Allergies and asthma: Double trouble

 

Allergies and asthma: They often occur together Allergies and asthma: A Mayo Clinic specialist explains the connection, and what you can do to prevent attacks and manage symptoms. By Mayo Clinic Staff You may wonder what allergies and asthma have in common besides making you miserable. A lot, as it turns out. Allergies and asthma often occur together. The same substances that trigger your hay fever symptoms may also cause asthma signs and symptoms, such as shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness. This is called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma. Certain substances, such as pollen, dust mites and pet dander, are common triggers. In some people, skin or food allergies can cause asthma symptoms. James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic allergy specialist, answers questions about the link between allergies and asthma. How does an allergic reaction cause asthma symptoms? An allergic response occurs when immune system proteins (antibodies) mistakenly identify a harmless substance, such as tree pollen, as an invader. In an attempt to protect your body from the substance, antibodies bind to the allergen. The chemicals released by your immune system lead to allergy signs and symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes or skin reactions. For some people, this same reaction also affects the lungs and airways, leading to asthma symptoms. Are allergies and asthma treated differently? Most treatments are designed to treat either asthma or allergies. But a few treatments help with both conditions, for example: Leukotriene modifier. Montelukast (Singulair) is a medication that eases both allergy and asthma symptoms. Called a leukotriene modifier, this taken-daily pill helps control immune system chemicals released during an allergic reaction. In rare cases, this and other leukotriene modifiers have been linked to psychological reactions, including suicidal thinking. Seek medical advice right away for any unusual psychological reaction to one of these medications. Allergy shots (immunotherapy). Allergy shots can help treat asthma by gradually reducing your immune system response to certain allergy triggers. Immunotherapy involves getting regular injections of a tiny amount of the allergens that trigger your symptoms. Your immune system builds up a tolerance to the allergens over time, and your allergic reactions diminish. In turn, asthma symptoms decrease as well. This treatment generally requires regular injections over a period of three to five years. Anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) therapy. When you have an allergy, your immune system mistakenly identifies a specific substance as something harmful and releases antibodies, known as IgE, against the culprit allergen. The next time you encounter that allergen, the IgE antibodies sense it and signal your immune system to release a chemical called histamine, as well as other chemicals, into your bloodstream. The medication omalizumab (Xolair) interferes with IgE in the body and helps prevent the allergic reaction that triggers asthma symptoms. You may need other medications to treat allergies or asthma, especially if your symptoms become severe at times. However, recognizing and avoiding the allergic substances that trigger your symptoms is the most important step you can take. Next Feb. 27, 2013 References See more In-depth

Role of microbiota in preventing allergies

 

A cluster of type 3 cells (shown in green) in a mouse colon. These cells are induced by the microbiota and block type 2 allergic reactions. Credit: © Institut Pasteur The human body is inhabited by billions of symbiotic bacteria, carrying a diversity that is unique to each individual. The microbiota is involved in many mechanisms, including digestion, vitamin synthesis and host defense. It is well established that a loss of bacterial symbionts promotes the development of allergies. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur have succeeded in explaining this phenomenon, and demonstrate how the microbiota acts on the balance of the immune system: the presence of microbes specifically blocks the immune cells responsible for triggering allergies. These results are published in Science on July 9, 2015. The hygiene hypothesis suggests a link between the decline in infectious diseases and the increase in allergic diseases in industrialized countries. Improvements in hygiene levels necessarily lead to reduced contact with microbes that is paralleled by an increased incidence in allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes. Epidemiological studies have substantiated this hypothesis, by showing that children living in contact with farm animals -- and therefore with more microbial agents -- develop fewer allergies during their lifetime. Conversely, experimental studies have shown that administering antibiotics to mice within the first days of life results in a loss of microbiota, and subsequently, in an increased incidence in allergy. However, until now, the biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remained unclear. In this study published in Science, the team led by Gérard Eberl (head of the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit at the Institut Pasteur) shows that, in mice, symbiotic intestinal microbes act on the immune system by blocking allergic reactions. Several types of immune response can be generated in order to defend the organism. The presence of bacterial or fungal microbes provokes a response from immune cells known as type 3 cells. These immune cells coordinate the phagocytosis and killing of the microbes. However, in the case of infection by pathogenic agents that are too large to be handled by type 3 cells (such as parasitic worms and certain allergens), the cells that organize the elimination of the pathogen, but also allergic reactions, are known as type 2 cells. In this study, scientists at the Institut Pasteur have shown that type 3 cells activated during a microbial aggression act directly on type 2 cells and block their activity. Type 2 cells are consequently unable to generate allergic immune responses. This work demonstrates that the microbiota indirectly regulates type 2 immune responses by inducing type 3 cells. These results explain how an imbalance in microbiota triggers an exaggerated type 2 immune response normally used to fight large parasites, but that also leads to allergic responses. These findings represent an important milestone in understanding the balance between our various defense mechanisms. In terms of allergy treatment, a hitherto unexplored therapeutic approach consists therefore in stimulating type 3 cells by mimicking a microbial antigen in order to block allergy-causing type 2 cells. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Institut Pasteur. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: C. Ohnmacht, J.-H. Park, S. Cording, J. B. Wing, K. Atarashi, Y. Obata, V. Gaboriau-Routhiau, R. Marques, S. Dulauroy, M. Fedoseeva, M. Busslinger, N. Cerf-Bensussan, I. G. Boneca, D. Voehringer, K. Hase, K. Honda, S. Sakaguchi, G. Eberl. The microbiota regulates type 2 immunity through ROR t T cells. Science, 2015; DOI: 10.1126/science.aac4263

