Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Your Health

Many are aware of outdoor air pollution issues, but indoor air quality is important for everyone, especially for adults over 50. Our respiratory systems can become more vulnerable as we age, and poor indoor air quality can aggravate various health issues.

What’s more, research shows that we spend more of time indoors than ever, and the air we breathe is often less healthy than commonly expected.

Most people are surprised to learn exactly how much their home environment contributes to their overall health and well-being. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major factor in this.

I can almost guarantee you’ll learn something if you read this entire article, and it can have implications for your day-to-day life. With some simple changes, you can be more comfortable and healthier in your own home!

What Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Means

Indoor air quality is the quality of the air in any indoor environment, home, office, or public location.

We are going to focus a lot on the home in this article, but think about how much time you spend at the office, a school, or other public locations (restaurants, stores, etc.). The air quality in these locations matters, and poor indoor air quality can be extremely harmful.

We’re going to cover a number of terms, defined below, that cover the full range of IAQ considerations. This will touch on in-home pollutants, ambient outdoor pollutants (which can affect indoor air), humidity levels, preventative measures and more.

Types of Pollutants

Air quality varies wildly, and most of us are unaware of this fact unless it obviously affects our health. More subtle pollutants can and do affect us long-term, though.

Indoor Air Pollution

There are different types of common indoor air pollutants that many of us could be exposed to:

• Lifestyle: if you are a smoker or live with one, tobacco products and cigarette smoke can create pollutants. Secondhand smoke can induce reactions in many as well, even if they themselves don't smoke.
• Heating sources: If you have a fireplace or older heating source, it can cause indoor air quality problems.
• Appliances: some cooking appliances can release harmful pollutants that can be useful to disperse as quickly as possible.
• Products: some bug sprays (i.e. insecticides) and cleaning products can create potentially harmful airborne byproducts.
• Asbestos: this is mostly a concern for older homes and buildings. Modern homes aren’t built using asbestos and many older structures have had it removed, but this is not assured in all older structures.
• Pets: we love our companions, but pets can be a huge source of airborne pollutants. Anyone with a pet allergy is aware of this, and it can affect anyone to lesser degrees if enough pet dander is in the air.
• Mold: could you have mold in your walls? Or in your basement? Mold affects air quality and can be massively debilitating if enough of it flourishes.
• Carbon Monoxide: CO detectors are commonplace in houses to monitor this, but houses lacking them (or where they aren't properly maintained) can be at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Outdoor Air Pollution

We tend to think of indoor and outdoor environments differently, but outdoor air pollutants can affect our indoor air quality.

• Open windows: the windows themselves are of course harmless, and we tend to think of keeping our windows open as a good thing for air circulation. And this is often true! But particularly in urban areas, this might not always be the case.
• Cracked chimneys: air from chimneys can recirculate into the home if there are structural flaws in the chimney itself.
• Radon: some contaminated areas can leak radon into the atmosphere, which then infiltrates your home or workspace.
• Water supply: If you have a water advisory, using the water can allow some chemicals to enter the air.
• Wildfire Smoke: anyone who’s seen the news in recent years knows the danger wildfires can cause.
• Car pollution/Smog: in large urban centers, air pollution can change daily based on weather conditions and population density.

HVAC Systems and Indoor Air Quality

Ok, so we know many of the pollutants that can contaminate your home. Now how do you deal with them?

One way is your HVAC system (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). This is particularly true in homes or buildings that have central air systems.

We think of HVAC as temperature control, and it is. But it’s also air control.

The key term in that acronym is “ventilation.” Because in order to keep your air fresh, it needs to be properly ventilated.

Insufficient cycling of your air can cause a host of problems, and one of them is that airborne pollutants in your home can remain in the home far longer than they should.

Air Filtration and Air Quality

One of the easiest ways to keep your air cleaner is to regularly swap out your air filter inside your HVAC system. This can usually be done on your own, without the assistance of a technician.

The problem is that so many people ignore their filter, or sometimes don’t use one at all!

