Indoor air pollution and its health implications are a rapidly growing concern for families in today’s society. You want your family to be safe from the air pollution problems found in the outside environment, yet you may be unaware that indoor air pollution can have a major effect on your family’s health, comfort, and safety as well.
The EPA has identified indoor air pollution as one of the top five urgent environmental risks to public health. Indoor air pollution contributes to lung disease, including respiratory tract infections, asthma, and lung cancer, and can greatly exacerbate allergy symptoms. If you or a family member suffer from allergies or asthma, or if you have infants or elderly persons living at home, indoor air pollution and its health implications are of even greater concern to you.
Even healthy adults can experience adverse symptoms with as little as a single exposure to indoor air pollution. Some common symptoms are headaches, nausea, sore or scratchy throat, nasal irritation, dry, red, or watering eyes, coughing, and fatigue.
Common indoor air pollutants
Throughout your home, there could be contaminants that you do not know about that are quietly contributing to air quality problems in every room of the house. There are many factors that can cause indoor air pollution:
- Bedrooms – dust mites, pet dander, fragrances, dry-cleaning
- Family rooms – tobacco smoke, wood stoves/fireplaces, unvented space heaters
- Bathrooms – plumbing leaks, damp flooring and carpeting, excessive moisture, insect debris, viruses and bacteria, household cleaners, air fresheners
- Kitchens – cooking smoke, gas appliances, household cleaning agents, insect debris, viruses and bacteria, garbage pails, plumbing leaks
- Attics – outdated insulation, old clothing and bedding, asbestos, dust
- Garages – paints and solvents, auto exhaust and gasoline fumes, pesticides and herbicides, carbon monoxide, hobby supplies (like vanishes and glues)
- Basements – radon, plumbing leaks, viruses and bacteria, dust
- Fireplaces – carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, particle allergens, chemical pollutants, and temperature, humidity, air pressure issues
- Yards – pollen, dust, pesticides, herbicides
If you or your family has suffered from any of the symptoms above, or recognize any of these pollutants in your home, let us help you. Have an AirAdvice for Homes™ indoor air quality test done today in your home – it’s simple.
Allergy
Indoor allergens are airborne particles inside the home that cause allergic reactions, and they often provoke or worsen asthma symptoms. It is estimated that over 42 million Americans suffer from allergies or asthma, and indoor allergens are a serious contributor to their symptoms.
The majority of people with asthma, or allergies like hay fever, tend to think of their homes as a safe haven free from the elements that aggravate their condition. The fact is that indoor allergens are prevalent in most people’s homes. This is because homes actually trap in the allergens, and therefore they are unavoidable.
Common indoor allergens are pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, mildew, insect debris and pet dander. Pollens are the main cause of seasonal allergies, however if you experience allergy symptoms like stuffed up nose, watery or itchy eyes, sneezing, congestion, or runny nose year-round, then most likely you are experiencing non-seasonal allergic reactions caused by indoor allergens.
A few facts about indoor allergens and allergies:
- Allergy symptoms are often aggravated in the winter because people tend to keep their windows closed, thereby trapping the allergens indoors.
- Having windows open during high pollen and mold count seasons can worsen allergy symptoms because high concentration allergens are able to enter your home.
- If you experience allergy symptoms due to indoor allergens, you will continue to be symptomatic as long as exposure continues.
- Indoor allergen sensitivity is extremely common and can occur at any age.
AirAdvice indoor air quality tips:
- The key to controlling allergies caused by indoor allergens is to reduce your level of exposure to them. Depending on your specific living environment, the solution could be adequate ventilation, filtration, source removal, or some combination of all of these.
Asthma
Many groups are especially susceptible to the health effects of indoor pollution. These include infants and the elderly, those with heart and lung diseases, people with asthma, and individuals who have developed extreme sensitivity to chemicals. Unfortunately, these are the people who often spend the most time indoors.
The effects of indoor air pollution are vast in America:
- It is estimated that over 15 million Americas including one in 13 school-age children have asthma.
- Over 28 million Americans suffer from allergies such as hay fever.
- The number of people with asthma has gone up almost 60% in the last 30 years.
- Kids inhale 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. This is because they breathe faster, and it causes them to be especially sensitive to the effects of indoor air pollution.
- Asthma related illness accounts for around $6.2 billion per year in America.
- An estimated 1.8 million people that suffer from asthma require emergency room treatment each year, resulting in about 500,000 hospitalizations.
- Kids under 18 years of age make up 47.8% of the emergency room visits and 34.6% of the hospitalizations due to asthma attacks.
- Asthma accounts for more hospitalizations in kids than any other chronic ailment.
- Asthma causes more school absences than any other chronic ailment.
Pollution
Many groups are especially susceptible to the health effects of indoor pollution. These include infants and the elderly, those with heart and lung diseases, people with asthma, and individuals who have developed extreme sensitivity to chemicals. Unfortunately, these are the people who often spend the most time indoors.
The effects of indoor air pollution are vast in America:
- It is estimated that over 15 million Americas including one in 13 school-age children have asthma.
- Over 28 million Americans suffer from allergies such as hay fever.
- The number of people with asthma has gone up almost 60% in the last 30 years.
- Kids inhale 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. This is because they breathe faster, and it causes them to be especially sensitive to the effects of indoor air pollution.
- Asthma related illness accounts for around $6.2 billion per year in America.
- An estimated 1.8 million people that suffer from asthma require emergency room treatment each year, resulting in about 500,000 hospitalizations.
- Kids under 18 years of age make up 47.8% of the emergency room visits and 34.6% of the hospitalizations due to asthma attacks.
- Asthma accounts for more hospitalizations in kids than any other chronic ailment.
- Asthma causes more school absences than any other chronic ailment.
Let us help you. Have a AirAdvice for Homes™ indoor air quality test done today in your home – it’s simple, easy, and is typically offered at low or no cost to you, the homeowner.
To find an IAQ expert in your area, click on the Find an Expert button at the top of this page. They will be able to determine if the your heating and cooling systems are properly sized and functioning at optimum levels.