Tens of thousands of people suffer from asthma in the United States, with hundreds of those in Georgia. The instances of this disease are on the rise across the nation and the world. People who suffer from this illness have swollen and inflamed airways and lungs, which react abnormally to irritants. This causes an asthma attack which results in difficulty breathing. While asthma can be effectively treated, in some cases severe attacks can be fatal. Here’s how those with asthma in Atlanta and elsewhere can help control their disease with better indoor air quality.
The first step in controlling the quality of air in your home is to understand those things that typically trigger asthma attacks. Since we spend over 90 percent of our day indoors, it’s vital to control the quality of air in the home and reduce your exposure to these triggers, which can include:
Mold is one of the worst indoor asthma triggers, and many people are surprised at just how common it is inside homes. There are many different varieties of mold, which tends to flourish in damp, dark areas such as behind bathtubs, in laundry rooms, air conditioning ducts and near water heaters.
Not all molds are toxic, but the spores from them almost universally act as triggers for asthma. Having mold professionally removed from your home is one of the best things you can do to improve your air quality and reduce asthma attacks.
Make sure your home is well ventilated, not to allow fresh air into the home, but to remove heavy, moist air from the premises. Most people with asthma know that allowing outdoor air in can cause problems from pollen and the like. However, it’s important to get the bad stuff out of the home as well.
When you cook in the kitchen, use the exhaust fan over your stove. When you shower, run the fan in the bathroom to vent moisture out of the house. Your clothes dryer should have ductwork allowing it to vent outside of the house. Use a dehumidifier in your basement, as even the best-sealed homes often have moisture leech from the foundation.
These tips are just a few of the ways you can help to control your indoor air quality to reduce the potential for asthma attacks in the home. Asthma can be difficult and inconvenient, but following these tips won’t just help you battle the disease, they will help to improve your overall health, wellness and quality of life. Clean air is important to all of us. If you would like to learn more about how you can battle asthma, read about the disease, and give us a call at Atlanta ENT for an appointment today.
