Indoor air quality (IAQ) testing

Throughout your home, there could be contaminants that you do not know about that quietly contribute to air quality problems in every room of the house. Many factors can cause indoor air pollution:

• Bedrooms – dust mites, pet dander, fragrances, dry-cleaning
• Family rooms – tobacco smoke, wood stoves/fireplaces, unvented space heaters
• Bathrooms – plumbing leaks, damp flooring and carpeting, excessive moisture, insect debris, viruses and bacteria, household cleaners, air fresheners
• Kitchens – cooking smoke, gas appliances, household cleaning agents, insect debris, viruses and bacteria, garbage pails, plumbing leaks
• Attics – outdated insulation, old clothing and bedding, asbestos, dust
• Garages – paints and solvents, auto exhaust and gasoline fumes, pesticides and herbicides, carbon monoxide, hobby supplies (like vanishes and glues)
• Basements – radon, plumbing leaks, viruses and bacteria, dust
• Fireplaces – carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, particle allergens, chemical pollutants, and temperature, humidity, air pressure issues
• Yards – pollen, dust, pesticides, herbicides

Indoor allergens are airborne particles inside the home that cause allergic reactions and often provoke or worsen asthma symptoms. It is estimated that over 42 million Americans suffer from allergies or asthma, and indoor allergens are a serious contributor to their symptoms.

Most people with asthma, or allergies like hay fever, think of their homes as a safe haven free from the elements that aggravate their condition. The fact is that indoor allergens are prevalent in most people's homes. This is because homes trap unavoidable allergens.

Common indoor allergens are pollen, dust, dust mites, mold, mildew, insect debris, and pet dander. Pollens are the leading cause of seasonal allergies; however, if you experience allergy symptoms like a stuffy nose, watery or itchy eyes, sneezing, congestion, or a runny nose year-round, you are most likely experiencing non-seasonal allergic reactions caused by indoor allergens.

A few facts about indoor allergens and allergies:

• Allergy symptoms are often aggravated in the winter because people tend to keep their windows closed, thereby trapping the allergens indoors.
• Having windows open during high pollen and mold count seasons can worsen allergy symptoms because high concentration allergens are able to enter your home.
• If you experience allergy symptoms due to indoor allergens, you will continue to be symptomatic as long as exposure continues.
• Indoor allergen sensitivity is extremely common and can occur at any age.

Many groups are especially susceptible to the health effects of indoor pollution. These include infants and the elderly, those with heart and lung diseases, people with asthma, and individuals who have developed extreme sensitivity to chemicals. Unfortunately, these are the people who often spend the most time indoors.

The effects of indoor air pollution are vast in America:

• It is estimated that over 15 million Americans, including one in 13 school-age children, have asthma.
• Over 28 million Americans suffer from allergies such as hay fever.
• The number of people with asthma has gone up by almost 60% in the last 30 years.
• Kids inhale 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. This is because they breathe faster, and it causes them to be especially sensitive to the effects of indoor air pollution.
• Asthma-related illness accounts for around $6.2 billion per year in America.
• An estimated 1.8 million people who have asthma require emergency room treatment each year, resulting in about 500,000 hospitalizations.
• Kids under 18 years of age make up 47.8% of the emergency room visits and 34.6% of the hospitalizations due to asthma attacks.
• Asthma accounts for more hospitalizations in kids than any other chronic ailment.
• Asthma causes more school absences than any other chronic ailment.