Cleaning up my act (in the bedroom)

On the blog, My Life as an Asthma Mom, I recently came across a post about asthma-proofing one's home (yes, it's from February, but I've been working my way through various blogs, searching for any tidbit that will help me appease my irritable lungs).

While reading the post, the recommendation to not store anything under the bed caught my attention.  It's unused space.  I hate clutter.  Why shouldn't I store my seasonal stuff under there?  Plus, it makes life more interesting for the cats when they run around upside down under there (using the underside of the box spring to propel themselves, of course).

The reason: it allows you to vacuum under the bed on a weekly basis.  With this in mind, I turned my attention to my bedroom which, it turns out, needed it quite a bit.

Trouble in paradise
Various areas in my bedroom that needed addressing:

• Under the bed - Random dds and ends, along with cloth storage bags (which can't be wiped down), collected dust and made it difficult to clean under the bed.
• Shoes - Andrea, author of My Life as an Asthma Mom, recommends not wearing shoes in the house since they can track in allergens.  I was not only wearing my shoes in the house, but storing them, and all they tracked in, in the bedroom. 
• Tchotchkes - I'm not one for knick knacks, but I did have a now-defunct reed diffuser on my dresser in a tray full of decorative rocks on my dresser, creating TONS of surfaces for dust and pollen to cling to.  It was difficult to clean, and it made cleaning the dresser it sits on more difficult, too.  
• Laundry - Dearest and I are both guilty of leaving yesterday's clothes on the floor in a pile, which collects dust and makes it harder to vacuum.  This also brought whatever allergens we'd collected throughout the day into where we sleep (most days, we go for a walk outside and pick up who knows how much pollen).
• Cloth storage totes - I stored my socks, purses and other items in my closet in cloth, open-topped bins.  The containers were cute, but they did nothing to keep dust off of my stuff and collected a fair amount of it themselves. 

Aaah, relief
Here's how I cleaned up my act:

• Paring down - I moved everything I could out of the bedroom.  Out of season clothes went in plastic totes in the basement.  Shoes are now in the closest nearest the entrance to our house.  Dearest and I have made a pact to relegate yesterday's clothes to the bathroom.  
• Out of sight, away from dust - where possible, I put away items stored out in the open. I moved my scarves, jewelry and belts inside the closet instead of hanging them on the outside.  Items on top of my nightstand went in the drawer.  This keeps those items from collecting dust AND makes it easier to wipe down or vacuum the surfaces they were kept on. 
• The power of plastic - for my socks, purses, and other items it made sense to keep in the bedroom, I swapped my cloth bins for plastic ones (with lids!) that keep my stuff dust free and easy to get to.  Dust that does accumulate on the bins is easy to remove. 
• Get ready to Roomba - Dearest is a techie at heart, so we've always had a roomba (robot vacuum), but we always used it in the living room.  Now, our newly uncluttered floor plan will allow us to run the roomba in the bedroom each day.  
• Not a fan of dust? - You don't have to forgive the terrible pun, but you shouldn't forget to wipe down your fan blades!  I don't even want to talk about how much dust was up there...
• Air cleaner - we also moved our air cleaner from the living room into the bedroom.  In addition to using central air instead of opening the windows, this should help keep dust and allergens at bay. 

These changes bring in fewer asthma triggers and make it quicker and easier to combat those that do accumulate (I'm looking at you, dust bunnies!).   

What tips or tricks do you have for making your bedroom a place you can breathe easier?

How to survive an amusement park

Ever since I was young, I've loved visiting amusement parks.  My family didn't really do the whole vacation thing, but we always went to an amusement park for my father's company's picnic.  I spent the day riding roller coasters and water slides with my family, and I still love the thrill of a good coaster.

But, living with asthma, waiting in a long, winding line (essentially a giant group of people) can mean being exposed to perfume.  Another potential pitfall is cigarette smoke, though many parks only allow smoking in designated areas now.

So what's a wheezy woman to do?

Scope out (and avoid) designated smoking areas
Many parks limit smoking to designated areas.  All of the parks I scoped out provide a park map online, and all that I've visited provide paper maps at the entrance or guest services.  Grab a map, chart your (smoke-free) course, and have fun!

