Adults take approximately 23,000 breaths everyday. Can you tell if the quality of the air your family is breathing is decent? As spring gets closer, it’s a perfect situation to evaluate your home’s indoor air quality. We have plenty cool days ahead of us and colder air retains a decreased amount of moisture. This dry air is not only uncomfortable, but it can affect your health and your home.
Low Humidity Increases Your Chances of Getting Sick
That you get a cold because it’s cold outside is an old wives’ tale… but there is a little truth to it. As we said, cold air is drier and dry air can produce some health problems. The mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses dry out when humidity is lower, so they’re not doing their function of cleaning out germs. This heightens your chances of coming down with a cold, the flu or another infection.
Dry Air Hurts Your Skin
In the Norco and St. Charles Parish winter, you may see that your skin is dry and itchy. Lack of humidity is the problem. Lotion can be a solution to treat the symptoms, but putting an investment towards a whole-home humidifier could fix the actual issue.
Damages to Your Home
The lack of moisture in your home’s air can also affect the wood around your home—baseboards, floors, furniture—because the air pulls moisture from these items. You might even notice cracks in the walls and floors.
Checking for Dry Air
While itchy skin and a perpetual cold are tips that your indoor air may be dry, there are additional symptoms to watch for as well:
- An increase in static electricity
- Cracks in your flooring
- Openings in your trim and molding
- Peeling wallpaper
All of these concerns suggest that it’s possibly time to take a look at your indoor air quality. We are here to lend a hand! Contact our indoor air professionals at Mayeuxs AC & Heating.