4 Health Issues That May Be Caused by Contaminated Air Quality

The indoor air quality of your home affects not only your health and well-being but also the condition of your HVAC system. With increased pollution and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become imperative that we keep ourselves safe from air contaminants.

If you don’t get your air conditioner, air vents, and air ducts regularly cleaned out, it can compromise the air quality inside your home and make you more susceptible to diseases. 

Regular Air Duct Cleaning is Important to Prevent Air Contamination

Breathing in contaminated air can expose you to a variety of health issues, including:

Asthma and allergies: Pollen, dust mites, and mold spores are common air contaminants that can trigger allergies. If your home’s air is full of these toxins, it can even induce asthma attacks.

These toxins also include pest debris, smoke particles, and volatile organic compounds from furniture upholstery and carpeting.

Respiratory issues: Even if you don’t have asthma, living in an environment that’s laden with pollutants could leave you with respiratory congestion, chronic cough, watery eyes, and other problems.

Frequent headaches and fatigue are also common signs that you are constantly breathing in low indoor air quality.

Asthma attacks in young children: Did you know that 40% of all houses in urban areas have cockroaches? Just because you haven’t seen any roaches in your house doesn’t mean they are not there.

Exposure to airborne roach debris can cause young children to develop asthma and if you already have it, you could suffer regular attacks. 

Heart issues: Studies have found that when adults are exposed to polluted indoor air for extended periods, they develop accelerated cases of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. The pollutants can directly contribute to plaque buildup around your heart, increasing the risk of heart attacks.

In addition to developing health issues, you will also be subjected to high energy bills no thanks to dirty indoor air. The more contaminants floating around in your home, the faster your HVAC system gets clogged.

So check the air filters every month for dirt/debris buildup and replace them as required. A dirty air filter inhibits the airflow and reduces your HVAC system’s efficiency by 5-15%.

The best way to prevent this is by hiring local AC repair or local AC installation services to upgrade the air filters. We recommend choosing HVAC air filters that come with MERV (minimum efficiency reporting values) of 5 or higher.

Air filters with MERVs between 7 and 13 are considered the most effective as they can trap over 90% of passing pollutant particles. If you or someone in your family suffers from asthma or allergies, an air filter with MERV 11 or 12 will be the best option for you.

Keep Your Family Safe with Air Duct Cleaning and Installation Services By UHS

Are you afraid your home’s air quality might be contributing to your health issues? If you live in a particularly humid area, you are also exposed to an increased risk of mold problems in your house.

Make sure you are not breathing in stale and impure air, and get your home checked out by certified air duct and HVAC specialists at United Home Services. Call us toll-free at 800-399-4248 or write to us online today!