Queuing accommodations
Many parks also provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities like autism spectrum disorders or for individuals with mobility limitations.  Some provide even less restrictive guidelines for who can obtain a pass that allows them to wait for a ride without actually waiting in the line.  Check out the park's website for information on what accommodations are offered and how to obtain them.

If the website only cites specific conditions, and asthma is not included, contact the park.  I did so with one in my area and was told accommodations would be extended to me, even though asthma wasn't among the conditions listed on their site.

Avoid fog machines
During the fall, and for certain shows at other times of the year, certain amusement park attractions use fog machines that can contain irritants that can exacerbate asthma symptoms.  Depending on the severity of your asthma, you may want to visit only outdoor attractions that utilize fog machines.  If that's too irritating, you could steer clear (again, check the map) and enjoy the spooky ambiance elsewhere in the park, visit during the day (when these attractions aren't yet up and running), or even skip a visit at that time of year altogether.

Medications
Certain rides require that loose items such as book bags and purses be secured in a locker rather than being able to take your items up to the platform (meaning you'll have them on you if you have to wait in line) which, when it comes to inhalers or other medications, isn't ideal or smart for many of us.  A park's website will usually tell you what is acceptable to bring on each of the rides, so be sure to plan appropriately.

Do you enjoy amusement parks?  If your asthma impacts or would impact your visit, how do you deal with it?

I Can Breathe! mask: a review

Note: this is not a paid review. 

My allergy is triggered by many things, but scents (cologne, perfume, strong deodorant or body wash, dryer sheets, etc.) and smoke (wood and cigarette) are usually the hardest to avoid for me since this is frequently what people smell like.  It's like the scent equivalent of this:

Who needs sleep?

Except I'm just trying to breathe.

Whether it's someone who smokes sitting near me on a crowded bus or someone with their favorite body spray on picking a seat close to mine in a movie theatre, encountering these triggers can create huge problems for me.

In the past, I've had to choose between continuing with the activity I enjoy and facing an attack or exacerbation of already-present symptoms or leaving and missing out...

Which is why I was delighted when I read the reviews for the I Can Breathe! masks, especially this one: "My experience with I can Breathe masks is really about how having multiple chemical sensitivities led me to develop asthma that just wouldn't quit...I Can Breathe masks have relieved my symptoms and my anxieties...I am functioning better," says Deborah in one of the reviews on the site. I feel you, Deborah!

"I want to function better, too!" I thought as I ordered the Honeycomb Pollution Mask with the Coconut Classic Filter (in navy blue!).

When it arrived, I was so stoked I decided to tackle the various dust havens in my bedroom (recap here).  I opened the package, half-read the instructions, put the mask on, found that it didn't fit right, actually read the instructions, adjusted the nose piece per the instructions, and got to work.

Pros:

• Lightweight - this mask doesn't feel hot/stifling.
• Honeycomb design - the waffle-like pattern in the fabric allowed air to move through the mask WAY easier than the 3M mask I'd been using before did.  In my 3M mask, I'd have to take frequent breaks because it was just so stinkin' hard to breathe with it on. 
• Effective-ness - just wiping down or vacuuming surfaces usually causes sneezing, coughing, and general misery for me, but I tore my room apart and stirred up all kinds of dust.  I had minimal coughing and no sneezing. 
• Style - unlike most masks I've seen, I Can Breathe! offers this mask in a variety of colors and fabrics.  The filters are separate from the mask, so you can buy more than one mask and use one filter among them.
• Removable filters - the removable filters, which are $15 for a two pack, allow you to keep using the mask and just get new filters when they lose their effectiveness (when that happens, according to the company's website, "depends on your sensitivities and environment").

I also tested the mask at the grocery store.  Dearest and I were standing an aisle over from the laundry aisle (or, as I like to call it, the Aisle of Nope) looking for crock pot bags.  

Normally, I'd have to leave the aisle and Dearest to finding whatever it is that we need (like tissues - why in the name of all that is good are they stored in the aisle next to the asthma-attack factory that is the detergent/fabric softener/air freshener aisle?), but I ingeniously remembered my mask, whipped it on, and proceeded to smell...