Educating the immune system to prevent allergies

 

Thu, 05/14/2015 Julie Robert, McGill University A research team at the Montreal Children’s Hospital from the Research Institute of the McGill University. Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is bringing them hope with a potential vaccine that nudges the immune response away from developing allergies. The findings published in Mucosal Immunology have major clinical implications since allergies and asthma are lifelong conditions that often start in childhood and for which there is presently no cure. "Our study, for the first time, offers a potential way of preventing allergies by using a molecule that redirects the immune response away from the allergic response," says lead author Dr. Christine McCusker, allergist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and researcher at the RI-MUHC and associate professor in the Dept. of Pediatrics at McGill University. "This discovery is very promising since the molecule we developed can be administered by a drop into the nose as a spray." The reasons why allergies develop remain unexplained, but it is believed that all children are born with the potential to develop allergies. Children without allergies make a shift to the non-allergenic immune response when allergens are around. Those who do develop allergies have not shifted by the time they are exposed to the allergen. Dr. McCusker and her team from the Meakins-Christie Laboratories started to work on a specific molecule—called STAT6—which is important in the development of allergic response. They thought that if they could inhibit this molecule they would reduce the symptoms of allergic airways disease, such as asthma, in allergic animals. They also hoped to prevent the allergy from developing entirely. To do this, they developed an inhibitor peptide called STAT6-IP that was given to newborn mice by intranasal droplet.      "By giving the peptide STAT6-IP very early on, before allergies are present, we were able to teach the immune system. So when we tried to make the mice allergic later on, we couldn’t because the immune system had ‘learned’ to tolerate allergens," explains Dr. McCusker. "What’s beautiful about our approach is that you do not have to couple it with a specific allergen, you only use this peptide. It just redirects the immune system away from the allergic response and then it will not matter if the child is exposed to pollen, cats or dogs, because the immune system will not form an aggressive allergic reaction anymore," adds Dr. McCusker. "In subjects who have the propensity to develop allergies, their system has made the ‘wrong’ decision somewhere along the line," she says. "It is like educating the immune system to follow the path we want it to follow." Researchers are now studying the effect of this peptide to see in what other areas this type of immune education will prevent disease, such as with food allergies. They then hope to move this discovery to clinical trials in humans. Source: McGill University.

Can you outgrow food allergies?

