And you have to wonder about the safety of chemicals and possible toxins in some of these products, too.
But there’s hope. New products to help clean the homes of allergy sufferers could one day make their way to the market thanks to two patents recently awarded to a research team at the University of South Carolina.
Which is also good news for the nearly seven million children in the United States with asthma. They make up more than nine percent of the country’s entire child population, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and their ranks are growing. The CDC says that the reasons for the rise in asthma rates isn’t known, but we do know that asthma attacks can be prevented by taking prescribed medication and avoiding triggers.
Why avoiding allergens is important
Asthma is a chronic condition where certain triggers (like cigarette smoke, air pollution or stress) can cause the airways of the lungs to become inflamed and swell, according to the Canadian Lung Association. In turn, the airways narrow, making it harder to get air in and out of your lungs and the muscles around your lungs and airways spasm, furthering the narrowing.
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Allergens are common asthma triggers. For people with allergies to substances like pet dander, breathing the allergen into the lungs can lead to an asthma attack. Other substances, like cigarette smoke, irritate the lungs and are asthma triggers because they can cause muscle spasms around the airways. Indoor air pollution like dust and mites can affect asthma as well, and children who grow up in homes where this indoor pollution is found are more likely to develop the condition.
How to neutralize those asthma triggers?
According to a University of South Carolina (USC) release, the patents, “Methods and Compositions for Eliminating Allergens and Allergen-Producing Organisms” use carbon dioxide to freeze-clean home fabrics like those used in carpet, mattresses and furniture. CO2 is sprayed onto the fabrics directly. Its vapor allows for tiny pellets of dry ice to formed. The fabric is then vacuumed, removing both the dry ice and the allergens attached. Smart!
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The process can deactivate proteins in pet dander and remove smoke residue which can neutralize threats to the lungs of people with asthma. The CDC says about half of people with asthma will have a serious attack each year, so the benefit to public health is significant.
Tests done at USC showed that the process didn’t damage the fabrics and a single cleaning lasted for up to half a year. The process of developing the patents initially began as an investigation into effective means of medical sterilization.
“However, we realized that there was a critical need to address the removal of asthma triggers from the home,” said chemical engineering professor Manton Matthews. “These triggers, which are actually proteins produced by pets and pests, can be removed with our technology.”
This new technology is a great example of research and development with real-world applications that will be wonderfully safe and effective for people with allergies and asthma.