Do you suffer from allergies or even asthma, wondering why your home seems to be contributing to your breathing challenges? Have you asked yourself what steps you can take to clear the air in your home? Wondered whether an air purifier would help? How does our home environment become contaminated? Do you remember watching the sun shine through a window and seeing little particles of dust float around in the air? Sometimes they seemed to stay in one place, perhaps tiny fibers or dots, while other times they moved with the air currents.
These particles in the air are always there, whether you see them or not.
And, if they are in your air, they are also in your nasal passages and in your lungs.
You cannot help breathing them in unless you are wearing a breathing mask.
Not very comforting, day in and day out! They are found both indoors and outdoors, even when you cannot see them.
They spread especially well on a windy day.
What are these particles, sometimes called particulates or particulate matter? They are also called allergens because many have allergic reactions to them, perhaps building up over time.
Some allergens are dust or even the organisms that thrive in dust -- dust mites and their excrement.
Some of the particles are so small they are not even seen, such as the particles in automobile and truck exhaust, the airborne exhaust from fires, pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, even particles from cooking.
Pet hair and pet dander are commonly found floating in our air.
Asbestos is a fiber that can be released into the air as can be the fibers from our furniture and clothing, the kind of stuff we find in the vent of the clothes dryer.
What are the effects? While some people do not seem to be bothered at all, most of us can remember sniffling or coughing during "hay fever season".
We often know when certain trees or grasses are in bloom because out eyes may be watery from time to time.
While some people may not be bothered at all, others are challenged with irritation of the nasal passages and lungs, particularly children and the elderly.
For more and more people today, these challenges turn into asthma, constant problems with lungs, and even cancer.
Premature death is the result far too often.
What can you do to reduce these effects? There are many possible solutions for improving our indoor air, for instance: 1.
Keep your living quarters clean.
Do NOT allow dust to build up because it will circulate more and more.
Vacuum in corners and under everything.
Does dust collect on your walls? Vacuum or dust them.
(If you experience allergic reactions, hire a cleaning service or wear a good dust mask!).
Change vacuum cleaner bags as soon as the contents hit the change mark.
Overfilling the vacuum bag will only cause the dust to re-circulate in your home.
2.
Cover cooking pots when you are preparing meals.
This minimizes the spread of cooking particles.
3.
Drink plenty of pure water to hydrate your nasal passages and lungs.
Sodas, juice, tea, and coffee do not count as water.
Six to eight glasses a day is the rule.
The importance of water is often minimized by Western medicine but it is free to try and you will likely see the benefits yourself.
4.
Air out your living quarters regularly.
Move out the stale air and replace it with fresh air.
Do not do this on a high-dust or high-pollen day! Generally speaking, there is more pollen in the air from 5-10:00 AM.
5.
Clean out your clothes dryer vent every time you dry a batch of clothes.
Dispose of the fibers in your closed trash can.
Make sure they cannot get into the room air.
6.
Vacuum your mattresses regularly.
Dust mites thrive in mattresses.
Buy special mite-proof encasings for your mattresses and pillows if you notice a greater sensitivity to particles when you or your family members are in bed.
7.
If you are performing a task that creates dust, keep the door closed so it does not get into other areas of the home.
Particles quickly accumulate in the air when someone is using a saw or sander, sweeping, or raking leaves outside.
Wear a dust mask, as appropriate.
If possible, have a vacuum handy to clean up the dust before it starts to spread into your home.
Some vacuums have a HEPA-type filter which keeps dust from coming out with the air exhaust.
8.
Buy quality true HEPA air purifiers for your living space.
But be sure you know how to find the best ones and that you buy enough of them to clean the air in your entire living space.
Some air purifiers have much better publicity than engineering so do your homework.
Smaller air filters are portable and can be moved from room to room so that they are where you need them.
Allergies in the home have become a serious problem, one that has been addressed by trusted publications such as the National Geographic and Time Magazine.
Use common sense to minimize them and to create a safe environment for the allergy sufferer.
These particles in the air are always there, whether you see them or not.
And, if they are in your air, they are also in your nasal passages and in your lungs.
You cannot help breathing them in unless you are wearing a breathing mask.
Not very comforting, day in and day out! They are found both indoors and outdoors, even when you cannot see them.
They spread especially well on a windy day.
What are these particles, sometimes called particulates or particulate matter? They are also called allergens because many have allergic reactions to them, perhaps building up over time.
Some allergens are dust or even the organisms that thrive in dust -- dust mites and their excrement.
Some of the particles are so small they are not even seen, such as the particles in automobile and truck exhaust, the airborne exhaust from fires, pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, even particles from cooking.
Pet hair and pet dander are commonly found floating in our air.
Asbestos is a fiber that can be released into the air as can be the fibers from our furniture and clothing, the kind of stuff we find in the vent of the clothes dryer.
What are the effects? While some people do not seem to be bothered at all, most of us can remember sniffling or coughing during "hay fever season".
We often know when certain trees or grasses are in bloom because out eyes may be watery from time to time.
While some people may not be bothered at all, others are challenged with irritation of the nasal passages and lungs, particularly children and the elderly.
For more and more people today, these challenges turn into asthma, constant problems with lungs, and even cancer.
Premature death is the result far too often.
What can you do to reduce these effects? There are many possible solutions for improving our indoor air, for instance: 1.
Keep your living quarters clean.
Do NOT allow dust to build up because it will circulate more and more.
Vacuum in corners and under everything.
Does dust collect on your walls? Vacuum or dust them.
(If you experience allergic reactions, hire a cleaning service or wear a good dust mask!).
Change vacuum cleaner bags as soon as the contents hit the change mark.
Overfilling the vacuum bag will only cause the dust to re-circulate in your home.
2.
Cover cooking pots when you are preparing meals.
This minimizes the spread of cooking particles.
3.
Drink plenty of pure water to hydrate your nasal passages and lungs.
Sodas, juice, tea, and coffee do not count as water.
Six to eight glasses a day is the rule.
The importance of water is often minimized by Western medicine but it is free to try and you will likely see the benefits yourself.
4.
Air out your living quarters regularly.
Move out the stale air and replace it with fresh air.
Do not do this on a high-dust or high-pollen day! Generally speaking, there is more pollen in the air from 5-10:00 AM.
5.
Clean out your clothes dryer vent every time you dry a batch of clothes.
Dispose of the fibers in your closed trash can.
Make sure they cannot get into the room air.
6.
Vacuum your mattresses regularly.
Dust mites thrive in mattresses.
Buy special mite-proof encasings for your mattresses and pillows if you notice a greater sensitivity to particles when you or your family members are in bed.
7.
If you are performing a task that creates dust, keep the door closed so it does not get into other areas of the home.
Particles quickly accumulate in the air when someone is using a saw or sander, sweeping, or raking leaves outside.
Wear a dust mask, as appropriate.
If possible, have a vacuum handy to clean up the dust before it starts to spread into your home.
Some vacuums have a HEPA-type filter which keeps dust from coming out with the air exhaust.
8.
Buy quality true HEPA air purifiers for your living space.
But be sure you know how to find the best ones and that you buy enough of them to clean the air in your entire living space.
Some air purifiers have much better publicity than engineering so do your homework.
Smaller air filters are portable and can be moved from room to room so that they are where you need them.
Allergies in the home have become a serious problem, one that has been addressed by trusted publications such as the National Geographic and Time Magazine.
Use common sense to minimize them and to create a safe environment for the allergy sufferer.
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