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When thinking about air quality, a lot of us think about bad air quality in terms of big cities or manufacturing towns where there are a lot of power plants, car pollution and more contaminants entering the air. This leads us to believe that the air within our homes is free of all of this pollution, which is most definitely not the case.
In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air within our homes can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outdoors. In this blog post, we’re discussing the most common causes of indoor air pollution, the effects of poor indoor air quality, and a few of the most effective solutions to combat poor indoor air quality.
Causes
There a lot of different factors that have a significant impact on your home’s indoor air quality. Some of those factors include:
Chemicals. Some of these chemicals are polybrominated biphenyl, polychlorinated biphenyl, polyurethane, and formaldehyde. All of these are found in everyday household products such as plastics, carpet, plywood, upholstery, and furniture.
Pets. Your loving and fluffy pets are also contributing to your poor indoor air quality. Their fur and dander have a tendency to irritate allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues, especially for those already afflicted with these problems.
Cigarette smoke. If there are members of your household who smoke cigarettes, it will be much better for your home’s air quality and everyone's health if they smoke outside of the house. Cigarette smoke can be very irritating for those inhaling it and can cause a lot of problems.
Mold. There are a number of reasons for mold to start growing in your home, whether it’s an accumulation of moisture from water damage, a leak in your home, or old food laying around. Depending on the type of mold that is growing, you could be faced with health risks ranging from worsening asthma symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms
Many signs will alert you to poor indoor air quality. Some of the most common and most prominent ones include:
Throat, nose, and eye irritation
Dry skin and rashes
Coughing and sneezing
Dizziness and nausea
Most of the symptoms can be eliminated just by improving the air quality within your home.
Solutions
One of the easiest things you can do to improve the air quality in your home is by improving ventilation. You can do this by opening the windows more often, or by installing an air purifier to help clean the air that is left indoors. Additionally, if you have pets, then make sure you’re bathing and grooming them regularly, which will keep shedding to a minimum. Cleaning your home frequently will also help to improve your air quality. The less dust that is circulating through the air, the easier it will be for you to breathe and the more efficiently your air conditioning unit will run.
If you’ve noticed your air quality has gotten significantly worse, then it is in your best interest to call a professional indoor air quality specialist to help you find the best solution to your problem. Call Dyess Air & Plumbing today for any assistance you may need with improving your home’s indoor air quality!