Jeff Flowers on December 7, 2015 25 Comments While the specific definition of indoor air quality remains under debate, it is important to understand the ways in which certain contaminants and airborne pollutants in your home can have an affect you. Many experts define the purity by the comfort of a building’s occupants, and they believe that some individuals can find certain situations acceptable while others may not. No matter if you are feeling the effects, compared to others in your home, improving poor indoor air quality should be a priority to every homeowner. Unfortunately, it may take some time to put together the link between poor indoor air and the health symptoms or complications that you may be experiencing, if they’re even linked at all. Often the case, the air in your home might be harming you more subtly, and you don’t even know it. This is precisely why it’s important to do what you can to improve the air quality. Not too long ago, we discussed why you have bad indoor air quality. Today, we want to discuss why it is important to understand and identify potential issues, as well as know what you can do to help improve the quality of your indoor air. Here are a few signs you will want to look for when determining the quality of the air in your home or workplace. 1) Pay Attention to Your Allergies It may be tempting to attribute a recent allergy episode to a change in seasons or weather patterns, but it could likely be a sensitive reaction to the contaminants in your indoor environment. Many people experience allergies in response to a range of materials, and in fact, concentrations of pollen, dust and other irritants can be more concentrated in enclosed locations than they are in outdoor spaces. Potential symptoms include coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, headaches, bloody noses and congestion. If you are experiencing any of these issues, pay careful attention to when the symptoms arrive and when they disappear. If you start to experience issues shortly after you walk into your office or home and those same symptoms disappear shortly after you leave, then you are likely dealing with poor air quality within that space. 2) Notice New or Unusual Symptoms Many health symptoms or ailments will likely be mild. However, some contaminants like asbestos, toxic mold spores and other hazardous chemicals can have a much more extreme effect on your health. If you begin to notice dizziness, nausea, rashes, fevers, chills, fatigue, vomiting, muscle pain, shortness of breath or hearing loss, then it’s very possible that you may be dealing with a much more extreme issue. If you find yourself in this scenario, you will want to call a professional to identify and fix the issue as quickly as possible. It would also be wise to consult with your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing as soon as possible, and possibly once again once you identify what was sabotaging the air quality in your home. 3) Be Careful of Your Lungs If left unaddressed, the chemicals in your home may quickly affect your lungs and, in extreme situations, possibly lead to some pretty severe health conditions. For example, if you frequently experience bronchitis or pneumonia symptoms, it could be a direcyt result of the airborne particles you’re breathing in from your home. Additionally, if you don’t address the reasons why this is happening or discuss your healthy symptoms with your doctor, then your symptoms may develop into something much worse. If you are experiencing any of these issues, there are a number of things you can do to correct the issue. Firstly, get your air system inspected and/or cleaned. Make sure you change your air filters on a regular basis and get an air purification system in your home. Ideally, you want to catch smaller symptoms before they turn into a bigger problem, especially when the health of you or your family is on the line.. 4) Note Your Surrounding Environment Once you have begun to notice health symptoms, you will want to start investigating potential causes for the issue. First, consider the factors in the environment surrounding your home or office. If there is new construction going on near you, then perhaps that is the culprit. Construction, renovations or manufacturing can release a number of chemicals and particles into the air, which may easily enter through ducts and ventilation. This is a common scenario for office environments where you have little control over what goes on in the room next to you. Additionally, if you live in a tightly-packed neighborhood, it may be wise to pay close attention to the actions of your neighbors. If they have recently sprayed their lawn with insecticides, painted their house or somehow used any other chemicals, they may be entering your home and polluting your indoor air. Noticing simple changes to your surrounding environment can go a long way in helping you identify a potential problem. And once you know what is triggering your allergies, you will have a better idea of what you can do to protect yourself. 