How Indoor Air Quality Is Affecting Your Health

When you hear about concern for the quality of our air, the focus is generally on the air that were breathing when were outside. What doesn't get as much attention is our indoor air quality, which can be far worse, and can have a far greater impact on our health.

While the natural outdoor environment has mechanisms to regulate air quality like rain, wind and other natural processes, its also subject to the pollution from factories and vehicles, causing our focus on air quality to more often be centered on what were dealing with outside of our homes.

Yet, when it comes to the home you live in, even failing to get proper ventilation can result in a significant decrease in the quality of the air that you're breathing.

What Can Cause Bad Air Quality Indoors?

The air inside your home will be affected by a variety of pollutants, that if left to linger without proper ventilation, can cause significant health problems over time. The most typical of those pollutants would be the following: 

Pet dander

Mold

Dust and dust mites

Cleaners and chemicals

Every house will have at least a couple of these in one form or another. While poor ventilation doesn't necessarily create these problems, proper ventilation is one of the most effective methods of removing these things from the air within your home.

If you spend long periods of time in a house without considering the quality of your air or how clean it really is, it can potentially have a negative impact on your health, or at least exacerbate health problems that you already suffer from. 

What Are Some Health Concerns?

Those with asthma need to be particularly careful about maintaining the air quality in their home. Poor circulation can lead to the accumulation of dust and mold, which can trigger asthma attacks and make it more difficult to breathe in general.

Other health problems, like tension headaches, sore or itching eyes, sore throat and general fatigue, can all be a result of bad air quality. Additionally, those with allergies can have a reaction to dust or mold, or can worsen their seasonal allergies without proper air circulation. 

Tips For Improving Air Quality

Improving air quality is more a matter of developing good habits. Even just placing fans around the most-used areas and opening a few windows around the house can go a long way in helping to circulate the air in your home, and prevent things from going stale.

Additionally, you can buy air purifying products, like a cool misty vaporizer or an air filter for each room of the house.

You should also check for excessive mold or moisture, keep filters changed on a regular basis and consistently clean up after pets if you have them. Its also possible that more drastic measures, like changing your carpet or insulation, may be necessary. Consider speaking with an HVAC expert to determine whether or not this should be a solution. 

Establishing Good Habits

The indoor air quality battle can be won by simply listening to your body and establishing good habits in response. Whether you suffer from asthma or simply want to improve your health, taking the necessary steps for cleaner air within your home is a must. 

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Written By:

Marcela DeVivo is a freelance writer and mother of three in Southern California. As a writer for Soothing Walls, she helps to teach her family and others about how their environment can affect their health. Follow her on Twitter today!

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