 

My 4-year-old son is allergic to both peanuts and eggs. Is it possible he will outgrow these allergies as he gets older? Answers from James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D. Eight foods trigger 90 percent of all food allergies. Peanuts and eggs are two of them. The rest are milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, soy and wheat. Statistically speaking, there's a good chance he can safely eat eggs as an adult. Children usually outgrow egg and milk allergies as they get older. Unfortunately, it's much less likely for him to outgrow his peanut allergy. By school-age, this allergy is resolved in only 20 percent of children. Peanut consumption remains a common cause of allergic reactions in adults. Your son can outgrow his food allergies if and when his body begins to suppress the production of a protein called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The immune system releases this protein when it mistakenly identifies a food substance, such as peanuts and eggs, as something harmful. IgE suppression is key to gaining tolerance for foods that have previously caused an allergic reaction. There are other factors that can affect the likelihood of your son outgrowing his allergies. These include the severity of his reactions, how many foods he's allergic to, and how old he was when he had his first reaction. Mar. 04, 2014 References Zukiewicz-Sobczak W, et al. Causes, symptoms, and prevention of food allergy. Postepy Dermatologii i Alergologii. 2013;30:113. Keet C. Recognition and management of food-induced anaphylaxis. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2011;58:377. Sheikh A, et al. Oral immunotherapy for the treatment of peanut allergy: Systematic review of six case series studies. Primary Care Respiratory Journal. 2011;21:41. Immunoglobulin E (IgE). American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-a-to-z-search/immunoglobulin-e-%28ige%29.aspx. Accessed Jan. 24, 2014. Yamashita H, et al. Overcoming food allergy through acquired tolerance conferred by transfer of Tregs in a murine model. Allergy. 2012;67:201. Gupta RS, et al. Factors associated with reported food allergy tolerance among US Children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2013;111:194. Sheikh SZ, et al. Recent advances in the diagnosis and therapy of peanut allergy. Expert Review of Clinical Immunology. 2013;9:551. See more Expert Answers

Best treatments for allergic conditions? Some doctors don’t even know

 

---

People who suffer from allergies want to keep up-to-date on the latest information regarding treatment, but it's not always easy. Some doctors don't even know fact from fiction when it comes to treating allergies.

According to a study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, prevailing allergy myths have a long shelf life. The study surveyed 409 physicians -- either in internal medicine or pediatrics -- on the topic of treating allergies. The physicians all received six questions on allergy treatment, but because pediatricians treat children's allergies, they answered three additional questions.

"We asked what the best first treatment was for a patient experiencing vomiting and hives after eating a known food allergen," said allergist and ACAAI member Kara Wada, MD, lead study author. "Only 50 percent of internal medicine physicians knew it was epinephrine. And 85 percent of internal medicine physicians thought the flu vaccine shouldn't be given to egg-allergic patients. It's now known that it's safe for those with egg allergies to get the flu shot."

Other myths reported in the survey include:

• Only 27 percent of the pediatric physicians correctly identified the most common causes of food allergy in children under 4 years of age as both eggs and milk. 34 percent identified strawberries and 13 percent thought it was artificial food coloring.
• Both groups thought it was necessary to ask about allergies to iodine, shellfish and artificial dyes before ordering a CT scan and other imaging procedures which use iodinated contrast for better imaging. Since shellfish contain iodine, many physicians have linked a contrast reaction to a shellfish allergy. However, shellfish allergy has nothing to do with the reaction, and iodine can't be an allergen as it is found in the human body.
• The majority of pediatricians thought that skin prick testing for food or inhaled allergens isn't accurate or reliable until 3 years of age. While skin prick testing is rarely conducted on infants younger than 6 months old, there is otherwise no age limit.

---

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

---

 

Medications are main culprit of allergic deaths in U.S., comprehensive study finds

 

---

Medications are the leading cause of allergy-related sudden deaths in the U.S., according to an analysis of death certificates from 1999 to 2010, conducted by researchers at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The study, published online today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, also found that the risk of fatal drug-induced allergic reactions was particularly high among older people and African-Americans and that such deaths increased significantly in the U.S. in recent years.

Anaphylaxis is the term used for a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within seconds or minutes following exposure to an allergen. Until now, data on trends in anaphylactic deaths -- or even the number of yearly deaths from anaphylactic shock -- has not been well-defined. One reason: unlike countries such as the UK, the U.S. doesn't maintain a national registry for anaphylaxis deaths.

"Anaphylaxis-related deaths in the U.S. have not been well understood in recent years," said Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc. director, Drug Allergy Center, Allergy and Immunology Division of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, and assistant professor of medicine, Albert Einstein College, the lead author of the study. "We hope these findings will help in identifying specific risk factors and allow physicians to formulate preventative approaches."

