Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by admin
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent far less time awake with people outside of their own households. For those who live alone, the pandemic meant spending more time by themselves.
Spending more time at home emphasizes creating a healthy home. The biggest health impact in the home is indoor air quality.
Why is improving indoor air quality so important? Keep reading to find out.
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Poor Air Quality Leads to Health Issues
Having a healthy home is an important part of avoiding health issues. What many homeowners don’t know is that their indoor air pollution might be worse than outdoor air pollution.
Homeowners are often unaware of indoor pollutants because they are hard to identify with the naked eye. The common elements that lead to poor indoor air quality include the following:
- Mildew and mold
- Lead particles
- Second-hand smoke
- Strong odors
- Asbestos
- High or low temperatures
If this is the case in your home, it can lead to short and long term health problems like:
- Allergic reactions
- Eye irritation
- Headaches
- Skin irritation
- Scratchy throat
- Asthma issues
- Fatigue
- Radon
In the case of prolonged exposure, cancer is possible from poor air quality.
Poor indoor air quality can be dangerous and cause immediate and long-term negative impacts. If anyone in your home is suffering from the above health issues, you need to consider that you might have poor indoor air quality.
How to Spot Air Pollution in the Home
In most cases, the only way to spot air pollution in the home is through an air quality test.
The air quality index (AQI) can show the status of major air pollutants. The higher the number, the more dangerous the indoor air pollution is. This index ranges from 0-500 and states that a rating above 300 indicates hazardous air.
There is also a standard from the EPA. If air quality is over 100, the air is considered unhealthy. This standard is in place to protect public health.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
There are various ways to get rid of common air pollutants in the home, most of them starting with your HVAC system. If your AC system is dirty, you won’t be able to enjoy healthy living in your home.
If you’ve had to ask yourself, “do you clean air ducts,” you are probably overdue for a cleaning. During the cleaning of your AC unit, change the different filters that might be contributing to poor air quality in the home.
Other things you can do to create a healthy home with improved air quality include:
- Use cooking vents
- Regularly clean carpets and rugs
- Control home humidity
- Buy indoor plants
- Purchase an air purifier
Contaminants can easily be brought into the home through the outdoors on your clothing, shoes, and pets.
Creating a Healthy Home for You and Your Family
To create a healthy home, you have to improve indoor air quality. Indoor air quality is essential to keeping you and your family safe from potential health hazards.
Although poor air quality doesn’t seem like a big deal, it can cause long-term issues that you might deal with for the rest of your life. To improve the air quality in your home, follow the tips in this guide.
For more articles on the home and health, check out the other posts on our website.
Read also: 5 Ways to Maintain and Improve Indoor Air Quality
