The most dangerous elements are often those that are invisible to the naked eye. Such is the case for harmful particles and pathogens being carried in unclean air. An unpleasant indoor air quality poses plenty of health risks, especially to individuals with compromised respiratory health, such as those who have allergies, asthma, or severe lung conditions.
Below, we’ll discuss how the quality of indoor air affects one’s well-being and quality of life.
Impacts Mood
One of the things that poor indoor air quality largely influences is your mood and cognitive abilities. Unclean air potentially causes fatigue, loss of concentration, and mood swings, resulting in an overall unhappy and drab disposition.
Lowers Productivity
This is directly linked to the first factor. When you are in a bad mood, you’re less likely to feel motivated and perform at your best. Hence, your productivity level drops significantly. If you notice that you’re not getting many tasks accomplished lately, nasty indoor air quality might be the culprit.
Compromises Sleep
Like disagreeable temperatures, poor indoor air quality can also cause discomfort, which leads to poor quality of sleep. Some people find it difficult to fall asleep when the air feels heavy and humid or carries displeasing odors.
Increases Health Risks
Indoor air pollutants affect the body both in the short and long term. For instance, short-term effects include eye and throat irritation. As for prolonged exposure, this can lead to conditions as serious as chronic bronchitis, heart disease, respiratory disease, and lung cancer.
Common symptoms aggravated by indoor air pollution include coughing, fatigue, watery eyes, headaches, sneezing, dizziness, and upper respiratory congestion. Allergic reactions and flare-ups can also increase due to the presence of pollen, dust particles, and animal dander in the surrounding air.
Also, if you experience relief from the symptoms as soon as you leave a room, the health complaints are most likely caused by air contaminants.
What to Do
To avoid the repercussions of poor indoor air quality, you must follow these simple tips.
- Inspect the filters of your AC unit and have them replaced if they have accumulated a lot of dirt and dust. This won’t only improve the state of your indoor air but also reduce stress on your AC system, allowing it to function more efficiently.
- Check other filters, such as those of your household appliances, vacuum cleaner, and kitchen vents. Be sure to keep them clean and sanitized.
- Have a professional clean your air ducts, grilles, and registers. This is necessary to make sure that your ventilation system is circulating fresh, uncontaminated air. Contact a technician providing air duct cleaning services in Concord, New Hampshire, or wherever location you’re residing in.
- Keep carpets and rugs clean as their fibers can be a breeding ground for disease-carrying pathogens. They also tend to collect dust particles, debris, and pet fur and odor. It’s recommended to have them professionally cleaned at least once a year. Deep shampooing or steam cleaning works wonders in eliminating bacteria and viruses.
Fresh, clean indoor air is necessary for optimal health and well-being. For the welfare and safety of you and your family, it’s indispensable that you take adequate measures to combat indoor air pollutants. For more information on promoting excellent indoor air quality, contact an HVAC technician.