So the first recommendation is to replace your filter regularly and ideally use high-quality filters, such as those that are HEPA-rated. These can stop viruses, bacteria, mold particles, pet dander and more. The better ones have even been shown to trap COVID-19 particles, for example!

To drive home the point, it’s even useful to run your fan only, even when you aren’t running an air conditioner, heat pump or furnace. This circulates air and runs it through the air filter, making the air in your home cleaner.

Ductwork Cleaning

The recommendations on ductwork cleaning range pretty wildly. One thing is certain, though: if you’ve been in your home for a long time and have never had the ducts cleaned, you will undoubtedly benefit from it.

This is because large amounts of dust, dirt, debris and other pollutants accumulate in your ducts over time. The circulating air from your HVAC system will only get rid of some of it. Once it’s caked into your ducts, something stronger is needed to remove it.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of ductwork cleaning: one that uses a truck-mounted system, and one that uses a brush device that’s attached to something that looks like a vacuum cleaner.

Generally speaking, the former of those (truck-mounted) will be more effective. It will also be more expensive, but the brush devices can’t get fully into your ducts easily. Either one can be useful, though, in clearing debris from your home.

Ductwork Design and Air Quality

For air to be filtered by your HVAC system, it needs to circulate to and from all rooms in your home.

You can help this by keeping any vents clear of household items.

However, sometimes the ductwork design is simply insufficient to circulate air properly. This is most evident in rooms that don’t have a return air vent. This is a vent that takes air back to the central HVAC system, to be run through the filter and recirculated. If an area of your home lacks this type of vent, the air can stagnate, leaving particulates in the air for longer periods of time.

This is an item that requires consultation with a heating and cooling professional. Fortunately, the other items in this section can be handled without this consultation, and each can provide immediate benefits to the air you breathe.

Air Cleaners and Indoor Air Quality

Occasionally the levels of ozone created by air cleaners can be the cause of their own concerns, so finding a low-ozone or zero-ozone air cleaner can be important. However, the beneficial effects of air cleaners can outweigh potential concerns in many instances.

In areas with frequent air quality alerts, where opening windows won’t help to flush out bad air, air purifiers can aid in maintaining in-home health.

Additionally, if you live with smokers or numerous pets, day-to-day air quality in your home is likely to be lower than it should be. Supplementing your efforts with air purifiers can help to keep the environment healthier.

Humidity and Air Quality

Pollutants are easy to recognize as harmful, but what about humidity?

We don’t usually think of humidity as something that helps to regulate our comfort and health, but it plays a crucial role in both. Let’s look at how.

High humidity can cause the following problems:

• Increased chance of mold: mold thrives in high-humidity environments, particularly in basements without good moisture control.
• Increase in dust mites & bugs: dust mites thrive in higher humidity, and the more dust mites you have, the more creepy-crawly bugs can thrive in your home since dust mites are part of their diet.
• Heightened allergies: the particulates that thrive in higher humidity often bring about stronger allergies.

Low humidity can cause the following health issues:

• More viruses and bacteria: many viruses and bacteria can survive in your home longer at lower humidity levels. This is part of the reason some seasons are known as “flu season.” The flu virus survives better in lower humidity and more people become infected with it. This is true of other illnesses as well.
• Dry, itchy skin: while this might not relate to long-term health as much as viruses and bacteria, it certainly contributes to your comfort. Lower humidity equals dry, cracked skin.
• Coughs and trouble sleeping: low humidity can induce coughing in some people and make it harder to sleep soundly.

What is the Ideal Humidity Level For Your Home?

Acceptable humidity levels for your home are between 30% and 60%. Most expert sources suggest that a humidity level around 50% is the ideal level for a home.

This range is based on the risk factors we mentioned above. Below 30%, you’re at greater risk for the issues we mentioned above. Above 60%, you’re risking mold, bugs and heightened allergies.

It’s not necessary to stay at exactly 50% to stay healthy and comfortable, but staying as close as possible during as many seasons of the year as possible can lead to greater sustained health and comfort.

