IS YOUR HOME KILLING YOU? 4 THINGS TO LOOK FOR AND HOW TO RESOLVE IT

When you think of something that’s harmful to your body, it’s unlikely that your home springs to the forefront of your mind. Your home is a place where you feel safe. Somewhere that you can relax and truly be yourself. However, did you know that certain factors around your home could actually be slowly killing you? It’s a scary thought that you could be living your day to day lives not knowing that your home is in fact, harming you in some way. This isn’t to say that every home has something lurking. but why not take a look at these things to look for in your home and how you can resolve them so that you and your family are not at risk of any harm.


Photo by Gianni Zanato on Unsplash

Asbestos

Asbestos is one of the more well known frights that you might find in your home. If your home was built between 1930 and 1950, there’s a good chance that you might have it in your home. A little known fact about asbestos is that it’s actually harmless when it’s still in its full shape and in good condition. It becomes harmful when it begins to deteriorate and particles begin to spread around your home. The problem here is that these particles are so small that you wouldn’t really know unless you came across the exposed asbestos. The small particles are often shard like, and when breathed in they can seriously harm your lungs, causing you to suffer with many lung conditions and diseases like COPD. Here are some of the symptoms you will experience:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pains
  • Tightness of the chest
  • Constant dry cough

These symptoms appear when you’ve been inhaling the asbestos for some time. So if you’re having any of these symptoms, it might be a good idea to have an asbestos evaluation so that you can have it removed if needed. If you’re really worried about the effects that asbestos can have on you, it’s a good idea to have an evaluation even if you’re not suffering with any symptoms.

is your home killing you

Air conditioning

It’s not just asbestos which can affect your ability to breath and also become the onset of any lung diseases either. Scarily, something as simple as your air conditioning unit can be the culprit. While AC units are completely safe, if you’re not changing the filters regularly enough you could find yourself suffering with similar symptoms as above. You can find out more info on how often you should be changing your air conditioning unit so that you’re not inadvertently exposing you and your family to dangerous air.

Paint

Did you know that something as simple as the paint on your walls could be harming you too? While paint purchased from stores in this day and age are safer than they’ve ever been, older tins of paint may contain lead. This can become harmful to adults and children alike. Lead based paints are more likely to crack and crumble after so many years, leading to particles being released into the air and could cause a range of symptoms, check it out:

  • Hearing loss
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Stomach pain and cramping
  • Low appetite
  • Reduced sensations
  • Difficulty conceiving
  • Stumping development rates in children

Even if the paint isn’t peeling it could lead to problems. So if your home or furniture was painted before 1978, you could be exposing yourself to a whole range of ailments. Throw out any toys that have been painted before that time, and seriously consider sanding the walls (with masks of course) and repainting with safer paint in your home.

Lead can also make its way into you water systems too. So if you’ve found lead based paint in your home, it might be an idea to have your water tested too. If this is found to be the case, you may need to install a water filtering device on to your taps so that you and your family are safe from exposure.

Photo by Jordan Andrews on Unsplash

Wood burner

If you’re lucky enough to have a wood burner in your home, then you will know all too well the dangers of that kind of heat being so easily touched by small hands. However, wood burners can in fact be a danger to your health in other ways too. If you’re using them correctly and taking the right precautions, there is no danger to your health, but be sure to do the following things regularly to ensure that you’re safe:

  • Keep a fire guard near. Even if the children are in bed, they can help prevent accidents such as tripping and falling onto the blazing wood burner. Definitely worth the investment.
  • Dust your home at least daily. One thing that you may have already noticed is that your home is much dustier than it has ever been. Particles of ash will find its way out and into your home. So make sure you’re dusting regularly to avoid anyone inhaling ash unnecessarily.
  • Make sure you’ve got the air flow open at the right setting. If the fire is getting too much air you could land yourself with an issue of rising flames and no way of putting it out without opening the door and risking a blast to the face. Be careful with the air flow.
  • Don’t leave anything perishable like paper above or near the heat. Even though it’s not technically in the fire, something simple could set your house ablaze if you’re not careful.

Take a look at this guide on how to take care of your wood burner safely so that you and your family can take advantage of the lovely heat without being at risk of any danger.

MORE: 5 WAYS YOUR HOME IS MAKING YOU SICK

It’s a daunting thought that our homes could be the culprit for many of the ailments that we are suffering with. Things as simple as the plants you’ve got in your home could be affecting your general quality of life. Use the process of elimination to work out what’s affecting your health and get rid of it. So that you and your family can live an illness free life and live in a safe home. It’s better to be safe than sorry. So take a look out for these 4 things to look out for and resolve any issues you may have!

*collaborative post

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