don’t realize they have a moisture and mold problem at home. If you get rid of the allergens — the mold — people get better, and they get better pretty fast.”

In some cases, mold exposure can cause serious respiratory problems, with symptoms like chest tightness and difficulty breathing. “Some people who are exposed to high levels of any mold for a long time develop lung hypersensitivity — which leads to scar tissue in the lungs,” Martyny explains. “Some people recover when the mold source is removed. But if they’ve been exposed for a long time, they may never recover.”

Coughing, wheezing, runny nose, irritated eyes or throat — these are all signs of mold allergy. Mold allergies can also trigger an asthma attack, with symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. If you have these symptoms, see an allergist for skin testing or a blood test to diagnose mold allergy.

Do You Have Mold?

Older homes are prime habitats for mold, which thrives in a dark, damp, warm environment. If you have water damage, water leaks, a leaky roof, a washing machine that overflows frequently, that moisture can give mold a toehold.

In winter months, indoor heat inside the house will pull air from the crawl space into the living space, says Martyny. That’s one reason a mold allergy may get worse in winter.

“In some instances, it can be hard to see the water damage,” he adds. “You may have to have a professional with a moisture meter and infrared cameras see if anything is leaking.”

So what can you do to reduce your exposure to mold? Attack mold on two fronts — removal and prevention:

• Get your house tested for mold. A moisture meter test will help. Also, a dust sample from your carpet can show whether mold spores are in your home. Check with your state health department about mold testing. Or look in the yellow pages for environmental testing, Martyny suggests. 
• Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. If you have mold in your crawl space or basement, locate the source and stop the water from coming in. 
• If your crawl space has mold, call an environmental service to get rid of it. If a small area is moldy, you can try cleaning it yourself. 
• Check inside drywall for mold inside the wall. You can usually smell mold even if you can’t see it. Moldy drywall must be cut out and replaced. Moldy insulation also must be removed and replaced. 
• Wash mold off hard surfaces. You don’t have to use chlorine bleach; soap and water, combined with scrubbing from a stiff brush, works to remove mold. Some people also recommend vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Non-toxic cleaners are also available. Allow areas to dry completely. 
• Dry water-damaged areas and items (like carpeting) within 24 to 48 hours of flooding. Don’t install carpeting in areas where there is a moisture problem. 
• If ceiling tiles or carpet have become moldy, they must be replaced. Throw out all wet, moldy tiles and carpeting. 
• Reduce indoor humidity by venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources. Exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens can help. If you don’t have exhaust fans, crack a window in the kitchen when you’re cooking or in the bathroom when you’re bathing. 
• Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers inside your home. Change filters regularly. Use a dehumidifier to get rid of dampness in basements. 
• Add insulation to windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors where there is potential for condensation on cold surfaces.

If you’re working in a moldy area, always wear a filtered face mask so you won’t inhale mold spores.

The New Allergy Zones

Prevention - 
By Jenny Stamos Kovacs

The spring allergy season has sprung, but don’t blame your watery eyes and runny nose entirely on pollen.

Other surprising allergens may lurk in unexpected places in your home–and make you feel even worse. In fact, the list of sneeze-inducing culprits is long: animal dander, mold, dust, and dust mites (tiny insects that thrive on organic matter, primarily flakes of skin), as well as pollen carried into the house from outside. But these irritants are manageable–and getting a handle on them will help reduce your symptoms. We went to four top experts for the unexpected sources of your sneezes and some room-by-room tips for eliminating them.

1. Pet-Owning Visitors
They usually have animal dander on their clothes, and can deposit this irritant on upholstered furniture–even if they don’t bring Fido or Felix with them.

Solution: Vacuum your couches and padded chairs after pet-owning pals sit on them. Prevent the allergens from spewing right back out of the machine by using one with a HEPA filter (which traps tiny particles so they can’t escape the dust bag).

2. Couch Pillows, Throws, and Stuffed Toys
These items come into contact with skin, and that means tiny flakes that slough off and encourage dust mites. If your pet sits on, fetches, or plays with any of these, they’re also covered with animal dander.

Solution: Tumble the items in the dryer on high for 10 to 15 minutes each week. (If this will damage the material, clean instead according to the manufacturer’s instructions.)

