Do you suffer from wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and a persistent cough?
People with severe respiratory health problems like asthma, experience the horrors of feeling suffocated.
This terrifying sensation triggered involuntarily by pollen, dust, tobacco, smoke or animal fur is caused by severe inflammation in their lungs.
According to the World Health Organization, about 44% of all asthma causes are due to a harmful indoor environment.
Airborne pollutants can come from:
These air contaminants are particles, liquids and gases in the air that have toxic chemical properties and therefore affect our health.
If you are elderly or are chronically ill or have young children, you probably stay indoors for longer periods of time making you more susceptible to the effects of indoor air contaminants.
There are many sources of indoor air contamination such as:
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, all these contaminants cause all sorts of health problems such as eye, nose throat and lung irritations, asthma and allergy symptoms, sneezing and wheezing, colds and flu, headaches and fatigue.
We are all different and we react differently to bad indoor air quality. However, no one is immune to the hazards of indoor air pollution.
Air contaminants and its associated health problems affect us in different ways. For example, during pregnancy, air contaminants have been associated with reduced birth weight and premature birth.
For children, exposure to air contaminants affects their lung function that leads to airway inflammation and acute respiratory diseases, like asthma.
In adults, air contaminants are linked to cardio-respiratory disease.
We all face varying degrees of risk as we go about our day-to-day lives.
Not all people are affected with the same symptoms or to the same extent.
Some are more sensitive than others while some people may be exposed to more contaminants than others. People may experience symptoms earlier than others.
The health problems and disease from poor indoor air quality stems from the sources listed above and are exacerbated by the stagnation of air inside our homes.
Discover what health problems might be more pronounced in your home.
Indoor air quality is different in every house, let’s look at some of the nitty gritty to start approaching these health problems one by one.
If you live in New Jersey we'll be able to take a closer look at air quality in your home, if interested, contact me here.
Part 4 - Air contaminants and their impact on allergies
World Health Organization, The cost of a polluted environment, www.who.int
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, A guide to indoor air quality, www.cspc.gov
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, Indoor air quality, www.ccohs.ca