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When spring comes, it is a pleasure to open the window and feel the fresh air.
It's summer right away, and we'll lock ourselves up again.
The ceremony raises the question: which one is healthier?
Outdoor air or indoor air?
They are relatives, of course.
The air in our home comes from the outside and can carry pollen or contaminants, such as pollen or contaminants produced by internal combustion engines.
Indoor sources may increase the mixture of tobacco smoke, cooking, mold spores, dust and pet dandruff.
A tightly sealed home may make the mixing of this particulate matter more concentrated.
Stuart Batterman, an environmental health scientist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said that in order to achieve good health results, "The key is to capture small particles . ".
2 particles.
5 microns or less-
Called fine particles, particulate matter 2. 5 or PM2. 5 —
Small enough to go deep into the lungs and sometimes into the blood.
Fine particles cause health problems and are therefore regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
High particulate matter may be associated with severe outcomes such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature deaths in patients with heart or lung disease.
Those affected may have airway irritation, difficulty breathing, and cough.
The most vulnerable is people with asthma, especially children, who have fewer Airways and older people have respiratory diseases such as chronic or swollen or heart disease.
The first thing you should do is try to get rid of the stimulus sources, said Brian Christman, a pulmonary physician and spokesman for the American Lung Association.
While air filters may help, Nashville man says he is also the medical director of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System at Nashville Veterans Affairs, "On the list of things you can do about air quality, they are about four or five.
"If you are allergic to cats, there are five cats in the House and the air filter will not help," he said . ".
In addition to driving away pets, you can also put them outside the bedroom.
If mold is a problem, you will want to dry and wet places
Does this mean repairing leaks or leaks, or using exhaust fans in the shower.
When you cook with high temperature, use the exhaust fan on the stove, such as barbecue or stirringfrying.
Lowering the humidity in your home makes it less friendly to mold and mites.
Special pillows and bed pads reduce dust contact.
Christman also recommends avoiding cleaning agents like ammonia and bleach.
"These things are difficult for your airline, especially if you have a sensitive airline," he said . ".
Insist on using more natural cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda.
After you manage source control, a good air purifier may help filter out the rest.
The air purifier can remove particulate matter from the air in your home.
There are two basic settings: portable equipment or adapted to the houseor building-
Wide HVAC system. The stand-
Separate devices, also known as air purifiers, circulate air in the room to capture particles.
If you have a forced air system for heating and cooling, which will do the same for all your rooms, you can upgrade the filters of the system to improve particle removal.
A 2012 study tested portable air purifiers
Families of children with asthma.
When using air purifiers in children's bedrooms, the average particulate matter can be reduced by 50%.
But the family did not continue to use these devices.
Bateman, who is together?
Portable air purifiers do make some noise, and people who use them do need to change filters, the study wrote.
"They did a reasonable job in a small area, like a bedroom," he said . ".
Bateman said those with compulsory air should use the system to clean the air of the whole house.
You already have a filter.
For cleaner air, you need to upgrade it to better capture small particles.
You need to replace it regularly
Recommended every three months.
Bateman says the cheapest filter is worthless for capturing particles.
He recommends the use of a folding filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) rating of 13 or more (as is the case with EPA ).
The price of the MERV 13 filter is about $15 to $20.
The filter works whenever the system fan is running and the window is closed.
This means heating or air-
Conditioning season;
Or you can turn on the fan mode.
The newer thermostat has a mode to turn the fan on and off so you can get the benefit of filtering without running the system continuously.
"If you have a child with asthma or allergies, this is very effective," Batterman said . ".
If you have avoided an emergency room visit or missed a working day, then the more expensive filter has already paid for itself.
A few things to note: Do not use air filters with electric fields.
These gases, known as Air ion generators or electronic filters, produce ozone that is harmful to health.
(The topic is a bit off, but another invisible health hazard is radon.
Testing your home is the best;
The greater Washington area is at a high level.
Dangerous areas of radon. )Specific air-
Quality issues may provide additional reasons for filtering your home air, such as wildfire.
You can check the air quality problem points on the EPA website AirNow every day. gov.
But unless your health requires you to keep a close eye on the indoor air quality, you really don't need an air filter.
Bateman says he is not a supporter of super clean space.
Regular dirt and dust is not bad for you, Christman says.
There is evidence that growing up in a very clean environment is related to an increase in autoimmunity and allergic diseases, although the exact culprit has not yet been identified.