Air quality is something that we often take for granted. The air within our homes and in the outdoor spaces we frequent is “clean enough,” we often tell ourselves. But how are we to know that the air truly is clean and safe for our family members and ourselves. The truth is that poor air quality is a leading cause of all manner of illness and other health concerns that begin with pollen, pollution, and mold in unfiltered ventilation.
Indoor air pollution is a serious issue for families and others, and there are, in fact, a wide range of reasons why prioritizing indoor air quality and selecting a suitable location for your home within the greater metropolitan area that you commute within are important steps to take for greater health and happiness.
Lung Health
Lung health is one of the easiest to recognize and most important aspects of the drive to filter out allergens and toxins from the air that we breathe every day. The average adult takes more than 20,000 breaths in a day. The lung function that we tend to take for granted is tasked with delivering essential oxygen and removing harmful chemicals, particularly CO2. This cycle repeats itself on autopilot all day, and the oxygen that we take into our lungs is taken for granted as a given – as a result of the abundance of these molecules in our atmosphere.
Whether you’re going for a walk – and breathing outdoor air as a result – of sitting on your couch while watching your favorite show, the air that you are taking in through your nose or mouth isn’t just the life-giving oxygen. There are microscopic additions that also make their way into our bodily systems and cause havoc if we ingest too much of them.
Pollen, pet dander, and even aerosolized pesticides and other toxins, for instance, litter the air in tiny particulate form. If we aren’t careful with our breathing and the environment that we spend much of our time in, the effect of these additions to the lungs and bloodstream can prove incredibly harmful. Of which more than 25 million Americans are included on that list, those who have asthma must be particularly wary of toxins and pollutants in the otherwise fresh air. Asthma is an incurable condition that swells the airways upon contact with irritants like pollen. Without proper treatment, particularly severe cases can even prove deadly.
Indoor Air Quality Solutions
While many of the pollen-related issues are contained in outdoor air, the truth is that your indoor space is susceptible to the same irritants that can be freely ingested outside without great filtration to improve your air quality within the home. Adding in filters and air purifier devices within the space of your home is a great way to cut down on the pollution that affects your lungs and the growth and development of your children.
Filters and air purifiers are simple solutions, but they offer a powerful way to fight back against an increasingly pollinated world. Plants are flinging more debris into the air every year due to civil engineering choices that see certain types of trees dominating city roadways and public spaces. The continued pollution of our environment through the burning of fossil fuels makes for an incredibly dire situation in the future.
While we can’t affect direct change over many of these factors that increase the sinus and lung irritation that occurs in the natural course of life, there are several changes you can make at home that will lead to dramatically improved indoor air quality. Prioritize your health today.
