When people hear about air pollution, the first thing they think of is outdoor air pollution: running factories and factories, endless streams of cars – all the things that make our air in big cities unbreathable. However, people rarely think about the fact that the air in their own homes can also be the cause of endless allergies and asthma.
Causes of Air Duct Contamination
Air duct contamination is caused by human activity, pets, and some unavoidable factors.
| Habitat for rodents and insects | Their products and dead carcasses are serious sources of air pollution. They also carry disease, bite, get into your home, and even eat your food. |
| Mold, fungi and fungal spores | The pores get into the air quite easily and spread. Eventually they get into your lungs, causing various respiratory illnesses. |
| Dust and dust mites, pet hair, human dander | In small quantities are present throughout the house, but when they become very numerous, they disrupt the airflow in your air conditioning system, contaminate the air coming into your home and then can cause allergic reactions. |
| Tobacco smoke byproducts and other chemical pollutants | If the air ducts are dirty, there is not good air circulation, causing chemical cleaners used in house cleaning and tobacco smoke to stagnate. |
Effects on Your Health
Have you ever heard of sick building syndrome? It happens when a building’s air ducts have not been cleaned for a long time, causing allergens to build up inside the pipes and spread throughout the building. Breathing this contaminated air may not cause allergies in some people, but in the long run it can cause other severe respiratory illnesses. The consequences of inhaling contaminated air can be as follows.
Constant Fatigue and Drowsiness
Inhaling excess pollen, dust, dander, bacteria, and mold spores can trigger a constant feeling of fatigue, discomfort, and sleepiness, as your body and immune system are in a constant battle with external irritants. Headaches can also be a common sign.
Development of Respiratory Infections
Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, headaches and low-level fevers are all signs of upper respiratory infection as a result of dirty air ducts. If this is the case, you need to get it cleaned up immediately so that the problems don’t develop into lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
Chronic illnesses
Such illnesses include:
- asthma;
- allergies;
- chronic rhinosinusitis;
- lung failure.
Dirty air vents cause these chronic conditions to progress to a more complex form and manifest on an ongoing basis. Studies show that the health of patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases improved if the ventilation ducts of their homes were cleaned regularly.
Increased Autoimmune Disorders
It is a well-known fact that polluted outdoor air contributes to the deterioration of health of people suffering from autoimmune disorders, so what about the polluted air in our own homes, which we breathe more often?..
How often should the air ducts be cleaned? The standard recommendation for all homeowners is once every two to three years. However, if your home has recently been renovated, your asthma or allergy symptoms have worsened dramatically, or you have animals in the house, it’s worth cleaning your air ducts more frequently, once a year.
Conclusion
Air duct cleaning is an important part of home ownership and building maintenance. If you suspect that your HVAC system is not working efficiently, we highly recommend having your ducts inspected and cleaned as soon as possible. We recommend contacting professionals rather than doing the cleaning yourself. Safe Air Duct Cleaning has all the necessary skills and tools to clean your duct system in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest possible cost.