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Using earth-friendly products and trying them out has been my specialty for quite some time, but before this month, I did not have too many concerns about asthma. When my 15 month old daughter was rushed to the hospital because she was having an "asthma" attack that was apparently brought on by a virus, my awareness of asthma has completely changed. Lucky for me, using "green" products and helping prevent asthma-related symptoms go hand-in-hand due to the fact that green products don't contain harsh chemicals, additives or synthetics, or give off odors. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 20 million Americans suffer from asthma and it's the number one chronic condition for children. If you have asthma or have a child who has asthma, there are some simple steps to help relieve asthma symptoms and perhaps prevent an attack - and good ol' Mother Earth will thank you.
Step 1:

Use a natural, non-toxic earth-friendly cleaner. Conventional cleaners use harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment, but they also can trigger an asthma attack. Reading any label from a conventional cleaner will warn you of respiratory symptoms, but labels fail to mention what happens to the fish after you flush the stuff down the drain!

Step 2:

Avoid cosmetics and fragrances that have volatile organic compounds (or VOC's). The Environmental Protection Agency considers formaldehyde, a VOC, to be a possible carcinogen. VOC's are in fragrances and cosmetics to give them an airborne scent (how it reaches our nose), but this is also hazardous to our indoor air quality and can easily trigger an asthma attack. Cosmetics and fragrances are known to have hundreds of chemicals in them that are far from earth-friendly or natural. Using products that are organic and have no fragrance - or not a synthetically derived fragrance - is better for the earth and for your lungs. Lavender is a good example of a naturally derived scent. I say go au naturel and let the real you be seen!

Step 3:

Open a window for fresh air, squeeze lemon in a bowl, or pick fresh flowers for a natural scent. Do not buy deodorizers, chemically scented candles or air fresheners. Most of these are made with petrochemicals that are derived from petroleum-based products (bad for the environment), and the chemical fragrance we smell can trigger an asthma attack. For a natural deodorizer, use baking soda.

Step 4:

If you have pests, do not call the exterminator! The chemicals they spray are bad for their health, your health and the environment. They linger in the air and on your items and can trigger asthma attacks and cause many other problems. Use an integrated pest management (IPM) solution to find the source of the problem (ripped screens, caulking, mold, etc). Any natural enzyme cleaner will kill a bug better than a pesticide (toxic). Visit www.beyondpesticides.com to learn more.

Step 5:

Eat and buy organic when possible. Asthma for many people happens to be related to allergies, and the combination of the two affects 60,000 Americans. When you buy organic food or use organic products, this is good for the environment because synthetics, chemicals, hormones and fertilizers are not used in the production of green products (happy mama Earth). This also means less exposure to the harsh chemicals and odors that trigger an attack, whether it be on your skin, lungs or digestive system. Most companies that are organic also do things to offset their carbon emissions and help the environment.

Helping the earth and using earth-friendly products go a long ways towards helping create healthier breathing environments for everyone, including those who suffer from asthma.
About this Author:
Sommer Poquette is a mother of two young children, teacher, humanitarian, business coach, Shaklee distributor, self taught internet entrepreneur and author and owner of the successful website, http://greenandcleanmom.blogspot.com
View more information and all guides by Sommer Poquette

Comments

Hi Sommer,
Having your daughter rushed to hospital like that must have been really frightening for you. I'm so pleased that you have found some ways to reduce her asthma attacks by using natural products in your home. Keep up the great work and I look forward to reading some more of your articles and will visit your website for more reading......

By Rachelle Strauss 1 year 32 weeks

    Hi Sommer, thank you for this article. I think we do need to take this seriously.

    Mary Norton's picture
    By Mary Norton 1 year 31 weeks

      I love the bit about fragrance. It's so pervasive, and damaging. It took me more than a month to remove the "Plug-In" strawberry scent from our home after we moved in.

      Sonia C's picture
      By Sonia C 1 year 28 weeks