"Breathe Better, Live Better" features a dedicated person from the IAQ industry:
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Jim Webster
from
American Home Inspection Services
530-587-0615
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Decongreen Inc. offers unique solutions designed
specifically for the needs of improving indoor air quality. Services include prevention, decontamination and remediation.
Decongreen Inc. uses eco-friendly products that
can be applied to almost any toxic situation, leaving the environment
free from molds, bacteria, fungi, viruses, smoke, chemicals, mites, and bed bugs.
There is no harmful or toxic residue left after application.
EPA registered, Decongreen Inc. "one - step"
application leaves an antimicrobial protection barrier that can result
in years of safe protection.
After treatment, the environment is
completely safe and non-toxic for all inhabitants.
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 | A Breath of Fresh Air
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In an area of California renowned for
giant sequoias-and sky-high asthma rates-this mom and camp counselor
teaches kids how to live healthier.
Dina Güntensperger, 52, calls her volunteer service at an asthma camp
in Yosemite National Park her "soul work."
Güntensperger knows
the respiratory disease well. Years ago, a child who lived in her former
neighborhood died in her sleep of an asthma attack. "What a horrible
thing to have to live with," says the mother of eight children, four of
whom are adopted. "There's not enough awareness about how fatal a
serious attack can be."
Five of her own children have had some
form of asthma, contributing to Güntensperger's commitment to educate
people about the importance of understanding asthma medications.
Her
family first attended asthma camp in Yosemite as participants in 2005
after she noticed a flyer at her daughter's school in Salida, Calif.
(pop. 12,560). Living in the Central Valley, where asthma rates are more
than twice the national average, the camp was a godsend for her
family-and for her. "We were just so delighted to be there and to learn
and to be in Yosemite. I became a volunteer because it was a really
great cause, and I wanted to go back," she says.
The American
Lung Association and other nonprofit organizations operate similar
asthma camps nationwide. Yosemite Ridge, an organization dedicated to
providing camps for children with chronic illnesses, runs the asthma
camps in Yosemite, leasing space at Camp Wawona, not far from the
waterfalls, granite domes and giant sequoia trees that make the park
famous.
The Yosemite Ridge camps rely on grants for funding and
usually include a teen camp in the summer and a family camp in the fall.
The goal of asthma camp is to teach youngsters how to effectively
manage the disease. Typically, the camps serve children from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds who don't have consistent access to health
care.
"By bringing them here and giving them the necessary
education, we're empowering them to be in control of their asthma," says
Melanie Sue Ruvalcaba, 32, director of Yosemite Ridge, based in Fresno,
Calif. Kids also have the opportunity to share experiences with peers
in a supportive environment.
Many campers arrive without knowing
how to manage their asthma. "A lot of them have misconceptions and they
don't use their medicines correctly," says Stephen Naylon, 60, a
pediatric nurse practitioner in Lemoore, Calif.
Naylon says
serving as volunteer medical coordinator for the Yosemite Ridge camps
allows him to work with kids outside of a clinical setting. "Here, I'm
with them all day and all night instead of the 15 minutes they might get
in my office," he says. Because the kids are being managed around the
clock, they are able to see how specific medications can help them. They
soon realize they can do anything, including hiking up a tall peak or
enjoying the fall foliage, as long as they control their asthma.
If
the kids want a diversion from the outdoors, Güntensperger instructs
them in arts and crafts. Last year, she enlisted help from her son
Jean-Luc, 15, who taught the younger campers to make puffball spiders
with pipe cleaner legs. A former camper himself, Jean-Luc remembers
leaving the camp with a better understanding of the disease and how it
affects his body.
Although most of the participants live in the
nearby Central Valley, going to Yosemite is a novelty in itself for
many. At last year's family camp, 13 migrant farm worker families were
among 23 families that participated, and many had never set foot in the
Sierra Nevada mountain range, let alone gone camping. One morning,
Ruvalcaba got up early to find a crowd of campers outside. "There were
two deer out there," she says. "They had never seen one so close and
they were so excited."
by Alice Daniel
www.americanprofile.com
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Allergist: How to rid a home of mold
| AUSTIN, Texas, July 12 (UPI) -- Lots of rain
and lots of summer humidity can increase exposure to allergenic mold
spores -- an important trigger of allergies, a U.S. allergist says.
Dr. Henry Legere of Greater Austin Allergy in Austin, Texas, says
mold can be found inside and outside the home, but mold can be brought
inside the home on skin
or pets, clothing, shoes or indoor potted plants and once inside it
needs only a food source, warm environment and moisture to grow.
Large infestations of mold can usually be seen -- black stains or
specks of black, white, orange, green and brown on surfaces -- or
smelled. However, mold can be invisible.
"Mold spores contain allergens, substances that some immune systems
recognize as dangerous," Legere says in a statement. "Exposure to mold
can trigger allergic reactions such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation,
wheezing, coughing and hay fever-like symptoms."
Mold can be found in basements, crawl spaces, near windows, under
sinks, near leaky pipes, heavy vegetation, in piles of leaves and in
grass.
To rid a home of mold, Legere suggests:
-- Repair leaking roof and pipes.
-- Maintain a low level of humidity -- between 35 percent to 40
percent. If necessary, use a de-humidifier.
-- Use a solution of warm water, liquid detergent and 5 percent
bleach to clean mold on washable surfaces.
-- Use exhaust fans in the bathroom and wipe down the shower.
-- Remove items such as carpeting or wallpaper if mold is visible.
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Mold Contamination Forces Pasadena Family from their Home
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Last month a publication in Pasadena, California reported on a family
that had been forced to move out of their home after one of the family
members became extremely ill due to mold exposure. Mold had begun
growing in the family bathroom and its spores were spreading throughout
the home.
LA Testing, an affiliate of EMSL Analytical and a
leading indoor air quality testing laboratory, has one of their renowned
microbial testing laboratories located in Pasadena. The company has a
long tradition of providing testing solutions to property owners and
environmental professionals to help identify and prevent these types of
situations from occurring.
Mold is a normal part of the outdoor
environment, but is dangerous when found in high concentrations in
indoor environments. Since many people spend as much as 90% of their
time in indoor environments sometimes even a small amount of mold
contamination can cause building occupants to become sensitized.
Elevated
concentrations of mold in indoor environments can cause a host of
medical conditions ranging from allergies to infections. Fungal
infections are typically caused by inhaling airborne fungal spores.
People with undeveloped or weakened immune systems are generally the
most susceptible to these infections. Allergies can also be caused by
exposure to mold. Symptoms may include watery eyes, congestion, itchy
nose, sneezing, coughing and rashes. Mold is also a known trigger for
asthma.
"If you suspect there may be a problem with mold, have
your property inspected and tested," reported Ben Sublasky, National
Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical. "It is
not uncommon for mold to grow in areas, such as behind walls and under
cabinets, that is not visible to the naked eye. A qualified IAQ
investigator will know where to look and where to test for mold."
WEBWIRE - Tuesday, July 06, 2010
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Your comments and participation are much appreciated. Feel free to send me an email
Sincerely,
Greg Charillon
Decongreen inc. |
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