Instantly Improve Indoor Air Quality With These Easy Steps
Posted On: May 3rd, 2023
Indoor air health is at an all time low according to new scientific evidence. Lately, air within people’s homes and apartments is more polluted than the air outdoors, even in the most industrialized cities.
With people spending about 90% of their time indoors on average, we are being overexposed to seriously toxic air. And, this indoor air pollution has a BIG impact on your health.
Have you ever felt constantly under the weather with a runny nose that won’t quit, headaches that seem to always return like a boomerang, and fatigue that won’t leave?
It’s more common than you’d think, and the cause isn’t another global virus; the cause is poor indoor air quality!
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Air quality is affected by everything from how often you open your windows to what products you spray in the house. Here’s a list of what to lookout for:
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- Pollutant sources
- Radon
- Tobacco Smoke
- Biological Contaminants
- Mold, mildew, pollen, bacteria, animal dander, cat saliva, dust mites, cockroaches, etc.
- Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, Chimneys
- Household Products
- Formaldehyde
- Pesticides
- Asbestos
- Types of ventilation in the home
- Circulation quality
- Pollutant sources
How Indoor Air Pollution Affects You
When you catch up with friends and loves ones, have you noticed that more and more people are complaining about feeling tired, sluggish, and out of energy? That’s likely due to poor indoor air quality!
Home pollution causes a whole variety of symptoms, many of which are similar to how you would feel with a virus in your system.
In many cases, you won’t feel sick from immediate exposure– like with harsh household chemicals. You may not feel sick right away, but after your hormone system is disrupted, the body’s immune response kicks in. And to you, it feels the same as any other cold or flu.
In cases of immediate sickness happening – mold, bacteria, toxic home products, or other allergens are the culprit. Illness from these kinds of exposures manifests similarly to a cold or flu, but is much easier to determine as the cause. With home allergens as the culprit, symptoms of sickness subside after leaving the affected area.
The symptoms felt in both cases includes:
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- Ear, nose, & throat irritation
- Migraines and headaches
- Dizziness & fatigue
- Cold & flu-like symptoms:
- runny nose, sore throat, headaches, etc.
How To Tell If It’s The Flu Or Indoor Air Quality
Signs you’ve got issues with your indoor air quality include:
- Symptoms fading after leaving the home for long periods of time but return or worsen once back inside. This is a strong indicator that your indoor air is the root cause.
- Feeling under the weather, groggy, or sluggish without contact with an ill person. This is a good indicator to use for those who spend long stretches of time indoors.
- Symptoms flaring when moving furniture, dusting, or remodeling the home
Testing for Indoor Air Quality
Having clinical testing done can be pricey and time consuming.
It is recommended to have Radon testing performed in your home regularly as well, since it’s odorless and colorless.
If you start to question whether you’ve got a problem with your indoor air, it’s important to identify pollutant sources as quickly as possible.
A quick test you can do right now is to write down how you feel before and after leaving the house. Take your notes with you on a drive or walk, and rate your individual symptoms after some time.
You can repeat this as many times as you like until you start to see a pattern forming. If you notice that you start to feel better with some exposure to new air, you’ve got your answer.
What You Can Do About It
Open Your Windows
If you suspect your air quality is poor inside the house, the first thing you should do is open the windows!
Opening the windows daily is a good habit to practice, especially as the weather turns cooler. Proper ventilation and adequate air exchange are vital to a healthy indoor environment.
Take Germany for example: residents open their windows twice a day – even in the cold winter months! Those living in rental properties are required to open their windows as this practice is scientifically proven to prevent mold growth!
Make Ventilation Improvements
These days, air conditioners are pretty standard in American homes. But Air Purifiers? Not so much!
Investing in an air purifier can set you back financially, but some models are capable of filtering the air to 100% purity, making them well worth the money for those who need to prioritize their health.
If undertaking such an expense is not in your budget, consider calling your local HVAC experts to perform a cleaning on your air vents. Don’t be afraid to ask them any questions about additional maintenance you could do yourself, like changing the air filter.
Take Matters Into Your Own Hands
Aside from opening your windows, the fastest way to ensure a safe atmosphere at home is to do an old fashioned thing with a modern twist: CLEAN!
It’s no secret that a clean home = a healthy home. But what has been a secret until RIGHT NOW is that the products marketed to you over the years are actually highly toxic!
Everything sprayed and wiped around your home is making its way into your body both through the air via lungs and direct contact via skin absorption.
It’s time to stop falling prey to those toxic schemes. No company should be allowed to make money at the cost of your personal health.
The Most Efficient Solution
It’s time to find a brand you can trust to keep your home clean and your family safe!
Start with one product at a time, replacing it with a toxin-free alternative. Like candles, incense, and especially air fresheners!
Room ‘deodorizing’ sprays are chemically engineered to shut off your sense of smell. Getting rid of those and replacing them with this naturally scented Space Freshener or this Unscented Odor Eliminator is a great place to start!
Who Should Be Especially Concerned About Indoor Air Quality?
Good air quality is vital to any & every living being on this planet. And purified air is lifesaving for everyone!
Indoor Air quality especially affects those who are at high-risk for medical complications.
Groups like the chronically ill, the elderly, the young, the immunocompromised, those with heart or respiratory diseases are especially susceptible to illnesses brought on by poor indoor air quality.
To keep your family and loved ones safe, keeping the air in your home pure and clean is paramount. Luckily, there are small changes that will make a big impact – putting you a step in the right direction! For exclusive savings on healthy swaps your family will thank you for, click here
Source: All info pulled from this safety guide that was prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)