5) Note Home Improvements or Repairs While your neighbors might be the cause, you also want to look at improvements, renovations or other changes within your own home. If you have recently replaced the flooring, painted or made other major updates, the purity of your air may be suffering as a result. The chemicals in your own home can collect in your HVAC system and then start circulating throughout your entire home. As a result, you may quickly experience a negative effect on your health. To prevent this, be sure to thoroughly clean up after the project has been completed, as well as change your air filters immediately. It would also be wise to buy an air purifier to help improve your air quality by removing potentially harmful particles that were recently kicked up. 6) Rule Out Other Culprits Excluding your neighbors or recent home renovations, there can also be a number of other environmental causes for health issues that you may be tempted to blame on poor indoor air quality. While polluted air may be a significant factor, there are a number of other sources that can be the reason behind the symptoms you may be experiencing. Some of these can include noise, lighting, ergonomics or thermal comfort. Each of these can also lead to eye discomfort, sneezing, coughing, sleepiness and a multitude of other health ailments. Double check that none of these sources are present before you definitively determine that poor air quality is to blame. Either way, taking steps to improve your air quality is a good thing to do, even if it’s not the culprit behind the symptoms you experience. 7) Look for Inconsistencies In Air Distribution Whether you are experiencing health symptoms or not, you can identify issues by noticing inconsistencies throughout a building. If one spot is colder or warmer than another, you likely have an issue in the system that could potentially be affecting the purity of airflow. This not only plays a role in the overall air quality, but also the temperature in each area. In addition, you want to pay attention to the humidity levels of different areas. Mugginess or dryness at particular times throughout the year can be a sign that you have poor indoor air quality. Depending on the scenario that you find yourself in, a humidifier or dehumidifier can help you get the humidity back to a level that is beneficial to everyone within the environment. 8) Contact a Professional If you have noted a few of the above signs, then it is likely time to contact an expert. They will be able to run some tests and inspect your home to discover the severity of the problem. Not only will they they be able to tell you the source of the problem, but also offer some suggestions on what you can do to improve your indoor air quality. Once the source has been identified, you will want to form a plan of action to best approach and solve the problem. While you may be able to accomplish this easily by purchasing an air purifier or humidifier, there are other issues that may require more time and money. For example, you may need to make some upgrades to your HVAC system, or remove asbestos from your home. There are an endless number of sources that may be causing air pollution in your home. Ultimately, an expert can help you find the best route to the solution. Why Indoor Air Quality Matters Poor air quality has an important impact on the comfort of your home and your overall health. While some symptoms may seem mild, they may often escalate to more complex health complications. This can be easily minimized by doing both of the following: Change your air filters on a regular basis. Use an air purifier with a HEPA filter. By paying close attention to the symptoms you may be experiencing and identifying the sources of the problems, you can easily address the issue and work to improving your indoor air quality.
Regina Patrick says May 24, 2016 at 2:20 pm I live in a very small apartment. The house is over a hundred years old and it’s on the water. There is no central unit only a window air conditioner and small electric heater. I have never smoked in my life but due to growing up with chain smoking parents I am in the early stages of COPD. My son lives with me he is a chain smoker. In the past month he has had Walking Pneumonia and Bronchial Pneumonia is. His Dr. Has given him a prescription for Chantix but BC I have been doing some research and I find we need an air purifier. I have no clue what type. I would appreciate a NB y recommendations. Reply
Sandra Ellis says February 1, 2017 at 6:27 pm I live in a place where my husband smokes and I use one ot these prifier to celp clear and clean the air . I feel the filter works pretty well Reply
