Second Hand Smoke Causes Asthma

On Friday afternoon I got home from school and my wife told me that our son had been diagnosed with asthma. (If you scroll down you will notice my article on second hand smoke—is there a correlation? OF COURSE!!!) Our son had been throwing up almost every night starting about a month ago (shortly after our new smoking neighbors moved in) but when we visited family out of state for two weeks he had relatively no problems at all. We thought at first that the problem was acid reflux. The doctor listened to his lungs and checked his Oxygen saturation and diagnosed him with infantile asthma. My initial reaction was anger at the fact that I knew something like this was coming. I have been spending every free moment trying to seal our apartment to keep the smoke out. We were given a nebulizer to give him some medication but he screams and screams until he throws up making the whole medication idea pointless. So now we just have to focus on creating a healthy environment.

Here is what we have done so far:

1. Purchased a new vacuum with a true HEPA filter for $140
   
2. Purchased 2 Honeywell True HEPA air filters from Wal-Mart and left them running on full power while we cleaned the house the larger air filter/purifier was about $130 and the smaller one was $85. In addition to the HEPA filter they have an activated carbon pre-filter to help with the smoke. These filters have made a significant difference in the smoke smell in our home. There are better air filters/purifiers on the market which implement the same basic technology of a true HEPA filter with an activated carbon pre-filter but they cost nearly $600 and are not found in your basic Home Depot or Walmart. See the photo below...
3. Vacuumed the entire house with the new vacuum including the sofas
4. Removed most of the dust in the house
5. Washed all the sheets, blankets, washable pillows, drapes, and rugs in HOT water and dried them In the dryer on HOT to kill/remove any dust mite colonies
6. Sealed off some suspected remaining entry points of smoke into the house
7. Placed a top of the line furnace air filter with an activated carbon layer to absorb smoke and chemicals.

What I plan on doing:

1. Finish Cleaning: I still have to clean the kitchen floor and do more dusting.
2. Purchasing a Dehumidifier: Humidity should be low to reduce the incidence of dust mites which are a very significant allergen and contributor to asthma; chances are you have dust mites in your pillows, sofas, mattresses, and elsewhere. I take back my comment on the last post where I say you should open your windows. It is good to open your windows assuming it is not too humid outside and the air quality outside is good. Centralized air conditioning is good in that it reduces humidity.
3. Purchasing dust mite proof encasings for our mattresses and pillows.
4. Eventually I will purchase leather sofas to prevent dust mite infiltration
5. Someday I will find that last little spot where the smoke is getting in... you would not believe how many hours I have spent on sealing little air leaks probably near 40 hours so far at least. (in addition to being a full time dental student, dad, etc) This little area above the furnace closet was a highway of air coming from our neighbors apartment, whenever our AC would run it would suck the smoky air from their apartment into ours. Solution: stuff it with insulation and cover with plastic and duct tape, in addition to keeping the furnace closet door open to prevent the "suction effect":
   

My theory is that my son developed asthma when the cigarette smoke in combination with the dust mites and other irritants overwhelmed his lungs. It probably does not help that we have smokers next door, live in 30-40 year old apartments, and live in a very humid part of the country.

For information on second hand smoke see my last post.

For more information on dust mites see the following:

http://healthandenergy.com/dust_mites.htm

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dust-mites/DS00842\

One recent systematic review in the Cochrane Database suggests that efforts to reduce dust mites do not have any clinical affects at reducing asthma: I still think it is worth trying to reduce dust mites in combination with avoidance of cigarette smoke and other potential triggers.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/04/18/got-dust-mites-just-live-with-them.html

However this study shows that overall reduction in multiple allergens can help reduce symptoms of asthma.

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2008/niehs-29.htm

I figure it is still worth the effort of trying to prevent and control the problem rather than medicate it. It just breaks my heart that my poor son has to suffer due to the inability of his parents to afford a nicer place to live and the poor choice of our neighbors nicotine addiction. At least all this effort makes me not feel so guilty so I can sleep at night knowing I have done everything possible to prevent/treat his condition. Good news is that we will be moving in less than a year following my graduation from dental school and hopefully be able to afford a clean place to live in the future.