National Jewish Health® Collaborates with Ductworks for National Asthma and Allergy Month to Help Families Detect Allergens at Home

Allergies & Asthma TestNational Jewish Health and Ductworks, Inc. are collaborating for the second year during National Asthma and Allergy Month, (May) to provide a comprehensive approach for people with allergies and asthma to help them learn if the environment in their homes is contributing to their illness. National Jewish has developed a diagnostic kit to assess the allergen levels in indoor environments.

National Jewish Health and Ductworks are working together on marketing and distribution of the Family Air Care® Indoor Allergens and Mold Test Kit. The kit, developed and serviced by National Jewish Health in Denver, determines levels of common indoor allergens and mold from dust samples taken inside a home, apartment or other building. The kit is now available through Ductworks for $299.

Once the diagnostic assessment of the home is complete, users can go to the Family Air Care® Website to learn how to lower allergen levels in their homes.

“The Family Air Care® kit is the only commercially available indoor-air testing kit that lets customers compare their results with samples from homes around the nation, and offers specific advice about how to interpret the results and what to do after receiving them,” said David Tinkelman, MD, Vice President of Health Initiatives at National Jewish Health.

To use the Family Air Care® Indoor Allergens and Mold Test Kit, consumers simply attach a small capture device to their vacuum-cleaner hose, briefly run the vacuum cleaner in their homes, then mail the collection device to National Jewish Health in a pre-paid envelope provided with the kit. Test results are reported in a secure e-mail. The kits can be ordered online at www.Ductworks.com.

“The Family Air Care® assessment benefits all households, but is especially important to the 70 percent of households where a person with allergies and/or asthma lives,” said Dr. Tinkelman. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that people with allergies and/or asthma reduce levels of allergens and irritants in their homes to improve their health.”

National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation.  Further information can be found by visiting www.nationaljewish.org.

Ductworks, Inc. “Your Air Duct Cleaning Expert” is a Denver-based company founded in 1990 to improve indoor air quality for homes and businesses. Their patented system of scraping and vacuuming is the most effective process for air duct cleaning. They have more technicians certified by the NADCA than any company in Colorado and provide customers with before and after photos to insure top quality performance. For more information on Ductworks and the Family Air Care Kit, go to www.ductworks.com.