Dr. Jerschow and colleagues analyzed death certificates from the U.S. National Mortality Database and found that medication-related anaphylaxis was the most common cause of death (58.8 percent). Additional causes identified included unspecified anaphylaxis (19.3 percent), venom (15.2 percent) and food (6.7 percent). Further analyses revealed fatal anaphylaxis due to medications, food and unspecified allergens was significantly associated with African American race and older age; and fatal anaphylaxis rates due to venom was more common in white, older men.

Of the 2,458 deaths identified between 1999-2010, culprit drugs were not specified in most of the cases (approximately 74 percent). However, among those with an identified culprit drug, nearly half were antibiotics, followed by radiocontrast agents used during diagnostic imaging procedures and chemotherapeutics that are used in treatment of cancer.

During the years studied, there was a significant increase in fatal drug anaphylaxis, from 0.27 per million in 1999-2001 to 0.51 per million in 2008-2010. The increase in medication-related anaphylaxis deaths likely relates to increased medication and radiocontrast use, enhanced diagnosis and coding changes.

"Anaphylaxis has been dubbed 'the latest allergy epidemic,'" said Dr. Jerschow. "The U.S. and Australia have some of the highest rates of severe anaphylaxis among developed countries. We hope these results bring increased awareness of the need for a better understanding of anaphylaxis deaths."

---

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Montefiore Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Elina Jerschow et al. Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States, 1999-2010: Temporal patterns and demographic associations. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, September 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.018

---

 

What to Do If You're Allergic to Your Pet

 

(GETTYIMAGES)

If you could snap your fingers and make your allergies disappear, youd probably do it in a second. But what if your pet is the cause of your watery eyes, sneezing, and runny nose? Suddenly that oh-so-simple decision becomes a much tougher call. For some, the psychological misery of giving up a pet may outweigh the everyday misery of allergy symptoms.
The problem starts with dander, one of the most stubborn and common allergens. Cats, dogs, and other furry or feathered pets produce dander, which consists of microscopic, dandruff-like flakes of skin and proteins from saliva and urine that can trigger allergies and aggravate asthma. If youre allergic to dander, the easiest route to allergy relief is to find your pet a new home.

In fact, thats what most doctors will tell you to do. Yet this advice is rarely welcomed or followed, even when the pet is causing serious problems. “Some families cant fathom giving away their pet—its almost like giving away one of their children,” says Anne Miranowski, MD, an allergist at the Pediatric Lung Center in Fairfax, Va. “I see some children where exposure to their three cats is clearly making them sick, and the family insists on keeping all three cats.”
Physicians and health organizations recognize the attachment that people have to their pets. If a family is unwilling to remove a pet, experts recommend a host of alternative measures, such as limiting contact between the pet and the allergic person (by keeping pets outdoors or out of bedrooms, for instance) and using air cleaners. (Find out the best ways to reduce pet allergens in your home.)
These measures arent nearly as effective as giving away a pet, however, and going this route will likely have consequences—more symptoms, more medication, and a potential worsening of asthma—that should be weighed against the distress of seeing a cat or dog pitter-patter out of your life forever. And although there may be some breeds touted as better for people with allergies—think the Obamas and their Portuguese water dog, Bo—there are no cats or dogs truly free from dander.
You pet may not be causing your symptoms
Before you think about finding a pet a new home, its important to figure out if you—or your children—are in fact allergic. Though it seems as if pet allergies should be obvious, they are sometimes harder to recognize than you think.
If your eyes start to swell and you sneeze uncontrollably every time you are near a cat, then yes, you are probably allergic to cats. But some people with allergies or asthma who grow up around animals and are in contact with them every day may have more subtle symptoms. Instead of watery eyes and the other classic signs of pet allergies, they may experience chronic, low-level congestion, for instance.
“A lot of times people will say, ‘My dog or cat doesnt bother me, but when somebody is exposed to a pet day in and day out, they dont have the dramatic symptoms every time they see it,” says Andy Nish, MD, an allergist at the Allergy & Asthma Care Center, in Gainesville, Ga. “It may be a more subtle and chronic inflammatory process, and they may not realize that the pet is causing them problems.”
This phenomenon sometimes works in reverse: In some cases, people with asthma may believe that their pet is causing them more problems than it actually is. A respiratory condition in which the lung airways are chronically inflamed, asthma can be triggered by substances other than pet dander, such as dust mites, exhaust, smoke, and cold air, or even allergens from rodents and cockroaches. For some (but certainly not all) asthmatics, pets may actually be a relatively minor contribution to their symptoms, and some asthmatics may not be allergic to pets at all.
“Theres no reason to consider removing a pet unless you can demonstrate that there is a sensitization to that type of animal,” says Gregory Diette, MD, an asthma specialist and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore. “One mistake Ive seen [physicians] make is to generally recommend that asthmatics not have cats, dogs, or other furred pets when they havent done the allergy testing to prove whether theres an abnormal response to that type of animal.”
The easiest way to pinpoint a pet allergy is to visit an allergist and get a series of skin tests, in which the skin is exposed to small samples of the proteins shed by cat, dog, and other allergy-triggering substances, such as pollen or dust. Allergists may also use a blood test known as a RAST as an alternative to or in addition to skin tests.