3. Book Shelves
You can also blame the dust that collects on books and other shelf-dwellers, including framed photographs and mementos. Books can also contribute to indoor mold problems, especially in humid conditions.

Solution: Keep shelves of all kinds, including bookshelves, away from the bed, or banish them from the bedroom entirely. Place trinkets behind glass doors so they don’t collect dust. Clean surfaces and vacuum bedroom floors at least once a week.

4. Bed Pillows
The warmth and humidity of your body encourage dust mites to grow in bed pillows, no matter what type of stuffing they have.

Solution: Either trade old pillows for new ones annually, or encase pillows in allergy-proof covers that you wash once or twice a month in hot water (follow the manufacturer’s instructions). The most allergy-resistant, comfortable cases are made of tightly woven fabric that’s impermeable to dust mites–and feels good to the touch.

5. Bathroom Floor Mat
Trapped moisture in the bath mat causes dust mites and mold to thrive.

Solution: Choose a washable mat and clean it weekly. After a shower or steamy bath, hang it up and open a window or run the fan.

6. Refrigerator Door Seal
As you transfer food in and out of the refrigerator, moisture, crumbs, and spills can build up in the crevices of the door seal and encourage mold to flourish there. 

7. Cooking Steam
Steam wafts from pots and pans as you cook and settles in places you may not clean daily, causing mold to build up. Spots where dampness may land include walls, ceilings, cupboard doors, upper shelves, and areas hidden behind large appliances.

Solution: Run the stove’s exhaust fan to vent cooking moisture–not just smells–out of the house.

8. Damp Clothes
Mold and bacteria can develop on damp, unwashed clothing that sits around for days before it’s laundered, as well as on clean items left in the washer tub for more than a few hours.

Solution: Don’t let moist, dirty laundry build up, and dry freshly washed items ASAP. Here’s a bonus idea: Use liquid detergent instead of powder, which can produce irritating dust, worsening your allergy symptoms.

9. Your Hair and Clothes
When you arrive home after spending time outdoors, you carry in dust and pollen on your shoes and clothes and in your hair (long hair and loose hairstyles tend to trap more irritants than short or tightly bound strands).

Solution: When outside, cover your hair with a hat or scarf. When you get home, remove your head covering and shoes inside the door, change into clothes that you wear only indoors, and shampoo and dry your hair. Wash your comb and brush weekly to keep them free of any irritants they’ve picked up.

10. Plants
Damp soil can support the development of mold, and if you spill occasionally as you water, you can encourage growths in any carpet or curtains you happen to hit.

Solution: Give away or toss out plants if mold and dust cause you to have severe symptoms. If you choose to keep the plants instead, place the pots on tile and well away from curtains. Bonus tip: A layer of pebbles or small stones placed on top of the soil will prevent the release of mold spores that may be growing in the soil.

11. Fish Tank
Mold grows on parts of the tank or bowl that are out of the water but nevertheless remain damp. Carelessly strewn fish food also helps mold develop and can nourish a dust mite colony.

Solution: Use a rag to dry off above-water tank parts daily. When you feed the fish, make sure the food lands in the water, not on the tabletop or floor.

Protect Your Home and Family From Dangerous Mold and Mildew

ThisOldHouse.com -
By: Daniel P. Simmons III

With more than 100,000 species worldwide, roughly a thousand of which are native to the United States, molds are literally everywhere on the planet, including Antarctica. In nature, these fungi serve as a catalyst—speeding decomposition and ridding the planet of megatons of dead plant matter. And some varieties even have a time-honored place within our homes. After all, you owe the penicillin in your medicine cabinet to a mold called Penicillium chrysogenum, part of the same genus as Penicillium roqueforti, the mold you can thank for that delightful Roquefort cheese stinking up your fridge.

But no good can come from uninvited mold (aka mildew) indoors, since these microscopic organisms make their living by consuming the surface they’re growing upon. It’s bad enough when their food source is a little soap scum in your shower, but when it’s the cellulose in wallboards or ceiling tiles, or worse yet, in the wooden studs that support them, the resulting property damage can be significant. Even more serious are the potential health effects for your home’s occupants.

Read the entire article here!

‘Summer Colds’ May Not Be Just That

(CNN) — You dread this: Runny nose, scratchy throat, maybe a cough. And worse, it’s 80 degrees outside.

