Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary. So why do you feel sicker than usual and sniff even when inside? Poor indoor air quality is a serious problem that many people do not realize they must regularly contend with. Poor indoor air quality in your home can cause various diseases, such as allergies, asthma, or even cancer in extreme cases. Fortunately for you, there are plenty of ways to identify this problem before it reaches that critical point. The following are six signs your home has poor indoor air quality.

1. Coughing or Difficulty Breathing

If you are experiencing coughing or difficulty breathing, it is probably a good idea to have your home tested for poor indoor air quality. Many people experience this very often and do not even realize it until they take a deep breath and feel like choking. Coughing is usually caused by something that irritates the airways in your lungs or throat. The most common offenders are dust, pollen, molds, pet dander, and animal fur.

Smoke also has a very strong irritating effect on the respiratory system and the eyes and mucous membranes of the nose and throat. Smoke can come from cigarettes, fireplaces, or improperly vented gas stoves. Indoor air pollution from smoking can also aggravate pre-existing medical conditions like asthma, heart disease, and emphysema.

In order to reduce these symptoms, it is important to keep your home clean, especially the air ducts. Air ducts in older homes are often outdated and not properly maintained, causing lots of dust to accumulate. While it is best to have your home tested for carbon monoxide leaks and other problems, having your heating and air conditioning system maintained regularly can reduce many of the problems caused by your home’s poor indoor air quality.

2. Sleeping Problems

If you are having trouble sleeping, you might be experiencing poor indoor air quality in your home. The most common cause of sleep issues is carbon monoxide and other gases from paint, chemicals, and building materials. Exposure to contaminants in your home can cause respiratory problems that keep you tossing and turning at night. While people with these types of sleep problems usually believe the problem is psychological or stress-related, it is a good idea to have your home tested for poor indoor air quality by qualified professionals before assuming that this is the cause of these issues. Doing that can help determine if the problem is an issue with chemicals in your home or something else that can be easily corrected.

To help reduce these issues, keep your home clean and generally well-maintained. Ensure that your home has good ventilation systems that provide fresh air from the outside. If you have problems with a certain area of the house that smells musty or moldy, put a dehumidifier there to reduce or eliminate the problem. Also, ensure you do not have anything with strong chemical smells in any rooms where you sleep.

3. Unpleasant Odors

Bad odors can often emanate from the vents or air ducts themselves, even though they do not originate there. If you have pets, it is especially important to test your home for poor indoor air quality because pet urine and feces can increase the amount of ammonia in your home. Furthermore, cleaning products that have strong odors can also cause these issues. Ensure you use only natural cleaners and avoid cleaning products with strong smells at all costs because they often contain synthetic ingredients more likely to cause problems than their natural counterparts. Because of the nature of chemical cleaners, it is important to ventilate your home properly to prevent smells from being trapped in one place.

Another common cause of unpleasant odors in your home is mold and mildew. Mold spores and mildew can grow in your air ducts if improperly maintained, resulting in an unpleasant odor throughout the house. Mold spores become airborne very easily, meaning if you notice a musty smell in only one area of your home, there could be mold growing there.

4. Skin Problems

Itchy skin and a rash indicate that your air is polluted by certain common toxins or filled with airborne irritants. Many people experience a combination of the two, but no matter what their symptoms are, they can be caused by poor indoor air quality. Dust mites are microscopic insects that feed on dead skin and the scales of other insects. Contact with these pests can lead to skin problems for humans and animals, including itching without other symptoms. Dust mites thrive in humid environments, usually found in bedding, around the top of walls, and on carpets. Removing dust mites from your home is easier said than done because getting rid of every last one is difficult.

Investing in high-quality materials that will prevent dust mites from accumulating is a good idea. Additionally, your home should be properly sealed against moisture to prevent dust mites from multiplying. While being outside can also cause skin problems, your home is supposed to be a haven from the outside world. Call our Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical professionals for thorough indoor air quality testing if you notice anything like this.

5. Sneezing or Allergic Reactions

If you have ever had allergies, you know they can be triggered by virtually anything. When you have allergies, the body reacts to something ingested or inhaled. The most common allergens are pollen and mold spores, but animal fur or dust mites can also trigger a reaction. Poor indoor air quality can also increase the number of allergens in your home because of poor ventilation systems. Homes need to be properly air-sealed so that outside pollutants do not seep in, but this becomes especially important for homes with people with asthma and other breathing problems. It might seem difficult to remove certain pollutants from your home, but it does not have to be if you always keep your home properly sealed and ventilated.

6. Dust Buildup

When dust and debris are allowed to collect on your furniture, floors, and other items, you invite several problems into your home. For example, dust can build up inside your home’s heating and cooling vents, causing them to get clogged with debris. When that happens, the air that comes through the vents is not properly filtered, so it could contain allergens that trigger allergic reactions. Even if you do not have allergies yourself, it is important to keep your home clean because a dirty home can increase allergies for other people who live there.

The Bottom Line

Poor indoor air quality is a problem people do not consider until they notice its effects. The key to eliminating poor indoor air quality issues is prevention. It is important to take care of your home inside and out so that it does not become too polluted by irritants or allergens. If you notice any issues with dust, mildew, or even bad smells in your home, get your home tested for poor indoor air quality before assuming the problem is caused by anything else.

Contact Us

If you reside in Glendale or surrounding areas and have noted any of the above signs in your home, call us at Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical today. We have experienced professionals who will test your indoor air quality and provide solutions to enhance it. We are also experts in heating and cooling services, including installations, repairs, and maintenance. Other services we offer include electrical repairs and wiring, water heater services, drain and sewer services, and emergency plumbing.

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