If you live near a big city or an industrial area, you have experienced poor air quality. Bad air can trigger coughing, chest tightness, sore throat, watery or itchy eyes, shortness of breath, and even a full-blown asthma attack.
“If you live in a home with chronically poor air quality, you can experience frequent headaches, long lasting colds, and bronchitis as well as chronic asthma,†says E. Neil Schachter, MD, the medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Improving your home’s air flow will not only help you to feel better, but it can also be used as a preventative to combat future illnesses.
Tips to Improve Air Quality in Your Home
Did you know your air conditioning unit is a huge help when improving the quality of your air? Not only do they remove pollen and particulate matter, but they also remove pollutants since most are water-soluble. Keeping your AC on in the summer will help with your respiratory system while also keeping you cool.
- It is important to not keep your windows constantly shut in the winter or constantly open in the summer; however, there is something called trickle ventilation. Trickle ventilation is a 10-inch high screen with extra filters which will adjust to most windows and allows fresh air in and help escort indoor pollutants out.
- Pets may be a joy to have in the household, but they are also huge contributors to home allergens. Some simple steps to help your pet’s dander from effecting your breathing is to limit your pet’s access to your bedroom and also bathing him or her regularly, especially if they are an outdoor critter.
- Not only is smoking in your home bad for your health, but it can also greatly affect the health of your family. Passive smoke is a risk factor for asthma in children and increases the possibility of a non-smoker developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. If someone is a smoker in your home, just have them smoke outside of your home.
Air quality is a simple concept to grasp; however it is greatly overlooked. Not only will improving your air quality help your health in the short term with headache and sore throat, but it will greatly help you in the long term with asthma and other pulmonary issues.
The information in this article was obtained from various sources. This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements, nor is it intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. The definitions, terms and coverage in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and the language contained therein will govern such policy. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.
