Weinheim. May 13, 2015. Tickling nose, burning eyes and violent sneezing – typical symptoms experienced by many allergy sufferers in the spring. Around one in six people in Germany are allergic to pollen and the number affected continues to grow. Whether in the countryside, at home or in the car, allergy-causing substances are everywhere and irritate the immune systems of sufferers. Fortunately, the Freudenberg Group offers a variety of innovative solutions that make life easier for people with allergies.
Vehicle cabin air filters are a good example. These filter out nearly 100 percent of harmful particles from the air, ensuring low-pollutant air in the car. Bedding is another example. To help allergy sufferers enjoy restful sleep at home, the Freudenberg Performance Materials business group developed an innovative textile for protective bedding. This protects sleepers against mites that can nest in bedding. A more dramatic example is anaphylactic shock. In the event of an occurrence, auto injection syringes charged with adrenaline are used. Medical moldings made of silicone made by Freudenberg's Helix Medical business group are used to seal the syringes.
Clean and contaminant-free air inside cars is especially important for people with allergies. Pollen, diesel exhaust and airborne bacteria cause unpleasant symptoms such as asthma, sneezing and headaches. These are in turn amplified by the so-called "tunnel effect". The concentration of pollutants inside vehicles can be up to six times higher than for pedestrians at the side of the road, for example. That is why micronAir® cabin air filters for motor vehicles are equipped with a specially developed layer of nonwoven fabric. This removes up to 100% of pollutants from the air, prevents contamination of the ventilation system and reduces window fogging.
Contaminant-free protective bedding for allergy sufferers
Beds and mattresses provide a perfect home for mites, offering the ideal temperature and humidity conditions. One solution to this problem is hypoallergenic bedding. If Evolon® is used for this purpose, no additional chemical treatment is needed.
How does it work? Polyester and polyamide filaments are split and consolidated into textile microfilaments by means of high-pressure water jets. The result is a very dense textile material. Because the nearly impermeable and fine structure filters out even the smallest particles, this creates a natural protective barrier against allergens. Its high density makes the material durable and dimensionally stable.
Particularly important for allergy sufferers is the fact that Evolon® is both breathable and washable at 95 degrees Celsius. This innovative development by Freudenberg Performance Materials was awarded the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) quality seal. Evolon® also holds the Öko-Tex Standard 100, Class 1. This guarantees that the product is free from harmful substances and can be used for babies and toddlers.
Emergency injections for allergic shock
With shortness of breath, dizziness and swelling, allergic shock is the human organism's most violent reaction to an allergen. Initially, histamine is secreted, which in turn triggers a chain reaction. First the blood vessels dilate then blood pressure falls, causing vital organs to receive a reduced blood supply, or none at all.
Triggers include insect bites, medications or foods such as nuts, milk or eggs. Emergency treatment consists of an antihistamine, cortisone and a shot of adrenaline. This is because adrenaline stimulates the cardiovascular function again in a matter of seconds, causing the blood vessels to constrict and relieving symptoms of restricted breathing.
These auto-injector syringes use medical moldings made out of liquid silicone by Freudenberg's Helix Medical business group. The moldings ensure that the syringe is well sealed, the active ingredient cannot leak out and that the correct dose is administered.
About the Freudenberg Group
The Freudenberg Group is a family company offering its customers technically challenging product solutions and services. The Group develops and manufactures seals, vibration control components, filters, nonwovens, products for surface treatment, release agents and specialty lubricants, medical and mechatronic products. Especially for mid-size companies Freudenberg develops software solutions and IT services. The end-user can find modern mechanical household cleaning products from Freudenberg in the shops under the brand names of vileda®, O-Cedar®, Wettex®, Gala®, Marigold® and SWASH®. The Freudenberg Group employed more than 40,000 people in about 60 countries and generated sales of more than €7 billion in 2014 (including pro-rata consolidation of our 50:50 joint ventures). For further information, please go to www.freudenberg.com.