Skin Care Facts

It may suprise you to know that air pollution levels within the modern house can be two to five times greater than the levels outside. Combine that with the fact that the typical person can spend up to ninety percent of their time indoors, is it any wonder that the term Sick Building Syndrome has become a new byword in the English language.

Indoor pollutants like dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that folks who suffer from allergy induced asthma are making their condition worse by being inside.

Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include giddiness, head aches, tickly throats, stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, lethargy and an inability to concentrate.  Certain immediate effects are akin to those from common colds or other viral diseases, so it is frequently hard to ascertain if the symptoms are a result of exposure to inside air pollution.

If you discover that the symptoms lessen or even vanish when you are out of doors, it is a strong possibility that poor air quality inside your home is the problem. If that is the case, there are several things that you can do to all but eliminate the potential causes and breathe a little easier.

Make a great difference to indoor air quality in your home with the following seven tips.

Ban Smoking Inside the House

Ideally, you should ban smoking anywhere inside the home but if this is not possible, endeavour to confine it to one place. In our case, if friends or family, who are also smokers, visit, they are either banished to the back yard or the kitchen area. If you have an extractor fan fitted in the kitchen, make sure that it is switched on and endeavour to have smokers stand as close as possible to the fan so that the fumes get sucked out.

Open Your Windows Occasionally

Weather permitting, you should open windows and doors in order to lower the concentrations of indoor pollutants while permitting outside air to come in. Make good use of kitchen and bathroom extractor fans. Clean and check the fan and any vents on a regular basis and clean or replace any filters that may be fitted.

Throw Away Those Chemical Cleaners

If you have ever taken the time to interpret the labels on household cleaning products, the majority of them will include a warning about how harmful the chemical substances are for your health or skin. As soon as you use that product, a lot of those chemicals go into the air, the fumes of which are inhaled. How is it that some well known anti bacterial cleaners start your eyes watering and bring on a coughing fit. Personally, I have taken the eco-friendly approach to household cleaning. Baking soda, washing soda crystals, white vinegar and pure lemon juice will work wonders for most cleaning tasks. Not only do they cost less but they also do not release any toxic fumes into your house.

Clean and Dust Your House Regularly

Hoovering your carpets and floors on a regular basis will help to keep dust and airborne allergens at bay. Did you know that around seventy percent of dust inside the home comprises of dead skin which we humans continually molt. Dust mites like to feed on this dead skin which in turn makes them grow. They then shed their own skin and that, mixed with their faeces is what causes allergic reactions in some folks.

Pet Dander Allergies

If you have a family pet, they will molt dander that can trigger allergies and asthma. Something needs to be done if you suspect that either you or another family member are allergic to pet dander. The ideal solution is to keep pets out of the house altogether. If that is not a viable choice, you should restrict the number of rooms that the pets are allowed to go into and definitely keep them out of the bedroom.

Reduce Indoor Air Humidity

Living in a rainy clime or an area of high humidness can both result in moisture levels in the home increasing dramatically. This excessive moisture or humidity is the ideal breeding ground for mold. For anyone with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. Dehumidifiers can be a godsend in a humid environment since they are capable of removing excess moisture from the surrounding air, thereby keeping mold and the resulting spores at bay.

Get an Indoor Air Purifier

Home air purifiers are units that clean indoor air of allergens, like mold spores, pollen and pet dander.  As well as being employed to keep down the concentration of these airborne contaminants, they are particularly useful for folks who suffer from allergic reactions and asthma.  Air purifiers and room air cleaners are quickly increasing in popularity because they make indoor air healthier and cleaner. However, there are different types of air purifier, some of which can actually make allergies worse instead of better.