Indoor Air Quality, or IAQ, refers to the level of pollutants in the air inside buildings and structures. Exposure to these pollutants can have adverse effects on the health and wellness of occupants of the building. There are both immediate effects as well as long-term effects.
Depending on the severity of the pollutants indoors, some effects may show up after just a few exposures (or even just one exposure). These effects are usually short-term and may include things like irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. You might also get a headache, experience fatigue, or dizziness from exposure to such pollutants. People with conditions such as asthma may be especially susceptible to these pollutants.
A person’s immediate reaction to indoor air pollutant depends on several factors. Preexisting conditions, a person’s individual sensitivity to certain pollutants, and the age of the person in question are all factors in determining the effects of exposure.
Because some of these effects cause symptoms similar to colds or allergies, it can be difficult to diagnose the problem as poor indoor air quality. Paying attention to when and where symptoms occur can help diagnose the cause of the symptoms. For example, if you only experience symptoms while at work, there could be a problem with the indoor air quality of your work environment.
There are also long term effects of these types of exposure. Long term effects may show up years after repeated exposures to an indoor air pollutant. These include respiratory diseases, heart disease, and even certain cancers. These problems are hard to attribute to indoor air quality because all-too-often, people are unaware that the IAQ of their homes or workplaces is poor.
That’s why you need to make sure that your HVAC system is properly and frequently maintained. Also, getting your IAQ tested frequently will help prevent these problems! Heatmasters helps ensure that your HVAC systems are running clean and smoothly. Give our comfort consultants a call to see how they can help!
