Your Indoor Air Quality Can Hurt You

Whether you’re sitting in your office, or in your living room, take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds.

What’s in the air you just breathed in?

While air is something we take for granted, for some people, that air can actually be doing them more harm than good. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 4.3 million people die annually due to poor indoor air quality. Americans as a whole spend 90 percent of their time indoors. If your air supply isn’t healthy, it can show up in a variety of ways:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• More colds
• Lingering flu-like symptoms
• Headaches
• Respiratory problems
• Chronic illness

The top air quality issues stem from things like dust particles, bacteria, viruses, combustion products, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These items may originate outdoors, but they come into your home and stay there, accumulating over time. They get trapped in carpet and upholstery, or attach themselves to your shoes, to flooring, and circulate throughout your home thanks to your HVAC system.

Even if you haven’t noticed health problems, you could still be at risk. That’s why it’s important to set a maintenance schedule for your HVAC equipment and stick with it each year. Especially now as we’re spending even more time at home.

People at risk include:

• Elderly people who aren’t able to leave the house
• Young children with developing immune systems who are more susceptible to poor air quality
• People with existing health conditions
• Pregnant women

Of course, we’re still learning how poor indoor air quality impacts the human body.

If you’ve noticed any symptoms in your household, it’s important to focus on improving your home’s ventilation system.

Start by changing your air filters regularly. You should also service it at least once a season to ensure it’s working optimally. Replace your equipment at the first sign up problems. And be aware of the products you bring into your home.

If you have any further questions about your own indoor air quality, just ask. We’re here to help.