Want to know about the 'irritants' that can aggravate your little one's asthma or allergies?

Does your child have asthma? Or does he or she suffer from frequent allergies? Sometimes even the smallest things can trigger these diseases. Today we are going to talk about such things, that is, some of the 'irritants' that we encounter in our daily lives that can worsen a child's symptoms. If you identify these correctly, it will be of great help to you in taking care of your child.

What are these 'Triggers'?

Simply put, 'Triggers' are things that make your child's asthma or allergy symptoms worse . These can vary from person to person. Some children are allergic to dust, others to animal dander, and some may be allergic to certain foods. It's best to see a doctor to find out exactly what your child's 'Triggers' are. They can do tests and ask you questions to help you figure out what these things are.

Who are the annoying 'irritants'?

Irritants are also called triggers, and they are things that cause breathing problems . These are often things that pollute the air, or pollutants. When these enter a child's nose, the delicate membranes in the nose and lungs can become red and swollen, causing symptoms like difficulty breathing, coughing, and sneezing. It's like being poked in the nose with a small stick.

Imagine, your child is playing and suddenly starts coughing and wheezing. Maybe someone in the house was spraying an air freshener at that time, or maybe someone next door lit a wood stove. These are things like these 'irritants'.

Here are some of the most common types of irritants:

• Perfumes and body sprays: Some perfumes contain harsh chemicals. These can be harsh on babies' delicate noses and lungs. Not only are there strong perfumes that adults use, but the strong scents in some baby powders can also be difficult for some babies.
• Aerosol sprays: These include things like deodorant, air freshener, and mosquito repellent spray. The fine particles from these are more likely to cause problems if inhaled.
• Cleaning products: The harsh chemicals and odors found in household cleaning products such as bleaching powder, toilet cleaners, and glass cleaners can be irritants.
• Wood and tobacco smoke: Cigarette smoke is very harmful to children. So is the smoke from wood stoves and garbage fires. The particles in this smoke can get into the lungs and aggravate asthma.
• Paint or gas fumes: The strong odors from painting a new house, polishing furniture, and the smell of gasoline, diesel fumes, and kerosene from vehicles can also cause discomfort to children.
• Smog or air pollution: This is a fog-like condition caused by vehicle exhaust and factory smoke, especially in large urban areas like Colombo in the morning and evening. It contains many small particles, which can increase illness when inhaled.

The important thing is that these 'irritants' do not affect every child in the same way. While some children cannot tolerate even a little perfume, it may not be a problem for another child. Therefore , it is very important to observe what exactly bothers your child.

How can you protect yourself from these 'irritants'?

Okay, now we know what these 'irritants' are. So next, let's see how to protect your little one from these. These may seem a little difficult, but doing these things for your baby is worth it.

1. Be careful with the scents you use at home:

• If your child's asthma or nasal congestion is aggravated by household air fresheners, such as air fresheners, incense sticks, scented candles, or plug-in air fresheners , switch to unscented or non-aerosol types. It's best to use natural products as much as possible. Perhaps opening a window in the room to provide good ventilation is much better than using artificial scents.

2. Keep your baby away from strong smells and chemicals:

• Avoid bringing your baby near things like freshly painted surfaces, strong-smelling perfumes, hair sprays, disinfectants, harsh chemical cleaners, and glues. It's best to keep your baby away from these things when cleaning the house, especially the bathroom. Also, if you use these things, wash your hands thoroughly before handling your baby.

3. Be careful with wood stoves and smoke:

• If you use a wood stove at home, make sure that the smoke from it does not enter the house. Keep the kitchen windows wide open when lighting a wood stove. If possible, build something like a 'chimney' to reduce the amount of smoke coming into the room where the child is. Burning wood in fireplaces is also not good for children with asthma.

4. Keep your child away from areas where painting and carpentry work is being done:

• If a new house is being built, or if there is work being done on a house, such as painting or carpentry, do not take your child there until the work is finished. Fine dust particles and paint fumes from such places can enter the child's respiratory system and worsen the illness.

5. If you are cooking on a gas stove, take care of ventilation:

• If you cook on a gas stove, make sure the kitchen is well ventilated. If possible, install an exhaust fan to ventilate the air outside. Some of the fumes from a gas stove can be harmful to some children.

6. Completely protect the child from smoking:

• If someone in the house smokes, ask them to stop completely. Even when the child is not there, when the smoke is inhaled inside the house, the smoke remains on clothes, sofas, and carpets. This is called 'third-hand smoke'. When the child touches these things or plays with them, these harmful substances can enter the child's body again. Therefore, do not smoke inside the house or anywhere where the child is, and do not allow anyone to do so. Also, minimize taking the child to places where the smell of smoke, such as restaurants and parties, can occur.

7. Think about Christmas trees too:

• For some children, the smell and mold from real Christmas trees can trigger allergies or aggravate asthma. If this seems to be the case for your child, it's best to use an artificial Christmas tree.

A few more tips

In addition to these main things, there are other little things you can do.

• Keep your home clean: Dust is also a major irritant. Therefore, regularly wipe down areas like doorways, window sills, and tables and chairs with a damp cloth to remove dust.
• Wash your bed sheets and pillowcases frequently: These can also harbor dust and insects called dust mites.
• When the weather is nice, open the windows and let the air in.
• An air purifier: If possible, using a good air purifier can also help reduce the amount of these irritants in the air. However, it is best to talk to a doctor about this and seek advice.

The most important thing to remember (Take-Home Message)

Doing these things for your child can sometimes be a challenge, but remember, if you want to control your child's asthma or allergies, it's essential to identify these 'triggers' and 'irritants' and protect your child from them.

Talk to your doctor or midwife about this. They can guide you exactly. They will explain everything, such as what things are bad for the baby, how to avoid them, and what to do if things suddenly get difficult.

Creating a safe and healthy environment for your child is our biggest responsibility. With a little interest and dedication, you can definitely create an environment where your little one can play and laugh without any worries!

` Asthma, Allergies, Triggers, Irritants, Children's Health, Respiratory Diseases, Asthma