Managing Home Humidity

Fortunately there are some simple solutions for these problems:

A large dehumidifier in your basement can help mitigate humidity in the most humid months.

For extremely humid areas, dehumidifiers can be attached to the ductwork in your home for increased effectiveness.

Whole-home dehumidifiers can similarly be ducted to your system to prevent low humidity.

For those without whole-home humidification needs, smaller humidifiers can be used in the bedroom that can often aid sleep, particularly during the driest months of the year.

Humidity-sensing thermostats come standard with many modern HVAC systems that can aid in maintaining proper levels. 

Keep in mind, you may not need all of these solutions if you live in an area with very high or low humidity. The climate you live in will determine which of these is a potential problem.

Health Effects of Unhealthy Air

The effects of poor air can be more serious than some realize. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lists several adverse effects of poor air quality, including respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive issues, and more. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) corroborates many of these health concerns regarding air quality.

We cover some of these in more detail below.

Chronic Conditions Related to Air Quality

At lower levels of its effects, indoor air quality can still trigger adverse conditions in humans, such as:

• Itchy nose and throat
• Irritation of the eyes
• Headaches
• Coughing and difficulty breathing

These are the surface-level issues, serious as they can be. An increased chance of respiratory diseases such as lung cancer or other lung disease, impaired cognitive development in young children, pronounced asthma, heart disease, and issues with pregnancy are among the more severe issues cited by the NIH.

For instance, those at risk for respiratory issues can develop or worsen their asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to the American Lung Association, our lungs become more susceptible to these chronic health conditions due to the natural decline in lung function with age.

Cognitive impairment can also be made worse via poor air quality in those with early stages of dementia. Dementia is already a deadly and terrifying disease for older adults, and our environment can contribute to it.

These are among the considerations for adults over 50 who may deal with poor indoor air quality. So if you weren’t already paying attention to this topic, hopefully this imparts the seriousness of air quality and how detrimental it can be to a population when it isn’t properly controlled.

Indoor Air Quality in Long-Term Care Facilities

Older populations are among the most vulnerable to illnesses. Even a typical flu season can claim lives of those who are immunocompromised or otherwise struggle to combat disease effectively.

This is why indoor air quality in care facilities is of the utmost importance.

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services identified numerous takeaways for care facilities from the COVID-19 pandemic. The study looked at nursing homes specifically, but the insights apply to any elder care community, such as memory care or assisted living facilities.

Simply put, lives can be saved by taking precautionary air quality measures. If you or a loved one is considering entering a care facility, be sure to ask about their air quality measures, and what they do to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among residents.

Statistics Related to Air Quality

The Pan American Health Organization cites ambient air pollution as the cause of millions of premature deaths. Many of these are centered in areas you might expect, such as the Western Pacific in the United States and Southeast Asia, that are plagued either with urban air pollution, wildfires, or other systemic factors.

It’s easy to think that air pollution won’t affect you if you don’t live in these areas, but hundreds of thousands of premature deaths still occur in areas that are less obvious.

Some of this relates to government-level regulations on air pollution that no individual person can affect. You’re not responsible for air pollution across entire regions of the country. But if it affects you or your loved ones, it’s worth understanding and working toward its prevention!

Keeping Your Home’s Air Clean and Healthy

You might be surprised that, on average, indoor air is less healthy than outdoor air. That’s why it can be so important

If your outdoor air is fresh and clean, opening your windows can be the easiest solution. However, extreme weather (heat or cold) can make this solution untenable at various points of the year. Additionally, environmental hazards and urban population centers often make the outdoor air an equal or greater hazard to your health.

You’re likely to spend the majority of your life indoors, and most of that time will be spent in the home. It’s worth your time and effort to ensure that this remains a healthy environment year-round, and accounts for the various pollutants and risks that we all face regarding air quality.

Taking steps to ensure indoor air quality will literally benefit every breath you take, and is therefore one of the easiest ways to improve your quality of life in the home.