Allergy Medications: Which Drugs Treat Which Symptoms

 

 

Credit: yellowj | Shutterstock

 

When spring is in the air, as the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies know, so are pollen, mold and other microscopic annoyances.

Seasonal allergies are caused by an errant immune reaction. Mistaking common environmental elements for a health threat, the body sends out antibodies via white blood cells, which release protein substances to neutralize the “invaders.” These proteins — the best known is called histamine — usually settle in vulnerable and important areas such as the respiratory tract, stimulating the swelling, itching and mucous production we associate with common allergies.   

Luckily for sufferers, a number of both over-the-counter and prescription remedies are readily available. They come in a variety of formats and work in different ways, however. Let’s have a look.

 

Over-the-counter medications

Pills

Most allergy sufferers first reach for basic, over-the-counter antihistamine pills, which work by blocking the excitable chemical histamine from going to town on your sinuses. Oral antihistamines contain the active drugs loratadine or cetirizine, marketed at the drugstore as Claritin and Zyrtec, respectively. When ingested, the chemicals in the pill bind to the natural histamines in the body and block them from agitating your system, providing relief from the all-over itching and congestion.

But beware! Some oral antihistamines, such as Benadryl, contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Other over-the-counter pills commonly used to combat allergies are decongestants, which contain the ingredient pseudoephedrine (Sudafed is one brand name). Pseudoephedrine provides quick relief for sinus congestion but is known for its side effects, including dizziness, anxiety and irregular heartbeat.

Nasal sprays

Nasal remedies attack allergies head-on. Most over-the-counter nasal sprays are decongestant in medical make-up and are very effective in relieving sinus pressure specifically because they send their active ingredients straight to the source, quickly constricting irritated blood vessels in the nose. Examples of over-the-counter nasal decongestants are Neo-Synephrine (containing phenylephrine) and Afrin (oxymetazoline).

Eye drops

Itchy, watery eyes are a hallmark of allergy season, and that can make it difficult to focus at work and in your personal life. Decongestant eye drops soothe sufferers with active ingredients tetrahydrozoline and naphazoline, which shrink inflamed blood vessels in the eyes. Overuse of these drugs — sold under the brand names Visine, Clear Eyes, and others — may have the opposite effect, however, so they’re meant as short-term solutions. Some antihistamine eye drops (Alaway, Zaditor) are also available over the counter. Employing the drug ketotifen, these tend to treat allergy symptoms in the eyes in a more sweeping way, but need to be applied more frequently.

 

Prescription medications

Pills

Allergy sufferers in need of serious relief may turn to their doctor for prescription medications. Prescription allergy pills can cause stronger side effects than their over-the-counter counterparts and so are usually taken for short stretches of time. Examples of prescription allergy medication include Clarinex, an oral antihistamine containing desloratadine, and Singulair, a montelukast drug targeted especially to asthmatics with allergies. These pills function in the same way as over-the-counter medications in relieving the painful sinus congestion, itching and sneezing associated with seasonal allergies.

