Is your child constantly suffering from bouts of sneezing? It could be an allergy and could have been triggered in your house. Your house could be host to several such factors that could affect your child’s health. Here are the most common ones and ways to deal with them.

Pesticides and insect repellent
If you have a small lawn or a terrace garden, chances are that you would be using pesticides to protect your plants. “Prolonged exposure to chemicals like ammonia and chlorine present in insecticides and pesticides could cause chronic bronchitis or asthma in children,” says Mumbai-based General Physician, Dhwanika Kapadia.

Excessive use of insect repellents and other sprays like air fresheners can also cause breathing troubles, skin rashes and eye irritations. Set aside a day to debug your plants/house using pesticides and insect repellents. Give your kids a day out with your spouse or grandparents when you do so; so that they are not affected. "It is also a good idea to consume organic and local produce as much as possible so that these chemicals don't enter your children's system," says Mumbai-based general physician, Dr Maya Gariba.

Carpets
Carpets cause health troubles only if you let dust settle on them. “Avoid carpeting your home if you have children prone to allergies,” says Dhwanika. Make sure you clean the carpets with a vacuum cleaner regularly to avoid any allergy triggered by dust.

Indoor pollution
“Mattresses should be dusted regularly and checked for bed bugs and mites,” she adds. It will be a good idea to dust your house regularly so that dust and pollen do not accumulate as these trigger allergies too. Curtains tend to gather dust too. So make sure you wash and change them on a regular basis. "Avoid scented candles and incense sticks, especially around infants and toddlers, as they may make it difficult for them to breathe," says Dr Gariba.

Radiation
Children nowadays tend to be exposed to radiation very early. It is important to protect them from it. “Prolonged exposure to radiation from phones and other gadgets like wi-fi enabled laptops can affect their cognition as it causes degeneration of cells in the brain,” Dhwanika explains.

So, if your child or teen uses a cell phone, limit their usage in terms of call duration. Limit the amount you spend on their talk time so that usage is limited. It is best to limit children to using desk-top computers. If they are using your laptop for any reason, limit the time of use. "Set out more family time outside the house and encourage children to take up outdoor activities like cycling, swimming or basketball so that they turn into healthy adults," Dr Gariba suggests.

Here are more tips to protect your children from household triggers:

“Make sure kitchen counters are always clean as they are a breeding ground for bacteria,” says Dhwanika.

Encourage regular hand-washing or use of hand sanitisers before and after every meal. This will help prevent common colds and other infections including tummy troubles. "Germs and bacteria travel quicker from hand to mouth," says Dr Gariba.Make sure nooks and corners of your house aren’t ignored as bacteria tend to breed there too.

Source: Idiva