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» June 2011 Asthma Adviceline Case Study
June 2011 Asthma Adviceline Case Study
Aidan, 36, who has asthma, recently moved to a new home. His asthma is controlled but his asthma is triggered by pollen and dust. The garden of the new home is overgrown and needs a lot of work. Aidan called the Asthma Adviceline for advice on how to garden with asthma without triggering his asthma.
Asthma Nurse's Advice: Seasonal allergies may affect one in ten people in Ireland every year. It is very difficult to experience endless sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, headaches and worsening of your asthma symptoms etc as soon as spring hits.
Pollen the tiny male cell of flowering plants gives rise to these symptoms.The pollens that cause the most problems are those that are spread by wind, such as the pollen from trees, grasses and weeds.These are very light pollens and can blow hundreds of miles from their origin. As a result you can suffer symptoms caused by pollens that were released miles away.
I hope the following tips will allow you to head out into your garden and enjoy the wonder of choosing beautiful plants trees and substances;
1. Choose plants that are pollinated by bees, the pollen is heavier and sticky and therefore stays on the bees rather than floating around the garden.
2. Avoid wind pollinated plants which disperse copious amounts of pollen into the air.
3. Avoid plants which are intensely fragrant as they can be a trigger for allergies and asthma.
4. Choose female plants, as they produce no pollen. Sterile male plants are also a good choice.
5. Grass is a major pollen producer so mow your lawn regularly, before it flowers.
6. Wear a mask when mowing lawn or trimming hedge.
7. If possible replace your lawn with gravel
8. Replace organic mulches with inorganic mulches
9. Avoid ornamental grasses in your planting schemes.
10. Remove hedges which harbour dust, pollen grains and mould spores which can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms.
11. Planting female and thus fruiting trees will attract birds to feed on insects
12. If space is limited place bird feeders will attract birds to keep insect dander out of your breathable atmosphere.
Pollen levels measure airborne allergens if you are sensitive to pollen monitoring pollen levels may help limit outdoor exposure at peak pollen times and in turn reduce allergy symptoms. You can check the daily pollen count on the following link:
For more information on gardening with asthma & allergies, download the "Gardening with Asthma & Allergies & Creating an Asthma & Allergy Friendly Garden" Booklet.
If you have an asthma related query and would like to speak to an Asthma Nurse, call the Asthma Adviceline on 1850 44 54 64.
*Caller names have been changed to protect the caller's identity