chris says February 20, 2018 at 3:45 am Air purifiers are overpriced fans, they don’t do sh*t. Its just the placebo that you believe it is working. Better off treating the problem at its source. Reply
Bert Gruder says May 26, 2017 at 10:12 am Being a painting contractor, we run into a lot of homes, rentals with musty, pet and tobacco smoke odor problems. Painting the inside walls will not remove the odors as they are impregnated in the drywall, carpet, upholstery and drapes making the home harder to sell, or rent looks good smells badly. If you have to repaint, the inside walls add the Ionic Paint Additive, one treatment will continue to remain effective for 8-12 years. Reply
Donna Dillard says July 21, 2017 at 3:56 pm I have a major problem in my home and I honestly think it may have to do with the electricity. Whether it is summer or winter, it does not matter. We started noticing this about 6 years ago. My daughter and I had painted the whole inside of my home. It was summer time By the next spring the whole house was covered in like a black greasy soot. On everything. I’ve washed the walls but it continues to come back. I’ve asked many electricians and they look at me as if I’m crazy. I have bought electric box heaters, ceramic heaters ,and wall heaters. They all have the black soot on this filters, I’m at my Whit’s end with it. I’m scared. Me, my daughter, and my granddaughter live here and it is affecting all of our breathing. My daughter and I are smokers but there is no way that the cigarettes are the only problem here. I promise we don’t smoke that much. If you would see this mess you would freak out like I am. Anyway, whom do I turn to to figure this out. Please tell me who I contact to get a hold of this before we die. I’m that scared. I don’t have an income at this time but that is another very long story Thank you so much for your time and I truly I hope that you can help me find someone to turn to. Many blessings to you. Reply
chris says February 20, 2018 at 3:46 am I hope you found a solution to your problem. Sometimes when nothing else works, pray. even if you aren’t religious, pray sincerely, from your core, for help with resolving this issue. It will work. cheers Chris Reply
Paul says March 27, 2018 at 7:58 pm Seen something similar once, had a friend who experienced black soot on everything over time. It would over weeks and months get worse. It turned out his fuel oil furnace was defective and cause the soot release in the house. It happened in the summer to because the hot water was generated by the furnace. So if you have a fuel oil furnace you might want to check into it. Reply
Kim Hill says October 19, 2018 at 12:16 pm You should be very scared. #1 STOP SMOKING. Not only are you killing your walls of your house, your killing the walls of your lungs. Smoking inside your house is the worst thing you can possibly do to your health and well-being. You can imagine what your lungs look like, just take a look at your walls. Please get help to stop smoking, and it will save your life and your home Reply
Len Grossman says November 11, 2018 at 4:54 pm Donna, do you burn candles? I used to burn one candle in my kitchen daily,after a while I noticed black soot above my heat/ air registers on the walls in every room and my furnace filter would be black after a couple of weeks. All this from burning just one small candle on a daily basis, I stopped burning candles and the problem went away! Good luck. Reply
David mcdermott says September 18, 2017 at 12:25 pm We are in gable end four in a block sheltered housing we cannot open windows for overhanging 60feet trees as we get all sorts of bugs coming in also myself and wife have developed coughs and runny eyes also we get the strong smell of trees and my wife wipes the worktop and table a green dust comes of them any ideas of Wat it is Reply
chris says February 20, 2018 at 3:49 am I suspect the most obvious answer is the correct one. Prob just green residue from the tree / bugs. Surely it is possible to install some good quality flyscreens? Hate to worry you, but usually trees aren’t the culprit unless you have particular allergies…I would examine the house itself. See if you get that reaction in other areas of the house, etc. Be thorough. But don’t be obsessive. Still enjoy your daily life, the answer will come. If not, just move out. And send a cosmic request / prayer that the next house you move to is healthy and supportive of you and wife’s health. Reply
Armen Aghamianz says October 15, 2017 at 2:27 am I just moved into an old building the landlord is reinventing the upstairs apartment, the crap is falling down the blocked chimney in my bedroom, but the seals are letting in the crud into my sleeping areas! Since I moved in June of 2017 (only 4 months) I got headaches, also coughing up black spotted phlegm (getting it analyzed by doctor) how do I get a professional to come into my apartment test the old place, for expossure? Thanks (could have asbestos, arsenic or lead) I did not sign a lease for a year to die from this crap! Reply
