Believe it or not, the air within modern homes can be up to five times more contaminated than outside air. When you also consider that we can spend up to ninety percent of our lives indoors, the term sick building syndrome should require little explanation.
Inside pollutants like dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that folks who suffer from allergy induced asthma are making their condition worse by being indoors.
Some Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include dizziness, head aches, tickly throats, sinus congestion, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, sluggishness and an lack of concentration. However, because several of these symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, it is not always easy to to ascertain if indoor pollution is the reason or if it is down to some type of viral infection.
If you discover that the symptoms fade when you are away from home, you should try to identify indoor air sources that might be possible causes and try to get rid of them. Fortunately, indoor air pollution is one health risk that you can do something about.
Make a great difference to indoor air quality in your home with the following 7 tips.
Banish Smoking Inside the House
Ideally, you should ban smoking anywhere inside the house but if this is not possible, endeavour to restrict it to one place. In our case, any friends or family that call are restricted to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan pushes the smoky air outside as it does with cooking odors.
Air Out Regularly
Weather permitting, you should open windows and doors in order to lower the concentrations of inside pollutants while letting outdoor air to come in. Make good use of kitchen and bathroom extractor fans. Clean and check the fan and any vents on a regular basis and clean or replace any filters that may be fitted.
Use Natural Home Cleaning Products
If you have ever taken the time to understand the labels on household cleaning products, most of them will include a warning about how bad the chemicals are for your health or skin. Each time you use that product, fumes from whatever is in the bottle get released into the air for you to inhale. I have quite often started coughing after spraying counter tops with so called anti-bacterial cleaner. Not anymore though, as my natural housecleaning products of choice are baking soda, washing soda, vinegar and pure lemon juice. These are all non toxic, environmentally friendly and can tackle most housecleaning tasks, either singly or mixed with one another.
Clean and Dust Your House Regularly
Even though it might appear obvious to some folks, regularly hoovering your carpets and flooring can go a long way in controlling airborne allergens and dust. It may suprise you to know that about 70% of dust inside the home consists of dead skin which we humans continually molt. Dust mites like to feed on this dead skin which in turn makes them grow. They then shed their own skin and that, mixed with their fecal matter is what causes allergic reactions in people.
Pet Dander Allergies
If you have a family pet, they will molt dander that can spark allergic reactions and asthma attacks. If you suspect that you or a family member may be allergic to your family pet, action needs to be taken. The ideal solution is to keep pets out of the house completely. If that is not a feasible option, you should restrict the number of rooms that the pets are permitted to go into and definitely keep them out of the bedroom.
Reduce Indoor Air Humidity
Living in a damp climate or an area of high humidity can both result in moisture levels in the house increasing dramatically. This excessive moisture or humidness is the ideal breeding conditions for mold. For anybody with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. For that reason, a home dehumidifier can be vital. An air purifier dehumidifier will extract moisture from the air and into a water tank which you can then remove and pour away.
Invest in a Home Air Purifier
Home air purifiers or room air cleaners do as their name suggests and clean the air of pollutants and allergens like mold spores, pollen, cigarette smoke and pet dander. As well as being used to keep down the concentration of these airborne contaminants, they are especially useful for folks who suffer from allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Air purifiers and room air cleaners are quickly increasing in popularity because they make indoor air healthier and cleaner. All the same, there are different types of air purifier, some of which can in reality make allergies worse rather than better.
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