Why it is Important to Clean Your Air Ducts Regularly

When we think about air quality, we usually think about outdoor air quality. We pay little or no attention to indoor air quality. This is a dangerous habit because indoor air quality has a huge impact on the overall quality of our lives. According to one study conducted by the American Lung Association, Americans spend anywhere from 60 to 90% of their time indoors.

However, most people don't realize the full implications of such a statistic. That's why so many people neglect to clean their air ducts regularly. Many Americans think it's just one of those nonessential chores that can be put off indefinitely. This unsanitary practice, born out of laziness, allows a large number of particles to build up in a home's air ducts over time. These potentially hazardous objects include dust, mold, fungus, bacteria, viruses, animal hair, pollen, and exhaust fumes. The longer you put off cleaning the ducts in your home, the higher your chance of becoming sick from any one of these pollutants. People with allergies and asthma are particularly at risk. These particles can trigger and even exacerbate their health problems. In fact, indoor air pollution can even lead to the development of new ailments.

Out of all of these pollutants, dust is the biggest contributor to respiratory illness. However, it isn't the dust per se that causes dust allergies. The microscopic dust mites that are found in the dust are the true culprits. The most dust there is, the more dust mites there are, and the more unsafe your home is.

How can you tell if you're getting sick because of polluted indoor air and not because of some other factor in your environment? If you are experiencing dizziness, nausea, lethargy, malaise, eye irritation and nose irritation, you're probably breathing in too many air pollutants. If you or your loved ones are exhibiting any of these symptoms, it's probably time to start cleaning. It's also a good idea to seek medical attention, just to make sure that stubborn cough isn't a serious disease in disguise.

However, your respiratory system isn't the only part of your body at risk from dirty ducts. You can also contract fungal infections from the particles of fungus suspended in the air. Indoor air pollution also makes you and your family more vulnerable to all sorts of viruses and bacteria. These germs can be airborne or they can fester on the other particles that accumulate in your dirty air ducts.

Another thing you have to keep in mind is that you don't have to breathe dusty air to get infected. If any of these pollutants find their way to your food or medicine, you could wind up becoming very sick. Also, dusty air ducts are the perfect breeding grounds for pests such as cockroaches. So you see, overlooking of this part of your home creates a domino effect. You wind up having to deal with a score of increasingly unmanageable problems.
For all of these reasons, it is essential that you clean your air ducts regularly. This minimizes the risk of triggering existing illnesses and developing new ones. Protect yourself and your loved ones by scheduling a weekly or monthly cleaning. Adopting more sanitary practices may be inconvenient in the short term, but they will save you a lot of money and trouble in the long term.

*Medical Issues and Your Indoor Environment, Enviroproz.com