chris says February 20, 2018 at 3:52 am Don’t worry you are protected by laws. If the house is unsuitable for health reasons, there is no reason you have to continue living there. I would get it examined if you haven’t already and then look to move out asap. Shoddy builders and shoody building techniques might save them a few bucks, but DESTROYS peoples health. They need to be accountable. I fully support you and don’t hesitate to pursue it , you have a tonne of rights. Reply
Bryan says December 23, 2017 at 8:20 pm I just got out of the hospital for experiencing a large amount of blood in my stool. They performed numerous tests and couldn’t find the source of the bleeding but after four days of being in the hospital the bleeding subsided. I arrived home to my apartment which happens to be over a hundred years old and wouldn’t you know it my stomach is cramping, breathing is irregular and I’m back on the toilet with this same bewilderment. Is it the air? Toxins? Gas? Plumbing? Mold? What’s going on?? Could the doctors not find the source of the blood because it’s in the air?? Help me!! What do I do??? Reply
chris says February 20, 2018 at 3:53 am MOve out asap. I just moved to a modern apartment. You will be amazed at the difference in air qualitiy and sleep quality. You don’t have to suffer unneccessarily. Doctors will do endless testss and still find nothing. Trust yourself and how you feel in apartment compared to elsewhere. Reply
Shane says December 23, 2017 at 9:55 pm Rainbow E2 Black is the best product on the planet for indoor pollution and allergies S. Reply
Mike says December 28, 2017 at 5:49 am gas logs not working properly will leave a black soot through out the house. oil furnace with crack in fire box will do so as well Reply
Nicki says March 17, 2018 at 6:25 pm Jeff, who are the experts that can assess your air quality and the system and fix it? I live in a town house, and my neighbors smoke. I have bad allergies, and it’s become pretty bad, even running air purifiers with hepa filters, and with a high-rated allergen filter in my furnace blower. Do I call an HVAC company? Reply
Seems says April 30, 2018 at 12:44 pm Hi We recently got new sofa set , all of my house member experiencing itchy throat,watery eyes and strange smell. Still undecided should we wait or return the set. Never experience this situation before. Reply
Debra McConnell says August 21, 2018 at 10:58 am I’m wanting to ask a question, so I hope I’m doing this right. It is an urgent matter. We live in a rental house for 14 years now in South Texas, humidity is a given, but recently we had to have the central AC replaced, just the unit, not the venting. This unit is much stronger we also found out our daughters vent had been knocked completely off for several years. Well they connected it back. Well right after everything was connected I started noticing BLACK DUST ON MY FANS, Everything, everywhere in my home, then my 14 yr old became hateful, violent, lethargic, memory people’s, then my dog got very sick, like ICU, her liver numbers spiked, she now has an autoimmune type of arthritis (like overnight),& high fevers, both of my dogs eyes constantly now, my eyes burn all the time, my nose runs whenever I’m in my house. My father’s lung cancer was in remission, it’s back. My spouse has also had a personality change? Nobody believes me in my home, but everyone that I have mentioned this to has told me to GET OUT NOW..?… PLEASE HELP ME…. Thank u Reply
Tall Paul says September 15, 2018 at 5:04 pm Would appreciate comments on an air quality problem that won’t go away. We live in home built in 1915. The air quality is terrific as dusts seems to blow thru our furnace/AC. We had the dusts cleaned, the attic cleaned and we installed a i-wave air purfier. Don’t know what to do next unless a major basement clean with lots of junk down there. The i-wave guy said it takes 2 months to improve the air. We are almost there and its still bad. I change filters regularly. Reply
Angela says October 29, 2018 at 2:12 pm when i got a new living room set my cat would pee and poop all over them. someone once told me that the cat was trying to tell me to get rid of them because he didn’t like the smell coming off from them. i cleaned them really good and over time the smell went away. I did not get rid of the cat he lived to be around 17 yrs old nor did i get rid of the furniture. but at times they treat the furniture with different chemicals like for water resistance. You could air them outside especially if hot and sunny that might help drive off any chemicals/smells. Reply
