Fresh Air News

When most people conjure up images of Halloween, they think of fun costumes, spooky decor and, of course, the candy. However, asthma and allergy sufferers may have other things on their mind on this festive holiday, including the sometimes unexpected triggers that are found lurking in their Halloween costumes, reports HealthDay News. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), dusty costumes, moldy pumpkins and fog machines can cause big problems for unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.

"When people think of Halloween-associated allergies, they focus on candy and often overlook many other potential triggers," Dr. Myron Zitt, former ACAAI president, told the news source. "By planning ahead, you can ensure not only safe treats, but also safe costumes, makeup, accessories and decorations."

In order to assure that you and your family are ready for Halloween, unpack all of your holiday decorations and costume materials early and ensure that they get a thorough cleaning before use. When storing items, try to seal cloth items like costumes in vacuum-sealed plastic so that the dust won't have a chance to settle in. Stow your items in a well-ventilated storage space to reduce your chances of unpleasant complications by next year. Using a home air purifier will also reduce the chances of allergens and asthma triggers becoming ensconced in your holiday decorations.

Mold spore counts have been particularly high this season due to erratic weather patterns and a higher-than-usual moisture rate. For many, this means heightened allergic reactions - however, even those who have never been troubled by a mold allergy can begin to suffer symptoms if the level of exposure is too great.

Symptoms of mold exposure can run the gamut from mild to severe, according to the Mayo Clinic. Signs of mold exposure include itchy eyes, nose and throat, coughing or wheezing, postnasal drip, runny or stuffy nose, shortness of breath, excessive sneezing, a tightening sensation in the chest and watery eyes.

Some individuals may suffer symptoms year-round, whereas others may only notice flare-ups during a particular season or at times when they're exposed to particularly high mold concentrations. Some symptoms may pass quickly, while others persist. If you've been feeling sensations for a significant period of time without improvement, you should contact your personal care provider for analysis and treatment.

If mold has become an issue in your home, take action now before it's too late. IQAir purifiers can help to remove 99.5 percent of airborne mold spores from your home so that mold can't settle in to stay. These home air purifiers are also effective in removing other harmful air contaminants, such as airborne bacteria, viruses, pet dander, dust, pollen and noxious emissions.

This month is National Home Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month, making it the prefect time of year to see to it that your home is protected against common indoor pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are three steps you can take to improve the quality of the air inside your home and protect your family from the many health hazards that have been associated with indoor air pollution.

The first step, source control, involves identifying and eliminating the major sources of pollution. For example, if your gas stove leaks unhealthy emissions, you can alter the settings or replace the stove so that the air inside your home is safer.

The second step is ensuring that your home is well-ventilated. Many indoor heating and cooling systems do not include a mechanism for bringing fresh air from the outdoors into your home, but rather rely on recycling the same air over and over again. Take the time to periodically open windows and doors to ensure that a fresh supply of air is making its way inside your home.

Finally, the EPA recommends investing in a home air purifier that can remove harmful pollutants and other airborne hazards from the air within your home. For the most protection, invest in a medical-grade air purifier that can remove over 99 percent of indoor air pollutants.

Those who suffer from seasonal allergies may be ready to welcome the colder months, however it may be too early to start celebrating. With the elevated levels of pollen and mold in the air this year, people can still expect to have their allergies triggered from such simple activities as raking leaves, reports the Courier Journal.

"Fall weed pollens usually persist until the first good freeze, and...there is always some mold in the air unless there is a coat of snow on the ground," Dr. Derek Damin, an allergist with Kentuckiana Allergy, told the news source. "So we are not out of the woods yet."

Because the air outdoors is still packed with allergens like pollen and mold, it's doubly important for allergy sufferers to protect the air inside their homes. Airborne allergens can easily travel inside the home and cause irritation and other symptoms.

The best way to protect a home from these and other types of common allergens is by investing in a home air purifier like the IQAir HealthPro Plus. The medical-grade filter can help remove more than 99 percent of airborne irritants and ensure that the family is breathing easy all year long.

Unfortunately, just because autumn is underway doesn't mean there's an end in sight to allergy season - yet. Lingering weeds and mold may cause symptoms to flare up while doing last-minute yard work or participating in fall recreational activities like apple picking.

"As we get into October, the weed count is dropping, but it may bounce up and down, depending on the weather patterns for a while longer," allergist Dr. Stephen Pollard recently told the Chicago Sun Times. "The other major problem we have typically in the fall is with mold...because the leaves come down and compost...[and therefore] the mold will continue on for several weeks yet."

What's worse is that the first frost - and with it, the end of allergy season - is expected late this season. To eliminate allergens from your home, consider purchasing a professional-grade air purifier like those we sell at FreshAirPro. The HealthPro Plus by IQAir is one of the best air purifiers on the market. While most purifiers can only remove particles larger than .3 microns in size, the IQAir HealthPro Plus features a HyperHEPA filtration system, which can effectively filter particles as small as .003 microns in size.

