At this time of year, it's easy to blame “the weather” for your nagging cough, runny nose, sore throat or pounding headaches.
In fact, the more likely culprit is one of two common viruses – rhinovirus or coronavirus – that enter your body through the mouth, nose or eyes. While it's true that cold, dry air causes these viruses to linger and propagate, it's still the viruses themselves – and not the weather – that cause or prolong your symptoms. (For this information, Experts In Your Home consulted two leading authorities on the weather and health: The Weather Channel and the Mayo Clinic.)
If anything is causing or prolonging your discomfort, it's more than likely your indoor air. But there is relief on the horizon: An Experts In Your Home heating technician can come to your aid – and explain why action on your part is so crucial to your quality of life.
Consider these Breathtaking Verdicts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to warn homeowners that levels of indoor air pollutants might be two to five times higher – and sometimes 100 times higher – than levels of outdoor air pollutants.
Specifically, the threats to indoor air quality take the form of irritants and allergens such as dust mites, pet dander and pollen. And agency studies repeatedly reinforce its stance that secondhand smoke, radon, biological pollutants and organic compounds rank among the top five threats to public health.
What you can do now, the EPA says – not tomorrow, next week or next month – is ensure that you properly maintain your home heating, air conditioning and ventilation system through biannual tune-ups, preferably your air conditioner in the spring and your furnace in the fall.
Understand why Your Furnace Matters
Two components on your furnace can affect the quality of your indoor air:
- The filter. No matter how often Experts In Your Home recommends monthly filter checks, we also understand that since a furnace is out of sight, it often falls out of mind. By the time we get to many customers' homes to conduct a home heating maintenance check, the filter is so clogged with dust and dirt that the furnace is on the verge of a breakdown. A clean filter not only ensures proper air flow to your furnace; it traps airborne particles before they flow through your ducts and into your home and the air you breathe.
- The heat exchanger. If the “engine” of your furnace is splintered or cracked, it could emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) into your home – triggering poisoning symptoms that mimic the flu. Rust flakes that settle around the base of a furnace often are the first sign of trouble with a heat exchanger.
A clean and safe-running furnace will protect (and often improve) the quality of your indoor air. Regular maintenance checks might be most noticeable to people in your home who suffer from asthma, allergies or upper-respiratory ailments. And they might not say much, but children will benefit, too, because they inhale more air in relation to their body weight. Even people who are otherwise the picture of health should notice that better indoor air will cause them to:
- Contract fewer colds and viruses
- Endure milder colds that are shorter in duration
- Enjoy deeper and more restful sleep
Take a Holistic Stance for Indoor Air Quality
You can take other steps to improve the quality of your indoor air, too. The EPA recommends that you take what it calls a “whole-house approach” by:
- Making your home smoke-free
- Installing CO alarms
- Testing your home for radon (or have Experts In Your Home do it for you)
- Preventing mold by controlling moisture
- Properly ventilating your home (the subject of a previous Experts article, “Clear the air with three basic home ventilation techniques”)
It's been said that “If you take care of your home, it will take care of you.” You can achieve even greater benefits if you focus on taking the best possible care of your furnace – and let an Experts In Your Home heating technician help you improve the quality of your indoor air starting today. Contact Experts In Your Home for heating service today.
