Even if your McKinney, Texas, home looks great and smells clean, it might be hiding a dirty secret. Poor indoor air quality is a common problem in Texas homes, but it can cause more health problems than you might think. Discover three major risks of poor indoor air quality, and learn what you can do to address them.
Allergies and Asthma from Poor Indoor Air Quality
Dust mites are a fact of life in most homes, but that doesn’t mean you have to let them share your indoor air. Since excessive dust mites can trigger allergy and asthma attacks, be sure to dust regularly and vacuum thoroughly. Equip your air conditioner with an air filter that captures dust mites and removes them from your air supply.
Headaches
If you’ve ever wondered why you have a headache or feel light-headed after tidying your home, your cleaning products might be the culprits. Cleaning your home regularly is important, but so is knowing what’s in the supplies you use. Many sprays or suds include volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), which can cause everything from headaches to chronic respiratory conditions. To limit your exposure to VOCs from cleaning products, avoid supplies like bleach, aerosols, and harsh chemicals. Instead, rely on natural cleaners like white vinegar, citrus oils, and water.
Lung Conditions
You might not associate severe conditions like lung disease and lung cancer with poor air quality in your home, but you could be at substantial risk in some situations. If you allow smoking in your home, both firsthand and secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer. To prevent this, consider banning smoking in your home, and use a high-quality air cleaner to eliminate lingering smoke from the indoor air.
Exposure to radon, a gas that could exist in the ground underneath your home, can lead to lung disease. To learn whether radon is a problem for your family, purchase a do-it-yourself kit or have a professional test your home.
Great indoor air quality is nothing to take lightly. If you suspect that your home’s air quality needs improvement, call (888) 414-4655 to contact the HVAC experts at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating for a professional consultation.
