Poor indoor air quality can be hazardous to your health and lead to conditions like asthma. But even if your symptoms don’t develop into a chronic illness, you can still experience allergies or infections.
Are you wondering if your home or office needs better air quality? Explore these common symptoms of poor indoor air quality to see if you need better ventilation.
Persistent Coughing
Do you cough frequently? Typically, coughing and having trouble breathing are the first and most prevalent signs of bad air quality. When a space doesn’t have proper air ventilation, air particles like carbon dioxide build up in higher concentrations, resulting in lower oxygen levels in the air. In extreme cases, this can be fatal.
Allergic Reactions
Many people mistake environmental allergy symptoms for seasonal allergies like hay fever. Reactions like sneezing, itching, watery eyes and irritation in the nose and throat could be due to poor air ventilation in your home or office. If you’re still experiencing allergy-like symptoms after allergy season has ended, consider whether ventilation is to blame.
Skin Irritation
Are you experiencing skin dryness or irritation? Many airborne pathogens can land on your skin and cause varying degrees of irritation, from dryness to rashes. That can also be a sign of poor air quality.
Headaches and Dizziness
People experiencing unexplained headaches, dizziness and even nausea might want to check if the air quality of their home is a contributing factor. Fumes, carbon monoxide, chemicals and even garbage can contribute to headaches and dizziness.
Illnesses From Poor Air Quality
When you’re living or working with poor ventilation, it will take a toll on your health. While symptoms like sneezing or coughing are merely irritating, you can encounter more severe consequences if you don’t find an adequate solution to correct poor indoor air quality for your home or business.
Asthma
Exposure to high concentrations of pathogens or bacteria in the air can trigger asthma by irritating your airway and lungs.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term condition that results from consistently inhaling contaminated airborne particles.
Lung Cancer
In extreme cases, inadequate ventilation can lead to lung cancer. Secondhand smoke, radon and even some organic compounds can cause lung cancer after long-term exposure.
Are you noticing any of these common symptoms of poor indoor air quality? Protect your health by taking action to correct bad ventilation. Changing the filters to your HVAC systems, deep cleaning and adding plants can all help with improving air quality in your home or office.