Asthma-friendly products: Do they help reduce symptoms?

If you're like most people with asthma, your asthma symptoms can be triggered by things in your home. Purchasing "asthma-friendly" products — products that claim to reduce asthma triggers — may seem like a good step, but you may be wondering if they're worth it. While there's no sure way to tell how much a particular product will reduce your asthma triggers, here are some tips to keep in mind when evaluating asthma-friendly products.

Carefully evaluate claims

There are many products on the market which claim to benefit people with asthma, ranging from plush toys to vacuum cleaners. While some may help with your symptoms, these so-called asthma-friendly products can be costly — and most haven't been medically tested. When considering an "asthma-friendly" purchase, don't just rely on claims from the manufacturer. Look for objective evaluations and make your own judgment. Some places that may have useful information include:

• Online consumer-product reviews or discussions
• Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization that evaluates and rates products and services
• Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, an industry trade organization that tests and rates room air conditioners, dehumidifiers and room air cleaners

Asthma-friendly certified products

Created in 2006, the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program conducts tests to determine which products are most suitable for people with asthma. The program is run by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), a nonprofit patient advocacy group. After testing, the program endorses the products they feel work best. Products evaluated for certification include:

• Vacuum cleaners
• Air-cleaning devices
• Washing machines
• Bedding and mattresses
• Toys
• Flooring
• Paint

Certification seems like a good idea, but there's some controversy about the program because there aren't any outside studies that show that using an asthma-friendly certified product is any better than using a product that hasn't been certified. While Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification endorsement lets you know a product has been tested, it isn't a guarantee that it's any better than a product that isn't certified.

Choose products that target your triggers

Using a product that claims to reduce allergens will only help you if it reduces your particular triggers. Asthma is triggered by different things in different people, so a product that helps one person may not be any use for someone else with asthma. For example, if dust mites trigger your symptoms, you may benefit from a mattress cover that helps contain or eliminate them. But buying paint that releases lower amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might not be as important for you. It all depends on what triggers your asthma. Certain products, such as vacuum cleaners or air cleaners, can reduce multiple asthma triggers.

Common household asthma triggers include:

• Dust mites, which are common in carpet, upholstery and mattresses
• Dander from pets such as cats
• Cockroaches
• Indoor molds
• VOCs, released by paints, carpet and other household products

Asthma-friendly products: Just part of the solution

Unfortunately, eliminating asthma and allergy triggers isn't as easy as buying an air filter or a mattress cover, although both these measures can help. You'll never completely get rid of all allergens, especially dust mites. Here are the main ways you can help reduce your exposure:

• Identify your specific asthma or allergy triggers so that you can target them — you may need allergy testing to be sure what they are.
• Try to eliminate or reduce potential sources of allergens and irritants, which can include pets, rodents, cockroaches and cigarette smoke.
• Minimize places allergens can accumulate. One step that can help is to replace carpeting with laminate or hardwood flooring.
• Use an air filter to control allergens that remain airborne, such as pet dander

Have allergies but not asthma? This advice may still apply

As with asthma, household allergens may trigger itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing or other symptoms in people who have allergies. But unlike with asthma, these reactions don't involve the lower airways. But taking steps to avoid triggers can still help, since the same environmental allergens that trigger asthma can trigger allergies. As with asthma, the key to deciding whether a product may help is to evaluate whether it's likely to reduce exposure to your particular triggers.

Weigh the benefits before you spend your money

Controlling allergens in your home environment can help reduce asthma and allergies, but it takes some work to determine which products are likely to help you most. When considering asthma-friendly products, weigh the potential benefits with the cost in light of your specific triggers and environment. Don't rely on manufacturer claims. Get advice from your doctor, and do research on your own to find out which products seem worth trying.