NOTHING!  That's right!  No nose twitching, no chest tightening! Nothing.  I'd achieved scent nirvana, y'all!

Note: before going to the store, in my excitement, I did run to the bathroom and proceed to squeeze a bottle of Dearest's old Axe body wash (no longer used because of my asthma) to see how the mask would do.  Not well, but as Dearest pointed out, I probably shouldn't expect it to stand up to me main lining Axe into my lungs.  

Cons:

• Fit - If I don't talk or move my mouth, the mask fits perfectly.  If I talk or cough, the mask moves on my face.  It almost seems like it isn't quite long enough (and I don't have a big face by any means).  Though maybe this is a pro for the people who are tired of hearing me prattle on...
• Accessibility - I had to order the mask off the internet (whereas some others can be picked up locally) and for more than some other masks ($27.00 + shipping).  I am happy to pay more and wait for a more effective mask, but it does make it less accessible than other options. 

I haven't had many chances to use my mask yet, but I'll probably update this once I've had a chance to try it out in more public places like at the movies or on the bus at the zoo.  

Apparently your spacer is not supposed to whistle

I've had my spacer, a holding chamber of sorts that allows me to inhale more of my asthma medication (and have less of it stick to my mouth and throat), for well over a year now.  In that time, I've been using using it incorrectly.

I would pop the mouth piece of my inhaler into the fitted chamber slot thing, depress the medication thing, and inhale.  It would make a weird whistling sound and I would think "oh, don't mind me.  Just me and my asthma meds.  No harmonica solos to see here."

Apparently, if you hear a whistling sound, it means you're inhaling too quickly.  If you don't hear a sound, it can mean that you're doing it correctly, though some spacers don't have this mechanism, so it could just mean that your spacer isn't the whistling type.

If you're unsure of how to use any of your medications, be sure to get clarification for your doctor.

Getting a haircut

Getting a decent haircut is hard enough, but when living with asthma that is triggered by certain fragrances and chemicals, it can be fraught with potential hazards.  Here's what I've figured out so far to get a killer haircut...that won't kill me (ha!).

Finding safe products
Work with your stylist to find products that work for you.

• Try before diving in.
   - If you can hack it (haha!), take a small whiff of whatever your stylist would normally use before he or she gets to lathering (or spraying, or what-have-you).  Ask them to use something else if you find it will cause problems. 
• Bring your own products.
   - If you have doubts or know something your stylist usually uses will be a problem, ask for recommendations and see if anything else would work for you.  See if your stylist would be willing to have you supply the shampoo (or other product) for your appointment.
  
   Note: sniff at your own risk as preventing flare ups and attacks is the whole point!  This is how I shop for deodorant, lotion, body wash, etc., and have to be very cautious when doing so.  Any better methods would be very welcome!

Reducing the impact of products
If after an appointment you find that you're having trouble (as I did...after two or three appointments), in addition to taking your meds as needed,

• Put your hair up if possible, and be sure to wash your hands after handling your hair.  Getting it out of my face and away from my mouth and nosed helped ease some of my discomfort until I could get home and wash my hair. 
• If you have a mask, putting that on can help, too.  

Skip the products
 If you have difficulty with strong scents or certain products, it may be best to just skip them altogether.

• Wash your hair at home instead of having your stylist do it at the salon. 
   - It sucks to skip the lovely scalp massage, but it beats a flare up. 
• Ask your stylist to refrain from putting product in your hair.
   - If you're like me and don't regularly use a hair dryer or hot tools or color your hair, your hair should be fine with occasional (i.e., once every 6-8 weeks) styling without using something to protect it from the heat.
   - Straightened hair doesn't require hair spray to stay in place while tighter curls can relax into beach-y waves without product (plus, who likes crunchy hair anyways?).
• Go when the salon is less busy.
   - If your salon is slower at a certain time in the day, going then can reduce the number of products being used (and breathed in by you!). 
• Look into which services a salon provides.
   - If you're like me, acetone and nail polish, not to mention acrylic dust, are no-goes.  Some salons provide additional services, fumes from which can trigger attacks.  Be sure to consider this when choosing a salon. 

Any other tips for avoiding or minimizing exposure to triggers?