Poor Air Quality: An Invisible, Yet Dangerous Health Risk In Your Home

Air is something we take for granted every second of every day. We can’t live without it, yet its invisible nature means we rarely take notice. The danger is that poor air quality can be problematic to your health. Is your family safe?

 

Air Quality and Your Family’s Health

 

While American society still has a ways to go before healthy habits are considered the standard, most of us do a pretty decent job of avoiding things that we know are bad for us. For example, you know that eating greasy fast food for every meal is unhealthy. Sure, you may occasionally grab a burger and fries from McDonald’s, but it’s not something you do regularly.

 

Alcohol consumption is something else that most people try to do in moderation. Outside of a handful of partiers and those who suffer from addiction, most people either abstain from alcohol altogether or only consume the recommended one or two drinks per day.

 

Then there’s smoking, which is clearly deadly but has become far less mainstream over the past 50 years. From 1965 to 2014, the percentage of adult smokers in the United States dropped from 42.4 percent to just 16.8 percent.

 

Clearly, You have a desire to be healthy and keep your family healthy. And while saying you want to live healthy and actually taking the necessary steps to purge unhealthy habits are two different things, the vast majority of people are doing a commendable job.

 

But what if we told you that there’s something equally as dangerous as greasy food, tobacco products, and excessive alcohol use that most families are exposed to on a daily basis, yet do nothing about? You’d probably listen up, right? Well, there is: the air quality inside of your home.

 

While invisible, the air in your home actually contains billions of different microscopic particles and elements. But because you can’t see them, your family unknowingly inhales some of these particles – many of which are unhealthy and dangerous to your health.

 

The short-term health effects of poor indoor air quality include irritation of the sinuses, nose, and throat, headaches, fatigue, and possibly even dizziness. Usually removing the individual from the environment allows these symptoms to clear up.

 

“Other health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure,” the EPA points out. “These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal.”

 

3 Ways You Can Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

 

Chances are, you’ve never had your air quality tested. If you have, you probably ordered a radon test when you purchased your home and haven’t paid attention since. Quite frankly, this is troubling.

 

“While pollutants commonly found in indoor air can cause many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems,” the EPA notes. “People also react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants. Further research is needed to better understand which health effects occur after exposure to the average pollutant concentrations found in homes and which occurs from the higher concentrations that occur for short periods of time.”

 

But does it really matter? Short-term effects, long-term effects, immediate exposure, prolonged exposure…no amount of unhealthy air is safe. It’s time for you to take action.

 

Here are some tips for proactively improving your home’s air quality, one step at a time.

 

1. Proactively Improve Air Quality

 

Did you know that most HVAC systems don’t automatically bring fresh air into the home? You can always open windows and doors or use window fans, but this isn’t practical when the weather is hot or cold. Having said that, you need to find ways to proactively improve your home’s air quality with added improvements and systems.

 

One thing to consider is adding an air purification system to your home. A system, like the PureAir from Lennox, address pollutants that circulate throughout your entire home and clean every room. In fact, the PureAir system removes 99.9 percent of pollen, dust, and pet dander. All you have to do is replace the filter every so often and you’ll rest easy knowing that you’re breathing clean air.

 

2. Get Rid of Dirty Air Culprits

 

Having an air purification system is one thing, but you still need to do your part to keep pollutants and toxins out of your home in the first place. Here are some tips:

 

• Leave dogs and cats outdoors as much as possible.

 

• Don’t smoke in the house and don’t bring in clothing and other items that have been in the vicinity of smoke.

 

• Get rid of harsh cleaning chemicals and only use natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar.

 

There are plenty of other little things you can do, but the more you avoid introducing chemicals, toxins, and pollutants into your home, the less you have to worry about your air quality suffering (even when you have some sort of purification or ventilation system in place).

 

3. Add Indoor Plants

 

Did you know that plants are natural air purifiers? Scientists have found that plants can absorb gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through their leaves and roots and then neutralize them via the microorganisms living in the soil. So try adding some indoor plants to your home!

 

“While most leafy plants are adept at purifying indoor air, some of the plants that scientists have found most useful in removing VOCs include Japanese royal ferns, spider plants, Boston ferns, purple waffle plants, English ivy, areca palms, golden pothos, aloe vera, snake plants and peace lilies,” explains Elizabeth Palermo, associate editor of Live Science.

 

Atomic Filters: Your Source for Discounted Air and Water Filters

 

At Atomic Filters, we’re the only source you need for clean air and water. If you’re looking for cost-effective, reliable filters for your home’s air purifier, furnace, or water filter, we’ve got you covered. Browse our selection of air filters, and air purifiers todayand read our blog for healthy tips to keep your home air fresh and clean so you can breathe easy!