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Believe it or not, the air inside modern houses can be up to five times more contaminated than outdoor air. When you also consider that we can spend up to ninety percent of our lives indoors, the term sick building syndrome should require little explanation.

Unlike outdoor air, inside air is recycled over and over again with pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pollen, mold, dust and pet dander all adding towards allergy induced asthma and allergic reactions.

There are various symptoms connected with so called sick building syndrome including stuffy nose, watery or itchy eyes, headaches, sluggishness, lack of concentration and nausea.  Certain immediate effects are akin to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often hard to decide if the symptoms are a result of exposure to inside air pollution.

If you discover that the symptoms fade when you outside, you should try to discover inside air sources which may be possible causes and endeavour to eliminate them. Fortunately, inside air pollution is one health risk that you can do something about.

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

No Smoking Inside

Even though this may sound obvious, you should effectively ban smoking within your house or at the least confine it to one room. In our case, any friends or family that visit are restricted to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan drives the smoky air outside as it does with cooking odors.

Let the Bad Air Out

Provided that it is not freezing cold or blowing a gale outside, let some outdoor air in by opening up your windows and doors every now and then. Doing so will also get rid of some of the pollutants that have built up within your house. 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.

Use Natural Home Cleaning Products

Take any one of those so called wonder kitchen cleaners from your cupboard and somewhere on the label will be a warning as to how dangerous they are to your health. Furthermore, look at what they are made of and see if you can recognize the names of any of the substances in that bottle. In fact, I doubt you will even be able to pronounce the name, not to mention know what it is. 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 enviromentally friendly route to household cleaning. Bicarbonate Of Soda, washing soda crystals, white vinegar and pure lemon juice will work wonders for most cleaning jobs. Not only do they cost less but they also do not release any toxic fumes into your house.

Clean and Dust Your House Regularly

Vacuuming your rugs and floors regularly will help to keep dust and airborne allergens at bay. Did you know that around seventy percent of dust inside the home is composed of dead skin which we humans continually shed. Dust mites like to feed on this dead skin which in turn makes them grow. They then shed their own skin and that, combined with their faeces is what causes allergic reactions in people.

Pet Dander Triggers Allergic Reactions

If you have a family pet, they will molt dander that can spark allergic reactions and asthma. If you suspect that you or a family member may be allergic to your family pet, action is needed. Ideally, it is better to keep pets out of the house altogether although that is rarely possible. As a possible alternative, try and restrict the rooms that the pet is allowed into. One definite area to keep them out of is the bedroom.

Reduce Indoor Air Humidity

Living in a damp clime or an area of high humidity can both result in moisture levels in the house rising dramatically. This excessive moisture or humidity is the ideal breeding conditions for mold. For anybody with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. For that reason, a home dehumidifier can be vital. An air purifier dehumidifier will extract moisture from the air and into a water tank which you can then remove and pour away.

Get an Indoor Air Purifier

Home air purifiers or room air cleaners do as their name indicates and clean the air of pollutants and allergens like mold spores, pollen, cigarette smoke and pet dander.  As well as being employed to keep down the concentration of these airborne contaminants, they are especially useful for individuals who suffer from allergic reactions and asthma attacks.  Air purifiers and room air cleaners are rapidly increasing in popularity because they make indoor air healthier and cleaner. However, there are various types of air purifier, some of which can in reality make allergies worse rather than better.

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