Signs of Low Indoor Air Quality

The quality of the air inside your home can have a huge effect on your health as well as your home. When the air quality is poor, you’ll find signs of wear and tear inside your home and it can even lead to dangerous architectural complications. There are several factors that could affect the quality of your air such as problems with your heating or ventilation systems, construction materials that cause contamination, or the presence of too many people indoors without proper ventilation. But the question is, how do you know if the air quality in your home is poor? 

To help you identify whether your air quality needs improvement, here are signs of low indoor air quality:

Inadequate Humidity Levels

When the humidity indoors is too high or too low, it can cause many disturbances. You’ll find that many trusted experts explain that high levels of humidity can leave moisture on the walls, especially in crawl basements. This dampness and moisture can cause many issues such as wearing down the construction of the building, as well as affecting the air quality due to the building up of mold, or inviting pests into your home. Once you see any trace of mold, make sure to hire a professional to get rid of it as effectively and as soon as possible. When the humidity levels are off, you can easily find yourself getting sick frequently. That’s because when the air is dry, it makes it a lot easier for anyone to catch a cold or easily transmit sicknesses. 

Allergies

If you feel your allergies are back stronger than usual, then that could be a sign there might be something wrong with your indoor air quality. The itchiness in your eyes and nose could be a result of contamination in the air. If you’ve been coughing, sneezing and experiencing headaches, bloody noses as well as watery eyes while you’re indoors, this could be a sign that the amount of pollen, dust or other forms of contamination in the air are too high in an enclosed area. However, because these are the same signs as normal allergies, it’s best to keep an eye on when the symptoms start to occur. If you find that you get these irritations when you walk indoors, then the air quality, most probably, has a problem that needs to be dealt with. 

Respiratory Conditions

While most cases of indoor air quality show signs that you’ll be able to spot, sometimes, you won’t be able to identify the problem or relate it to low air quality until your health pays the price. One of the most severe signs of low indoor air quality is having respiratory problems such as breathing difficulties, asthma attacks and, in some cases, even lung disease. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on regular symptoms such as coughing and sneezing indoors and consider arranging VOC Testing in Santa Monica, or wherever you are, in order to check the quality of the air and catch anything potentially problematic before it turns into a bigger issue and really impacts your health. 

Weird Odors

Each person’s house usually has a scent that they’re pretty used to. For some people, it could be freshly baked goodies from the oven, the smell of flowers or even that super clean smell you get when you excessively clean with specific products. However, when the odor starts to smell of something else or lasts too long, there could be a problem with your air. Check areas that could be moldy and damp, such as ceilings and corners, to ensure there isn’t a mold problem. If there is, indoor mold removal experts will help remove the issue and restore the condition (and nice smell) of your home.

Recent Remodeling or Construction

If you’ve been re-modeling or are close to a construction site, this could have a huge impact on the quality of the air indoors. There are many materials that are used during construction and remodeling that release toxins into the air that could be rather harmful. These include chemicals or particles which can easily enter into your indoor area through the ventilation or ducts. You’ll start to realize the effect on the quality of the air when you start facing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, irritation in the eyes and nose and, can even lead to severe health conditions.

The importance of the quality of the air you breathe should never be taken for granted, as it is extremely important for your health, whether or not you suffer from respiratory issues. That’s why it is essential to question the quality of the air you breathe in your home and to see whether it’s the underlying problem if you start facing any of the above health conditions, or if you have recently been re-modeling or have moved close to a construction site.