Poor indoor air quality has been linked to a drop in performance for both students and teachers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Air containing high levels of pollutants and other hazardous particles can affect the comfort and health of those who are continuously exposed to it, which results in poor concentration, lower attendance ratings and lower than average academic performance.

Because of this, the EPA recommends that schools habitually test their air quality to ensure that students and teachers are kept safe from these toxins. The practice has become part of a larger movement to help schools "go green," or to create a healthy and environmentally friendly learning atmosphere. Schools that take up these initiatives are called "green schools," and many have reported improvements in performance as a result of these practices.

"Our community has been very responsive to the green schools. They see the long-term value in investing in these long-term facilities and systems. Not to mention the improved learning environment," Jessica Bollen, communications director for the Bryant School District in Arkansas, told Green Right Now. "You can just tell it’s a great environment and the kids just thrive in it."

In order to ensure that your community's children and teachers are able to perform up to par, make sure that they're taking steps to improve indoor air quality with the help of medical-grade air purifiers.

After recent reports regarding the decline of air quality across the world, several non-profit organizations have banded together to help reduce air pollution, reports the Huffington Post. While most of the efforts are centered around developing nations, where the problem is most visible, other efforts include educating individuals all over the world about the health hazards of air pollution and how these risks can be reduced.

Indoor air pollution is among the top health hazards in the developing world, but it is still a concern in countries such as the United States. While much of the indoor pollution is caused by open-fire cookstoves in developing nations, many households in the U.S. and other countries still use wood fires as one of their main sources of heat in the wintertime, which can produce similar results, especially in older houses, where the ventillation systems might be outdated.

"This is a large issue, and it remains mostly under the radar," said Neil Bellefeuille, a member of Nakamura's CGI panel, whose company sells clean cook stoves. "It's literally like having a campfire in the living room."

If your home is vulnerable to the effects of indoor air pollution from wood stoves, traffic emissions or other sources, be proactive about protecting your family's health. Investing in a home air purifier is one of the best ways to ensure that the air within your home is clean and free from serious risk.

The United Nations (UN) has estimated that approximately 1.7 million premature deaths occur each year as the result of indoor air pollution caused by inefficient cookstoves, reports The New York Times. These emissions are also the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old.

Most of the deaths occur in developing nations, where people still rely on primitive stoves and even open-wood fires for the majority of their cooking. However, the UN estimates that this practice affects people all over the globe by causing almost 20 percent of global greenhouse emissions, according to the news source.

Every household should make sure that their current stoves comply with the latest safety regulations in order to ensure that their homes are safe, especially if the stove is an older model. Another idea families should consider to protect their home is investing in a home air purifier. Air purifiers like those we offer from the IQAir HealthPro Series help filter dangerous emissions from the air inside your home and can remove over 99 percent of other airborne contaminants, such as mold, pollen, pet dander and viruses.

Recently collected data indicates that, in addition to causing many major health problems, air pollution is responsible for the deaths of approximately 2 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The information was collected from almost 1,100 cities located in 91 separate countries across the world.

PM10 particles, or air particles that are 10 micrometers in size or less, can be found in both indoor and outdoor air and are breathed in through the lungs, where they are able to penetrate the tissue and move into the bloodstream. Toxic particles have been associated with asthma, some cancers, heart and respiratory diseases and even premature births. Some of the leading hazardous materials that release these harmful particles into the air include auto emissions, biological pollutants, paint fumes, pesticides, secondhand smoke and many more.

While it may be difficult to escape the hazards of air pollution, there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of exposure. First, make sure that you never leave your car idling, as this introduces unhealthy emissions into the air. Second, make sure that you protect yourself when traveling through high-pollution areas by rolling up your car windows and using the air filter in your vehicle. Finally, make sure that your home and office, as well as any place in which you frequently spend time, is protected by investing in an air purifier. Medical-grade air purifiers can reduce the amount of airborne pollutant particles in an enclosed space by as much as 99 percent.

There are a number of health hazards that are particular to pregnant women, but a new study from the UCLA School of Public Health has added one more to the list: the air you breathe. The study, which looked at 100,000 births in the Los Angeles area, found that women who are exposed to traffic-related air pollution have a 30 percent higher chance of experiencing pre-term births, reports ABC News.

The chemical researchers believe is most actively responsible for these staggering rates is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Traffic has been identified as a leading cause of PAH outdoors, however findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that PAH levels can be between two and five times greater indoors than they are outdoors.

Of course, pregnant women should be concerned about the quality of the air wherever they are. However, ensuring a safe home haven is of the utmost importance. Expecting families may want to consider investing in a home air purifier. Professional-grade air purifiers help to filter out over 99 percent of the toxins and common irritants found in indoor air and can help ensure that your home is a safe environment for both you and your new arrival.