How Healthy is Your Home?
We all want to live a healthy lifestyle to the best of our abilities however, did you know that 80% of anything you may be exposed to in your life time comes from your home. Your home is where you will spend the bulk of your time living, eating, sleeping, family gatherings, birthday parties. We all try our best to protect our family and children and want to live in a safe environment in our home. We can’t control the world but we can control our own world, your home. Are you aware that your home might have hidden dangers that could affect you and your children’s health?
- What is a Healthy Home Inspection?
- What are the questions I should ask myself….Do you know how healthy your home is…is the question!
- Indoor Air Quality
- Asthma and Allergies
- Mold and Moisture
- Carbon Monoxide
- Lead and Lead Paint
- Drinking Water
- Home Safety?
What is a Healthy Home Inspection?
A Heathy Home Inspection is an inspection conducted by a Healthy Home Specialist trained to identify, detect and test for defects or concerns that may be visible or invisible to the naked eye? The purpose of the inspection is to identify items or things that may be a contributing factor in your health and wellbeing. It is designed to give guidance and direction so you can make better decisions and help protect yourself and your family for a Healthy Home.
What are the questions I should ask myself….Do you know how healthy your home is…is the question!
How is the air in your home, musty, smokey, clean?
Is there any one in your home with breathing problems, respiratory issues, and Asthma?
Does someone in the family have allergies to mold?
Are you aware if lead or lead paint exists anywhere in your home?
How safe is your drinking water?
Do you use household products that contain chemicals than can harm you or make you sick?
Are there pesticides in the home?
Are you aware of any environmental issues?
These are some of the questions to ask yourself to protect you and your family, especially your children.
Indoor Air Quality
The air in your home may be more harmful to you and your family then the air outside. The air indoor can become unhealthy if too many pollutants are introduced into the air that you breath. It is easy to identify the things we can see and smell but, what about the things we can’t see and smell like Carbon Monoxide and Radon gas.
Fact: The number of Children with Asthma has doubled in the past 50 Years.
Asthma and Allergies
You spend the majority of our life indoors so, we should be sensitive to the things we are breathing since they can cause health issues. Is there a smoker in the home? Is there a damp musty odor in the home? Do you have pets? All these contribute to health issues.
Fact 1 in 15 children under 18 of age has Asthma.
Mold and Moisture
Is there a damp musty odor in your home? Are you running dehumidifiers? Is there some son in the home that has cold, flue or allergies symptoms like sneezing, watery and/or itches eyes? Have you ever had a water intrusion? Ice Dams on the roof during the winter months? Do you see mold. It’s not what we see that is the issue, it’s what we can’t see. These are all strong indications that the air quality in the home is suspect and require further evaluation and testing.
Carbon Monoxide
A Deadly gas that you can’t see, smell or taste but, can make you very sick or even kill you. Usually one does not even know that they are exposed to this deadly gas. They may feel tired and have flu like symptoms. But, even lower concentrations for a period of time can have irreversible health affects to you and your nervous system and brain. Carbon Monoxide can come from and be created from stoves, heating system, kerosene space heaters, cars, trucks block or restricted chimney flues. Testing is the only way to confirm there is no Carbon Monoxide in your home.
Lead and Lead Paint
Lead and lead paint has been around for some time now. That does not mean it is ok to have in your home. It can be in the plumbing pipes for drinking water or the paint used on the exterior as well as interior. Lead dust can be common indoors with homes with lead paint. Lead can cause severe health damage to your child’s nervous system and their brain. Testing is the only way to know that it truly exists.
Fact: Dust from Lead paint is the biggest threat to young children.
Drinking Water
Do you have municipal or well water? When was the last time you tested your well water. Well water can change and should be tested periodically to ensure that the quality has not changed. Most pollutants in water you cannot taste, smell or see. The water appears to be clear and clean but, may be tainted with harmful pollutants or impurities that you may be sensitive to. Most water chemistry is natural and sometimes manmade pollutants enter your supply which allows for sudden changes. If your health has changed you should test your water again to ensure it is not contributing to your health issues. Periodic testing is strongly recommended.
Fact: Approximately 95 % of people living in rural areas use private wells for their drinking water.
Home Safety
The chances of you getting hurt at home is greatly higher than if you were at school or work. Some of the leading causes of injuries and death in the home are falls, drowning, fires, choking, guns and suffocation.
Fact: In the United States more than 1 million children age 5 and under are poisoned every year.
Facts were provided by www.hud.gov/healthyhomes feel free to visit for more additional information.
