Indoor air quality is important for keeping everyone in the building safe and healthy, but it is especially important for people who are extra sensitive to allergens and pathogens. People who suffer from asthma are particularly at risk when a building has poor indoor air quality levels.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that can be triggered into an asthma attack when allergens are breathed in. This causes the airways in the lungs to become smaller due to the walls of the airways swelling. The attack symptoms vary from severe coughing, tightness in the chest, and trouble breathing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that over 24 million people in the United States suffer from Asthma, with children making up over 6 million of this amount. The negative health effects of asthma and asthma attacks cost over $56 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity. Even worse, the CDC estimates that 9 people a day die from asthma and the related health effects.
Anyone with asthma needs to understand what their triggers are, and that these triggers can be found both outdoors and indoors, even when the building has an air ventilation system. Some of the most common triggers that the CDC lists are dander from animals and people, mold and mildew, pollen, smoke from cigarettes or burning fires, dust mites, and various chemical fumes. Even cleaning supplies or the chemicals given off by aging building supplies can create an allergy attack.
Building managers need to be aware of these risks to asthma prone occupants when thinking about the indoor air quality, and in places where people are already at risk, such as a hospital or nursing home, adding the risk of an allergy attack is dangerous and unnecessary. This is why indoor air quality should be regularly tested and inspected by a qualified professional. They will be able to identify potential problems and make sure your building occupants are kept safe.
Need help managing your indoor air quality to keep occupants safe and healthy? Contact us now to see how we can help!
