SAVING THE AIR YOU BREATHE

A guide for people with COPD, asthma, emphysema, allergies and other respiratory problems. These tips will help in dealing with the everyday pollution in the air we breathe and are a help to everyone whether they have lung problems or not.

There are two kinds of pollution. The pollution other people cause and the kind of pollution you cause.

INSIDE POLLUTION

Homes are better insulated than they used to be so that whatever we use inside our homes stays there longer. We think we live in a controlled environment, but what about heating devices that produce carbon monoxide, foam or plastic insulation, formaldehyde in furniture, rugs and draperies, gas ranges, self-cleaning ovens, people who smoke, indoor hobbies using lacquers, paint thinners or chemicals found in arts and crafts, cleaning supplies...and on and on.

Did you know that air may linger more than five hours in a room allowing pollutants to dangerously accumulate? There are many things you can do to decrease the amount of polluted air in your inside environment.

Convenient aerosol sprays are great for deodorants, hair sprays, room freshners, furniture polish, oven cleaners...or are they? Aerosol sprays linger in the air long after the odor has dissipated, thus compounding the pollution problem. You may substitute every aerosol in your home for safer and often less expensive products which can be rubbed or poured. This is a very easy form of pollution control.

Good ventilation is important in your home. Changing air conditioning/heating filters monthly and using an exhaust fan when cooking cuts down on pollution. Use a damp cloth when dusting and a wet mop on floors to prevent raising dust. If you must be in a place where there is a lot of dust, wear a scarf or handkerchief over your nose and mouth, or buy surgical or pollen masks to use at home.

Your bedroom may have even less ventilation than the rest of your home. Pillows should be made of synthetic fiber fill and washed regularly or replaced once a year. Foam rubber pillows absorb moisture and molds. If your extremely allergic, you may even consider encasing your mattress in an air tight plastic cover.

Humid areas have higher levels of molds and mildew which many are allergic to. Air conditioners, filtering systems attached to heat and air units, room de-humidifiers and the "ion generator" may all help in your constant battle for cleaner air.

Marvelous claims have been attributed to these generators. They produce negatively charged ions which act like magnets on various pollutants. Although there has been much debate as to the overall effectiveness of the ion generators, many people have found them helpful.

Scientists are continually researching in order to find solutions to this rapidly increasing health hazard. An environmental scientist for NASA may have one solution that is quite attractive. It was discovered that one spider plant per room (more if  the room is over-sized) would help to cut down the buildup of pollution caused by formaldehyde, synthetic products, etc. It is not known why these plants have the ability to assimilate noxious gases at such a phenomenal rate; but enough of these attractive plants may very well save the air you breathe.

Hi, my name is Sharron and I've written this guide to help people with COPD, asthma, emphysema and other respiratory diseases deal with their problem in a small way. I am an eBay Power seller and have specialized in selling the Sports Breather online for the past 13 years. You can find a link to my online website on my About Me page. I hope you will find this guide useful and feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

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