Use the child room tip sheet as:

·  Materials you can distribute to local media (sample cover email below)

·  Content to upload to your website and/or newsletter

·  Informational flyer for patients/public

Cover Email to Media Outlets

Subject: Allergy, asthma triggers not child’s play: Keep kids’ rooms safe

Dear (INSERT REPORTER NAME):

Keeping kids inside their rooms to escape the winter’s cold seems like a good idea, but parents may be unknowingly exposing children to allergy and asthma triggers.

I hope you will consider a story on how to make a child’s room an allergy-free zone . To get you started, I’ve included some tips, below, courtesy of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). [COPY THE TIPS BELOW OR ATTACH]

And as an allergist who diagnoses and treats people with asthma and allergies, I’d be happy to talk to you about how to keep kids’ safe and if they have allergies and asthma, how to help them find relief. I’m available by phone (INSERT PHONE NUMBER) or email (INSERT EMAIL).

Many thanks for your time.

(INSERT NAME)

(INSERT PRACTICE)

Make Your Child’s Room an Allergy-Free Zone This Winter

Winter weather means more time inside and for children with indoor allergies, it’s important that the many hours spent in the bedroom sleeping, playing and doing homework are allergen-free

Indoor allergies can cause symptoms including stuffy or runny nose, itchy watery eyes, sneezing, asthma and skin rashes.

“Studies have shown that avoidance measures can be just as effective as drug therapy for controlling these symptoms,” said Dr. (INSERT NAME HERE) of (INSERT PRACTICE), an allergist. Dr. (INSERT NAME), a specialist in diagnosing and treating allergies and asthma, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) offer the following tips to create an allergy-free zone and prevent sneezing and wheezing all winter long:

1.  Banish Clutter, Even Toys: Piles of toys, stacks of books, anything that can collect dust should be kept to a minimum. Consider storing books and toys in plastic containers with a lid and enlist kids to put items back after use.

2.  Keep Fluffy & Fido Out: Pet dander is a known asthma trigger, so declare Junior’s room a pet-free zone. Also consider bathing pets once a week to reduce dander.

3.  Limit Snacks to the Kitchen: Crumbs can invite cockroaches to visit, even in the bedroom. And cockroach droppings can cause severe allergy and asthma symptoms. Since they require food and moisture to survive, having a no food policy in your child’s room can keep these pests away.

4.  Sweep Away Symptoms: If there is carpet or an area rug in your child’s room, use a cyclonic vacuum or a vacuum with a HEPA filter regularly. Next, keep kids with allergies and asthma out of freshly vacuumed areas for two hours – the amount of time it takes for dust stirred up by vacuuming to settle back down.

5.  Deter Dust Mites: Sheets, mattresses and pillows are a welcome breeding ground for dust mites, which can cause year round watery eyes and runny noses. Wash all bedding in hot water or bleach as directed every ten days. Also consider protecting pillows and mattresses with removable allergy-resistant coverings.

6.  Forbid Fumes – Anywhere in the House: Cigarette smoke, scented candles and room deodorizers used in any room of the house can cause asthma symptoms. Limiting their use just to the basement or an attached garage won’t cut it. What happens in the basement can effect air quality in Junior’s bedroom.

7.  Lower the Humidity: Keep tabs on the indoor humidity in your home and keep it below 50%. Use a dehumidifier if necessary.

8.  Keep the moisture out: Clean bathrooms, kitchens, and basements regularly and keep them well aired. Repair all water leaks.

9.  Prep the furnace: Change filters before winter and every three months, and use filters with a MERV rating of 8 to 12. A MERV rating tells you how well the filter removes dust from the air as it passes through the filter. Leave the fan “on” to create whole house filtration.

For more information about allergies and asthma, and to find an allergist near you visit www.AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.

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