by Zoe Bright
We all know the saying you are what you eat, well the same goes for the air quality, you certainly are what you breath also. Poor indoor air quality (the quality of the air in your home) can result in a variety of short term and long term side effects.
If you have poor air quality in your home you might feel irritated by it in the short term, while long term side effects can result in the development of illnesses.
Knowing the quality of the air in your home is vital to protect you from any diseases and health risks that poor indoor air quality can create.
The first thing you need to know in order to start ridding your home of pesky pollutants is what causes poor indoor air quality in the first place?
Smoking, heating, cooking, building materials, old furniture and a variety of elements can release toxins into the air leading to both short and term health risks.
Certain building materials can release gases like formaldehyde and other VOC's into the air in your home. Older materials might need replacement or checking to see if the materials in your home put you at risk for increasing your exposure to these toxins.
Some materials that you need to watch out for are installations, flooring, wood products, glues, solvents, paints and varnishes. Depending on the materials and the quality of the installation these installations might be the cause of your poor home air quality. It is a good idea to have these checked out especially if you are having some of the early short term side effects like sneezing, itchy or swollen eyes, dizziness or headaches.
Another thing that can affect your health is poor ventilation. Having poor ventilation in your home can mean you are breathing in contaminated air each day f. Opening up your windows and letting in fresh air can certainly help, but if you ventilation is bad you need to address the underlying issue. Making sure the air filters in your vents are replaced and the overall installation of your vents is correct can certainly help.
Lastly, water leaks and damp areas can create bacteria, mould and fungus which can grow mold and negatively impact the air quality in your home. Have a specialist review your pipes and home for leaks and mold coming from damp areas.
It may take multiple steps to fully secure the quality of the air in your home and this is completely normal. The first step is to get clear on the potential threats to your health that exist inside of your home and the next step is to start working towards clearing each, one by one.
