In today’s modern fast-paced society, embracing a truly healthy lifestyle requires more than mere diet and exercise. Today, true health also requires vigilance and awareness. While proper diet and regular exercise are still crucial and irreplaceable, those striving to embrace a healthy lifestyle today also have to make sure the quality of the air they are breathing is clean, especially when it comes to the air they’re breathing indoors.
While we typically think of air pollution as being something almost exclusively outdoors, a concern limited to mostly urban areas, recent research is revealing the air in our homes and places of work is far dirtier than the air found outdoors — even in the most industrialized major U.S. cities.
This isn’t a new phenomenon, however. Studies indicate it used to be worse indoors; we just didn’t know about it. And even though it’s improved, health experts say, the risk is now due to the fact we spend most of our time inside: The average American spends an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors, which makes indoor air pollution an even greater risk to our health than outdoor air pollution.
The Air Inside Our Homes Is Often More Polluted than the Air Outside
And not only does Indoor Air Quality have a notable effect on our health, health officials say, it also affects our overall well being, our mood, our energy levels, and our brain function. Despite this, the EPA says the air we breathe indoors can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. It’s even been reported, in severe cases, to be up to a hundred times worse.
The role of Indoor Air Quality usually doesn’t seem serious at first because most people associate air pollution with smoke and smog outside. However, when you consider how tightly insulated our homes are made to keep heated and cooled air inside and keep energy costs down, it starts making sense. Household air pollution can’t escape because most modern homes are fairly air tight, unlike in nature, where the earth has a slew of ways of cleaning the air. In the confined spaces of a house or office, however, pollutants can get trapped. Without adequate filtration or the circulation of outdoor air, indoor air pollution can become a health concern.
Health Implications of Indoor Air Pollution
If pollution is present indoors, short-term health implications can surface after a single exposure, or multiple times being exposed; it can irritate the nose, the eyes, the throat, and the skin. Or, it can cause fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
In the worst possible situations, officials say, long-term exposure to certain kinds of indoor air pollution can cause heart disease, respiratory illness and even cancer. Testing is important, health officials say, because in extreme cases household air pollution can be fatal.
With it being such a serious concern, we at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air advise homeowners to take certain measures to safeguard their health and the health of their loved ones against indoor air pollution.
Although we will go into more detail about these measures, some of them include testing the air in your home and, if required, getting your air filtration system upgraded and/or improving air ventilation. Most importantly, if it’s an issue, you’ll want to identify and eradicate any sources of household air pollution.
WE PUT YOUR COMFORT AND SAFETY FIRST
At Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air, we make your home comfort level one of our highest priorities. More importantly, however, we also care about your safety and health. With household air pollution having such a serious effect on your health and well being, as well as the health and well being of everyone in your home, we present this information hoping you might find it helpful. If you want to learn more about any of the great products and services we sell, or if you’d like to set up an appointment, give us a call at 937-502-3842, or click here to schedule an appointment now.
Indoor Air Pollution 101: Part 2
