We’d never like to admit that it’s our home that’s making us ill but often enough, when it comes to getting common colds and problems with your health, the first place you should look is in and around your home.
There can be some nasty bacteria living in your home, which is why it’s important to take a closer look at what could be happening to cause any recent illnesses or regular sickness bugs that come back all too frequently.
Here are seven surprising ways your home could be making you sick and how you should tackle these issues so they don’t continue to impact your health.
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Your indoor air quality might not be up to scratch
One of the ways in which your home might be making you sick is how clean your home environment may be. For example, one of the areas in which you might not be so in tune when it comes to cleaning is the air ducts.
Air ducts are often made up of various tubes that move air from your home’s heating, air conditioning, or ventilation system to each room.
Maintaining a clean environment is one thing but you should be looking at all those areas that often don’t get enough cleaning attention – that includes your air ducts. Air ducts can be a bit of a hassle to clean and unless you know what you’re doing, you may be a little fearful of causing damage.
Air duct cleaning services are well worth looking into if you want to improve your indoor air quality.
Dust mites
Dust mites can make you sick, especially if you’re someone who suffers from a dust mite allergy. You might not know about your dust mite allergy until you start getting symptoms. These include:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Runny nose
- Swollen eyelids
- Wheezing
- Itchy skin and skin rashes
Dust mites will trigger respiratory and skin conditions like asthma and eczema. To reduce these symptoms, it’s worth avoiding any substances that trigger the allergy. Keep the bedroom between 64 to 68°F. Keep windows open regularly to ensure fresh air in and out.
Mold and mildew
Mold and mildew can be a common problem in many households due to a build-up of moisture, especially during the cooler months when you don’t open the windows as often as in the summer.
However, it’s important to keep on top of getting rid of the mold and mildew where possible. If it comes back, then it’s a good idea to get it done professionally so that you’re eradicating the problem completely.
Mold and mildew can cause allergic reactions as well as respiratory issues and other neurological symptoms such as joint pain. With regular exposure, it can affect the immune system with serious infections that weaken your immune system and can ultimately cause death.
That’s why it’s good to get rid of mold and mildew in your home with dehumidifiers and cleaning products.
Fumes from paints or cleaning supplies
Fumes from paints and cleaning supplies are something to be mindful of exposing yourself to. If you’ve recently painted and lived in an environment where fresh paint has been applied, then you’ll want to stay out of those rooms.
The same comes to cleaning with cleaning supplies. If you’re locked in rooms where there’s no ventilation, then the fumes from the cleaning supplies can cause problems.
Such problems can cause loss of coordination, temporary loss of memory as well as chronic respiratory problems too.
To help avoid this, make sure you ventilate the rooms by opening the doors and windows. That way, you keep those fumes out of your nostrils and instead into the air outside.
Gas appliances are faulty
If your gas appliances are faulty in any way, then this is going to cause some major issues within the home. It’s also extremely dangerous to live in an environment where faulty appliances are present.
With that being said, you should look to fix any gas appliances that need fixing before you use them. Otherwise, it’s going to result in potentially dangerous health problems and implications.
For example, there’s carbon monoxide poisoning, which often goes undetected if you don’t have carbon monoxide alarms that are working. Faulty gas appliances can produce this odorless gas. There are some significant symptoms that if you’re experiencing, you should check the alarms:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Confusions
- Chest and muscle pain
- Shortness of breath
- Impaired vision
- Vertigo
Vacuum cleaner filters
Vacuum cleaners can often make you sick if you don’t clean them regularly, particularly the vacuum cleaner filters.
If you leave it dirty, then this can be problematic because it can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. A poor-quality vacuum will also release more allergens, which is why you want to ensure you replace your vacuums as and when needed.
Poor ventilation when using the vacuum can also cause harm, so it’s worth keeping windows open while you’re hoovering to let the air from the vacuum flow out of the home.
Not wiping down surfaces enough
Wiping down your surfaces is something to be mindful of when you’re cleaning because there can be some surfaces that are often forgotten about and can harbor a lot of germs. From the remote control to door handles, every surface could be wiped down every so often to disinfect and keep bacteria at bay.
With the spread of germs during the winter being particularly challenging to keep at bay, spraying your home with disinfectant is helpful. Make sure you’re making a conscious effort to try and wipe down every surface that you touch and come into contact with at some point.
Your home can certainly make you sick, which is why you want to ensure you keep that bacteria and harmful stuff at bay. Make sure to follow these tips and take note of anything that might be causing your body harm. Chances are, there will be something in your home that you’ll need to clean, fix, or replace to help keep you and your household healthy.
This is a contributed post.
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