Fight Sickness & Stay Healthy with These Indoor Air Quality Tips

Another email. Yes, another email about the sicknesses going around your kids’ school. Bronchitis. Strep. Stomach bug. RSV. Just seeing the words is enough to send moms and dads into a panic. The CDC said that RSV causes 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 ensure your family is safe?

Understand Indoor Air Pollution

The CDC warns that poor indoor air quality can advance lung diseases such as asthma and also cause headaches, nasal mucus, 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 reported that air within homes and buildings can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and in drastic cases, 1000 times more polluted. There are two main causes of poor indoor air quality:

• Pollutant substances (cleaning agents, improperly maintained or unsanitary heating and cooling or humidification units, tobacco, etc)

• Poor ventilation

So all this information – what is it for? What do you do? How can you make sure you and your kids aren’t breathing adulterated, virus-inducing air?

Luckily, there are options.

Get Proactive On Air Filtration

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

Numerous 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 there are no respiratory issues in your house, you’ll be very surprised by the almost instant change from a regular air filter to a High Efficiency unit.

If you don’t feel like a high-grade air filtration system is right for your home, there are many other options to help clean your family’s air. From regular air cleaners to electronic air cleaners, review the chart below to help choose which air filtration and purification system is right for your family.

 

Help Control Germs With Germicidal Systems

Germi-what? 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 devices can kill germs and even help stop further germs from collecting in your home. According to one study, roughly one out of five people with allergies suffer from exposure to fungi and bacteria in their air systems. A UV light unit will help purify and disinfect indoor air to help you reach the highest air quality possible.

Optimize Moisture with Humidifiers or Dehumidifiers

Um, don’t those two things do exactly the opposite of each other? Why would I want one rather than the other? For home comfort, it’s recommended to have the humidity levels between 35% and 50%. Too much humidity can cause microbes, condensation and even wood damage. Not enough humidity can lead to cracked skin, sinus illness, cracking wood and sore throats. Depending on where you live, you probably have too much or too little humidity.

Humidifiers add the right amount of moisture to your air, helping with illness, itchy skin, and warped wood furniture and instruments. Dehumidifiers take away moisture from your home, helping to eliminate bacteria growth, and improving indoor comfort a great deal.

Don’t Dismiss Duct Cleaning

It’s almost spring and that means spring cleaning! Don’t neglect your ducts during this refreshing time. Since the majority of our in-home air enters through our duct system, it’s crucial to keep it from getting dirty with bacteria, microbes, and dust. When you have your ducts cleaned, ask the technician to check for duct leaks, too. Leaks in the duct system can cause more contaminants to enter your air and move around throughout your home. Confirming they are clean and maintained will help keep your air clean and your loved ones safe.

Increase Ventilation

With the shift 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 comfortable. Energy-efficiency is a wonderful thing, but it also means a decreased amount of airflow, less circulation, and reduced movement. This can cause the air to become motionless and contaminants (indoor air pollution) are remaining inside your home’s air – the air you and your family breathe. An air ventilation system monitors indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity and continuously brings the required air replacement. This can add 5% to 10% more fresh air each hour, reducing 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 air conditioning contractor. An expert AC company like Service Experts will provide a copy of your report with professional suggestions to address these and other air concerns in your home.

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