Weekly Tip for Aug 14: Air Quality: Is Your Home Making You Sick?

The Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

Pollution is generally thought of as something that exists outside in the overall environment and in large cities. However, pollution can also exist within your home and contaminate your air. This can include nasty contaminants like carbon monoxide, asbestos, nitrogen dioxide, radon, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons. Each of these is very dangerous to human beings.

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The risk is also heightened during the winter months when windows are not opened in an attempt to keep the heat inside a home. This prevents more fresh air from entering the home. The air can become stagnant as a result without the air pollutants being swapped out for uncontaminated air.

Many household products such as hairsprays, household cleaners, bug sprays, laundry detergents, furniture polishes and even deodorants contain harmful chemicals that can become trapped in stagnant air or get stuck in rugs, bed covers and more to be kicked up back into the air later.
The Health Risks of Poor Air Quality

If the air quality in your home is contaminated, you and your family could face significant health risks. If you find that you repeatedly suffer from colds, poor home air quality could be a contributing factor. Constant allergic reactions, bad headaches, coughing, sore throats, itchy eyes, rashes, memory issues, dizziness and even seizures can be symptoms brought on by air pollution within a home.

Beyond these symptoms, serious long term health issues can also develop. Constantly breathing in air pollution can lead to lung disease and chronic asthma that requires hospitalization and constant medical care. If you are constantly exposed to poor quality air, you are also at risk for developing heart disease and cancer at a much higher rate than the rest of the population.
The Solution

Thankfully, there are things a responsible homeowner can do the help maintain high air quality free of contamination and air pollutants. Air filters can block out pollution, air cleaners can improve your air quality and UV lights can kill disease causing microorganisms in your air supply.

According to One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, you can upgrade your heating, ventilation and cooling system to put in stronger guards to prevent air contaminants from passing through your system to different rooms.

Routine maintenance and inspection of your system can also inure that your air remains clean and healthy. Overall, you need to make sure to take action. If you don’t, you could be putting your family’s health at risk.

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