How Your Indoor Air Quality Can Affect Your Health

For Garden City, South Carolina homeowners, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and its adverse effects on human health have generated widespread concern. The EPA tells us that indoor air can harbor far greater concentrations of pollution than outdoor air. Most people spend about 90 percent of their time inside so that exposure could be almost constant.

Where Does Indoor Air Pollution Come From?

Poor IAQ is a byproduct of buildings that are tightly sealed to prevent the loss of heated and cooled air. Sealing leaks can save a significant amount of energy; however, the lack of ventilation has created indoor environments where airborne contaminants can collect and multiply with nothing to drive them out. The result is air that can be loaded with toxins.

High humidity can add to the mix; it encourages the growth of mold and mildew. Another reason for poor IAQ is dirty ductwork. All manner of toxins can accumulate there including dander, mold, bacteria, dust mites and viruses. Dirty HVAC systems and dirty dryer vents can also generate a significant amount of pollution.

What are the Symptoms of Poor IAQ?

The effects of contaminated indoor air can appear immediately or long after exposure. Common immediate effects are eye, nose and throat irritations; headaches; nausea; exhaustion; and dizziness. Itchy dry skin and rashes may appear, and allergies or asthma can worsen.

Symptoms typically disappear when the person leaves a particular building. More severe symptoms — such as cancer, respiratory conditions like COPD and heart disease — may not show up until years after exposure. Because these conditions can be deadly, it’s important to keep the air in your Murrells Inlet home as fresh, healthy and pure as possible.

How Can I Clean My Indoor Air?

To learn how you can have clean air in your South Carolina home, contact Air Doctor Services, Inc. today!