Nasal spray

Prescription nasal sprays are usually offered to patients with chronic allergic rhinitis or — in layman’s terms — a clogged-up nose that just won’t stop running. Chronic rhinitis is a staple of seasonal allergies, but can affect some people worse than others. Many prescription nasal sprays deploy a combination of antihistamine and decongestant properties, and occasionally a stronger corticosteroid element, to attack the swelling, itching, running and postnasal drip in one shot. Astelin (azelastine), Flonase (fluticasone) and Nasonex (mometasone) are all well-known brands.

Eye drops

Allergic conjunctivitis is a severe reaction to airborne allergens and causes extreme redness, itchiness and inflammation of the eye. To treat it, sufferers often turn to prescription antihistamine eye drops, which are usually combined with decongestants for maximum effect. Active ingredients found in these drops include emedastine (sold as Emadine) and olopatadine (Patanol).

 

Allergy shots and immunotherapies

Allergy shots are sometimes prescribed to allergy sufferers who have adverse reactions to medications that are ingested, as well as for people who want to be more aggressive with their treatment plans. With this option, doctors inject small amounts of actual extract from the allergen in the hopes of making the patient more tolerant to the allergen over time. The process may take years, but can be especially effective for those allergic to dust or cat dander, and for preventing the development of asthma in children.

 

Natural allergy remedies

Many people who take allergy medications complain that the side effects make them feel drowsy, buzzy or anxious. Short of moving to a barren desert, sufferers looking for relief from environmental allergens without the help of drugs have a few options.

Both drinking a cup of hot tea and breathing steam may loosen congested mucous membranes. Homeopaths suggest a cocktail of supplements, acupuncture and plenty of rest and fluids. Some studies have also touted the benefits of butterbur, an herb with natural anti-inflammatory properties; other dataindicate that it is no better than placebo.

Note: This article is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Readers should not rely on information for their own health problems. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

How to Breathe Easier At Home

 

Banish allergies, send germs packing, and make your place a feel-good retreat with these easy tweaks.

Getty Images

Having a healthy home isn't necessarily about making every surface spotless. (Phew!) But a bit of strategic cleaning protects you from germs and toxins. In fact, concentrations of some pollutants can be two to five times greater inside our homes than they are outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—a worrisome fact considering we spend, on average, 90 percent of our time indoors.
What's more, ordinary objects like a dirty dish towel or neglected houseplant "can provide just the right environment for harmful microbes to grow," says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Fortunately, small changes, whether it's shaking out your welcome mat or installing a water filter, can improve the well-being of your home—and everyone in it. Here, the most important moves to make.
Step up your doormat
About 60 percent of the dust in our home comes from outside—most of it tracked in on the bottom of our shoes, research says. And those tiny particles are made up of a combination of all sorts of icky things like human skin, animal fur, food debris, lead, and even arsenic.
"Fortunately, using the right kind of doormats can help reduce dirt, pesticides, pollen, and other pollutants in your home," says Oluremi Aliyu, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Pick an abrasive one (it will grab more gunk) made of synthetic fibers like nylon yarn or polypropylene.
Then don't forget to clean it: "Vacuum or shake out your mat once a week," advises Linda Cobb, cleaning expert and author of Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean. Once a month, do a deep clean: Scrub it with a scrub brush and warm, soapy water, then hose it off.
Filter your tap water
Your home H2O can contain bacteria, chemicals, and other pollutants, including heavy metals like lead. At least 74 million Americans in 42 states drink tap water containing chromium (a metal that in some forms can cause cancer), a study from the Environmental Working Group reveals.
And although chlorine is necessary to disinfect our water supply, large amounts can damage healthy cells. The chlorine can also react with other elements in water to form compounds that have been linked to cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects. Long-term exposure to water contaminants—via drinking or inhalation (such as in the steam from your shower)—can also lead to blood, bone, and lung diseases, notes Michael Roizen, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute.
For extra peace of mind, invest in a water filter for your kitchen faucet that is certified by the National Science Foundation (such as Pur or Brita). In the shower, install a carbon filter to help remove chlorine as well as metals that may leach out of pipes. Remember: "The longer water has been sitting in the pipes, the higher the metal content, so let it run for a few seconds before showering," Roizen adds.