Fight Sickness & Stay Healthy with These Indoor Air Quality Tips

Another email. Yes, another email about the diseases going around your kids’ school. Croup. Strep. Flu. RSV. Just seeing the words is enough to send moms and dads into a panic. The CDC reported that RSV leads to an average of 57,527 hospitalizations among little ones younger than five each year in the United States. So what do you do to help keep your family safe?

Understand Indoor Air Pollution

The CDC warns that poor indoor air quality can advance lung diseases such as asthma and also cause headaches, dry eyes, and fatigue. In fact, the American College of Allergists report that 50% of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by polluted indoor air. The Texas DSHS noted that air within homes and buildings can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and in extreme cases, 1000 times more polluted. There are two main causes of poor indoor air quality:

• Pollutant substances (cleaning solutions, inadequately maintained or dirty heating and cooling or humidification devises, tobacco, etc)

• Poor ventilation

So all this data – so what? What do you do? How can you make sure you and your little ones aren’t breathing sullied, illness-inducing air?

Luckily, you have options.

Get Proactive On Air Filtration

Have you ever been livid and had to bite your tongue to keep from saying something you may regret ? That’s a filter. Have you ever used water from the door of a refrigerator and had your thirst immediately quenched? That’s the filter. Filters keep toxicity in check and avoid unpleasant ramifications. You filter your words for amity, you filter your water for health, why wouldn’t you filter your air?

Many hospitals use a high-efficiency air filtration system called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air), which you can invest in for your home if you have someone living there with a low immune system or someone who’s very susceptible to illness. Even if nobody has respiratory issues in your house, you’ll be extremely surprised by the almost instant change from a basic air filter to a High Efficiency system.

If you’re not interested in such a high-grade air filtration system, there are several other options to help clean your home’s air. From regular air cleaners to electronic air cleaners, see below to help determine which air filtration and purification system is right for your family.

 

Help Control Germs With Germicidal Systems

Germi-huh? Germicidal UV Light Systems help remove airborne biological contaminants – germs – by safely giving off high intensity UV light from within your home’s air flow system. These bacteria-destroying machines can kill germs and even aid in stopping further germs from accumulating in your home. According to one study, nearly one of five people with allergies suffer from exposure to fungi and bacteria in their duct systems. A UV light unit will help clean and sterilize indoor air to help you reach the highest air quality possible.

Optimize Moisture with Humidifiers or Dehumidifiers

Um, don’t those two systems do precisely the opposite of each other? Why would I want one instead of the other? For home comfort, humidity levels should be between 35% and 50%. Too much humidity can cause microbes, condensation and even wood damage. Not enough humidity can cause dry skin, sinus ailments, cracking wood and sore throats. Depending on where you live, chances are you have too much or too little humidity.

Humidifiers add the perfect amount of moisture to your home, helping with sickess, itchy skin, and warped wood furniture and instruments. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from your home, helping to stop bacteria growth, and improving indoor comfort a great deal.

Don’t Dismiss Duct Cleaning

It’s practically spring and that means spring cleaning! Don’t neglect your ducts during this revitalizing time. Since a great amount of our in-home air comes through our duct system, it’s important to keep it from getting dirty with bacteria, mold, and dust. When you have your ducts cleaned, ask the technician to check for duct leaks, as well. Leaks in the duct system can cause more contaminants to enter your air and flow throughout your home. Confirming they are clean and maintained will help keep your air clean and your children healthy.

Increase Ventilation

With the challenge to become more energy-efficient, homes are often sealed tighter and insulated better to make sure air isn’t escaping while our heating and cooling systems work to keep our home pleasant. Energy-efficiency is a good thing, but it also means a reduced amount of airflow, less circulation, and reduced movement. This can cause the air to become stagnant and contaminants (indoor air pollution) are remaining inside your home’s air – the air your family breathes. An air ventilation system detects indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity and continually brings the required air replacement. This can add 5% to 10% more fresh air each hour, lowering the concentration of airborne contaminants.

Get A Home Health Report

During your next Precision tune-up, request a complete indoor air quality report from your HVAC contractor. An expert A/C system company like Service Experts will provide a copy of your report with professional suggestions to address these and other air issues in your home.

So, yes, it’s frightening to know that your sweet babies are being exposed to scary respiratory diseases but next time you get that email from your childs’ school, wash their hands, cover their cough, and invest in a system to keep your indoor air quality as strong as possible.