How Indoor Air Quality Affects Health

how indoor air quality affects health
Learn how indoor air quality affects health.

How healthy is the air inside your home? How about at work? If you’ve never thought about it, it’s likely that you’ll be surprised at how indoor air quality affects health. There is good news though, there are some simple things you can do to drastically improve your indoor quality. Today, we’ll tell you how.

What is Indoor Air Quality?

Understanding the term “air quality” is the first step in learning how indoor air quality affects health. Simply put, indoor air quality refers to the air inside your home, office, school, or any building where you spend a significant amount of time inside. Did you know that the typical American spends 90 percent of their time indoors? So, air quality is important. For some it’s absolutely crucial to their health, they include:

  • Young children
  • Senior adults
  • Those with respiratory illnesses
  • Those with heart problems

Causes of Indoor Pollution

There are many causes of indoor pollution, many that you might not even realize are putting your health at risk. Take a look at this list and think about how air quality affects health in your household.

  • Carbon monoxide from kitchen appliances and fireplaces.
  • Smoke from tobacco products.
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Paint
  • Chemicals used in building materials
  • Mold
  • Pet dander

Improving Indoor Air Quality

So, what can you do to improve the air quality in the places where you spend most of your time indoors? There are actually some pretty simple fixes.

  • Keep Things Clean – Simply boosting the frequency of cleaning around your home can make a huge difference in air quality. Focus on cleaning bathrooms and dusting, vacuuming, and mopping to get rid of dust caused by pet dander and pollutants brought in on your clothes and shoes. Try this with a supplement called Clean Air by Health Concerns, and see what a difference it makes to your breathing!
  • Change Your Air Filters Regularly – It’s recommended that you change the filter on your HVAC system every sixty days. It’s also a good idea to have a professional come out and clean your ducts once a year.
  • Use a Humidifier – the EPA recommends keeping the humidity in your home between 30 and 50 percent. A humidifier will do that for you. They are also very helpful for children who suffer from chronic upper respiratory infections. Check out this cute humidifier by Greenair that your kids will love!
  • Essential Oils and Diffusers – Certain essential oils actually clean the air for you! They include cinnamon, tea tree, oregano, clove, thyme, grapefruit, and rosemary. Simply add a few drops to a diffuser and enjoy the refreshing scent as it cleans your air! Herb Pharm is a natural brand that sells several different essential oils to try.
  • Get Fresh Air – If you can’t get outside to breathe in fresh air, try opening your window each day to remove stale air. It will make a big difference!

Once you know how indoor air quality affects health, it’s easy to make changes to improve it. Try these tips today and see the difference almost immediately.