The Connection Between Indoor Air Quality & Health
While it might not seem like a big deal, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can have a lasting impact on your health, leading to severe consequences for you and your household members. We spend a significant portion of our time indoors, whether at home, work, or in other enclosed spaces, which is why it’s crucial to understand how the air we breathe indoors can affect our well-being.
In this blog post, the indoor air quality experts at Iceberg Home Services explain the connection between indoor air quality and health, offering key insights into how you can improve your air quality and enjoy a better quality of life as a result.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality is the term used to determine the condition of the air within a building. Various factors influence it, such as pollutants, humidity levels, ventilation, and temperature.
Each of these components works in unison to contribute to the indoor environment’s comfort and safety. When indoor air quality levels are optimal, building occupants are often healthier, happier, and more comfortable. Poor indoor air quality can have significant, lasting health effects.
Health Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality can have adverse effects on your health. Short-term exposure may lead to headaches, fatigue, dizziness, or irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Long-term exposure, on the other hand, has been linked to more serious consequences, including respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer, and other serious health problems that can take years to overcome.
This is why it’s critical for homeowners to invest in their indoor air quality with the right systems and services. This will help them avoid the negative side effects associated with poor IAQ.
SCHEDULE SERVICE NOW
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality
Many different factors can affect the air quality of your indoor environment, including:
- Indoor pollutants: Dust, pet dander, pollen, mold, volatile organic compounds from household products, and tobacco smoke are all indoor pollutants that can wreak havoc on your home’s air quality.
- Inadequate ventilation: The aforementioned indoor pollutants can accumulate more easily without proper airflow, leading to poor IAQ for your home.
- Humidity levels: Excessive humidity and abnormally low humidity can contribute to IAQ problems, so it’s essential to closely monitor the humidity levels indoors.
- Building materials/furnishings: Certain building materials and products used in construction and furnishings can emit harmful chemicals that can lead to lower air quality.
- Outdoor pollutants: Poor outdoor air quality can infiltrate indoor spaces through poorly sealed air ducts and cracks in windows or doors, impacting indoor air quality.
How to Improve the Air Quality in Your Home
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to improve the air quality in your home. The following are just some of the ways you can breathe cleaner, fresher air inside:
- Air filtration: Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in your HVAC system or stand-alone air purifiers to trap airborne particles and allergens.
- Air purification: Consider investing in air purifiers equipped with advanced filtration technologies to remove a wide range of indoor air pollutants.
- Humidifiers: Maintain optimal humidity levels (30 to 50%) with a whole-home humidifier to prevent respiratory irritation and minimize the spread of viruses.
- Dehumidifiers: Excess humidity is particularly common in Florida, so reduce moisture in the air by using dehumidifiers to prevent mold growth and other problems associated with high humidity.
- Duct cleaning: Periodically clean and inspect your ductwork to remove dust, debris, and other contaminants that can circulate throughout your home.
- DIY maintenance: Regularly vacuum carpets and upholstery, dust surfaces, and clean bedding to reduce the buildup of indoor pollutants and allergens.
Choose Iceberg Home Services for IAQ Solutions
At Iceberg Home Services, we take your indoor air quality seriously, offering a broad range of solutions designed to target and eliminate harmful pollutants from your air supply. With same-day service availability and plenty of discounts, we strive to make your service experience as stress-free and affordable as possible so you can enjoy fresher, cleaner air indoors.
Schedule IAQ services in Central Florida by calling Iceberg Home Services today.
TODAY!