At the end, researchers will look at kids in both environments to see whose asthma is better. They used vacuums to blow cockroaches from underneath refrigerators and other tight spaces. They scoured floors and countertops. They preached the importance of proper bedding covers made of tightly woven material to keep the dust mites out. The cleaning continues after the researchers are gone.
Families get lessons in proper housecleaning.
For the past year, a high-powered filter has quietly whirred in Daniel's room, pulling microscopic flecks of dust and pollens from the air. We have him in football, he runs and plays. Last summer was a good one, full of swimming and camping without any asthma ailments. In early November, Daniel went deer hunting and boasted that he walked five miles a day without any trouble, or any puffs on his inhaler. Daniel's three sisters also have asthma, and they, too, have fared well in the past year, Gonzales reports.