Breathing Easy Through the Holidays

It's the second week in December and the holiday season is in full swing. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year. We are all caught up in shopping, decorating, entertaining and traveling. Throw asthma into the mix, and your stress level can soar, possibly making things worse. Hopefully, I can offer some tips and suggestions to keep you breathing easy into the New Year.

I'll start with decorations. They're beautiful and they are everywhere. Unfortunately, all those decorations that you brought out of the attic or up from the basement can mean problems for people sensitive to dust and mold. Think about all those decorations spending the better part of a year in a dark place in cardboard boxes. Artificial trees are notorious for harboring mold spores and dust mites.

Live trees also bring in mold and all the pollen that was blowing around before the trees were cut down and shipped to your town. Try to rinse the tree off before bringing it inside.

If it's not too late, try to clean decorations before setting them about the house. And before you store them, consider investing in large, airtight plastic containers. Not only will they help control dust and mold build up, but little critters tend to avoid plastic.

Entertaining and visiting are lots of fun, but it throws you into new environments and unknown food. Remember, homemade foods are not labeled, so pay close attention especially if you are sensitive to peanuts. It's okay to ask the cook what she used or to stay away from the goodies when at a party.

Another concern for holiday parties is sending your child to school. If your child has severe food allergies, especially peanuts, talk with your teacher so that she is aware of the problem. She can request that parents donate items that are peanut free. Some experts advise that you send your child to school with their own snack and that he/she abstain from eating the party food. While this is effective, young children don't like to be different.

Of course, it's hard to think about the holidays and not think about traveling. Many of us travel or have friends and relatives spend a few days with us. Traveling to new places can put us in contact with allergens and triggers we've worked hard to remove from our home environment. For a safe, uneventful trip, you need to plan ahead.

Before traveling, be sure your lungs are up to the task. How's your peak flow? (See http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/asth... for information on peak flow meters.) Has it dropped in the last day or week? If so, then a visit to the doctor is in order. Discounting a slight drop in lung function could get worse when you travel. And nobody wants to spend his or her holiday vacation in an emergency room.

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