Most of us know it as the summer cold. But in fact it’s probably not.

A true cold is a virus with symptoms that last up to 10 days, with the first two to three days being the most contagious. These viruses exist year-round, but are more common in the colder months.

Allergies to tree and grass pollens and outdoor molds can cause cold-like symptoms in the summer. Congestion, itchy eyes, scratchy throat and runny nose are common complaints.

“If you tend to get those same symptoms every year around the same time, allergy is the probable cause,” said Dr. Peter Greenspan, pediatrician with MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston, Massachusetts.

Young children are more susceptible to cold viruses because they have not had previous exposure to them, Greenspan said. They are also in contact with other children a lot, and may not take the same hand-washing, sneeze-covering precautions as adults.

They are too young to take over-the-counter medications, but the symptoms go away on their own, Greenspan said.

For adults who want sinus relief, a doctor may recommend saline irrigations through the nose — such as the neti pot — nasal steroid sprays or antihistamines, said Dr. Alexander Chiu, associate professor of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

But such treatments are for relieving symptoms, not curing them, Greenspan said. Colds go away on their own and allergies subside when the offending pollen diminishes with the season.

This spring was particularly nasty for allergies, doctors said. The pollen counts are going down now, however, and the next major allergy season won’t start until fall, Chiu said.

Doctors use the term “vasomotor rhinitis” to describe the cold-like symptoms that many people get not because of allergies or a virus, but for some unknown cause, Chiu said.

Some people are naturally sensitive to dramatic temperature changes and may get the sniffles from going in and out of air-conditioned and warm environments, said Chiu.

But such temperature shifts do not promote cold viruses, so don’t blame the air conditioning, Greenspan said. For allergy sufferers, air conditioning may help alleviate symptoms.

“Some people may feel better or worse in different kinds of environments,” he said. “It’s a very individual kind of thing.”

From his pediatrics practice, Greenspan has noticed that a cold virus has been going around, with coughs that last several weeks, Greenspan said.

But Chiu, based in Philadelphia, said people who have sinus symptoms this time of year probably do not have colds.

Allergens In Your Home May Be Making You Sick

MIAMI (CBS4) -

As we enter the “dog days of summer” many people will find their eyes are itching more, their nose is running and they can’t seem to stop sneezing.

Doctors say the most likely culprit is outdoor allergies. But another factor that could be what setting off the allergic reactions is indoors allergens. Looking room by room, potential problems are everywhere.

For example in the living room, the sofa, pillows and the kids’ stuffed toys all can harbor dust mites and pet hair.

“The idea is that it’s carried on guests who come to the home and gets deposited,” said allergist David Nash.

Another factor is the damp soil around house plants which is a recipe for mold.

“There’s probably moisture underneath that flower pot, and there may be mold growth,” said allergist David Skoner.

People who are susceptible to indoor allergens should vacuum the furniture at least once a week. Tumble toys and throws in the dryer for 15 minutes because the hot, dry air kills the mites. Also, keep plants off the carpets and away from curtains.

In the kitchen, the refrigerator door seal and cooking steam are easy to over look. A bleach and water solution will keep mold at bay on the cupboards, walls, ceiling, and door seal. The exhaust fan will also get the moisture out.

In the laundry room, mold can grow in damp, unwashed clothes as well as clean ones left in the washer for more than a few hours.

In the bathroom, pick a bath mat that can be washed. Bath mats should be picked up every time they’re used, and hung over an area where there’s air circulating all around them on both sides, to dry off.

In the bedroom dust mites love those warm pillows

“What people are allergic to is actually not the mite, but their waste matter,” said Skoner.

Frequent dusting and vacuuming, getting shelves out of the bedroom all together, and using tight woven allergy-proof pillow covers can help.

And even hairless pets can pose an allergy threat.

“We’ve been telling people maybe if you have allergies it might not be good to have a furry pet.
Well, many of them do go out and get fish tanks. And I think fish tanks can certainly serve as a source of excess humidity and mold growth,” said Nash.

But before you go overboard chasing mold and dust bunnies, cleaning may not eliminate it all.
To control symptoms, some people may also need medications or allergy shots. Combining treatments and cleaning, most people will see improvement in a few weeks. For some, however, it may take 6 months or longer to feel any better.

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