ASTHMA
S
TRIGGER
GG
AWARENESS
101
2010 CMS Asthma Forum
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Myers Park Baptist Church
Prepared by: Brian K. Kasher, CET
Manager, CMS Environmental Health and Safety
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Asthma & Air Quality in History
Florence Nightingale
Bernardino Ramazzini
18th-century Italian
physician, described
"asthma" in bakers,
miners, farmers,
gilders, tinsmiths,
glass-workers,
professors
f
and
d other
th
professions.
Outlined health
hazards of the dusts,
fumes or gases that
fumes,
such workers inhaled.
Coined the importance
of IAQ and Ventilation
“The First Cannon of Nursing”
De Morbis Artificum
(Diseases of Workers)
Padua, 1713
The relationship of air quality and
health is not new knowledge.
g The first
known respirator was made of animal
bladders by Pliny the Elder in the First
Century A.D.
Why is Asthma Increasing Today?
• Homes used to be made of brick, stone,
mortar metal and wood
mortar,
• Today thousands of compounds are used
in our buildings that did not exist in the past
• Buildings are much tighter and offer less
natural breath ability and fresh air
• Children are spending more time indoors
• Outdoor air has many and much more
contaminants today than historically
Know Your Child’s Asthma Triggers
Control Animal Allergens
•Dogs, cats, rodents (including hamsters and guinea pigs) and
other
th mammals
l can trigger
ti
asthma
th
•Proteins in the dander, urine or saliva of warm-blooded animals
((e.g.,
g , cats,, dogs,
g , mice,, rats,, gerbils,
g
, birds,, etc.)) have been
reported to cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma
Control Pest Allergens
•Droppings or body parts of cockroaches and other pests can
trigger asthma.
•Certain
Certain proteins in cockroach feces and saliva and can cause
allergic reactions, or trigger asthma symptoms.
Control Moisture and Mold
•There is no practical way to eliminate all mold indoors; the
way to control indoor mold is to control moisture
•If you think you have a mold problem you do not need
environmental testing to determine what kind you have
have.
•Simply clean the mold from the surface it's growing on and dry
the surface thoroughly.
Control Second Hand Smoke Exposure
•Secondhand smoke consists of exhaled smoke from smokers
and
d side
id stream
t
smoke
k from
f
the
th burning
b i end
d off a cigarette,
i
tt
cigar or pipe.
•Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 substances,
including several compounds that are known carcinogens and
which may be asthma triggers.
Control Dust Mites
•Dust
Dust mites are tiny insects that are invisible to the naked eye.
•All homes have dust mites that feed on human skin flakes. They
live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, furniture, bedcovers, clothes,
stuffed toys and fabric-covered items.
•Body
B d parts
t and
d ffeces ffrom d
dustt mites
it can ttrigger
i
asthma
th
•Exposure to dust mites can cause asthma in children who have
not previously exhibited asthma symptoms.
Know Outdoor Air Conditions!
Visit: www.airnow.gov
•The AQI index reports air quality daily. It tells you how clean or polluted the
air is
is, and what health effects might be a concern.
concern
•The AQI focuses on health effects that may be experienced
within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
•EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants:
ground-level ozone, particulate, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide,
and nitrogen dioxide.
What are Asthma Triggers?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cockroach particles
Cat hair (dander) & saliva
Dog
g hair (dander)
(
) and saliva
Yeast spores
Metabisulfite, used as a
preservative in many
beverages and some foods
Gas, wood, coal, and
kerosene heating units
gas, propane, or
Natural g
k
kerosene
cooking
k
ffuels
l
Smog
Wood smoke
Weather changes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dust mites
Molds & Yeasts
Pollens
Vi l infection
Viral
i f i
Certain air pollutants
Exercise
Cold air
Chemical fumes and other
strong-smelling substances
like perfumes
• Intense emotions
• More More More
USEPA IAQ Tools for Schools Program
Videos
Informative Guides
Problem Solving Wheel
RESOURCES
EPA ASTHMA PUBLICATIONS
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html#Clear Your Home
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html#Clear_Your_Home
EPA ASTHMA & PETS WEBSITE
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pets.html
AIR QUALITY INDEX
http://airnow.gov/
CMS ASTHMA EDUCATION
http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/csh/asthmaedu/Pages/d
efault.aspx
USEPA NATIONAL MODEL OF
SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE