Keep Your Home's Air Clean For Your Family's Health; American Lung Association Offers Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality During High Pollution Season

6/16/2004

From: Elizabeth Margulies of the American Lung Association, 212-315-8813

NEW YORK, June 16 -- While Americans spend an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors, the majority of the public does not realize that the air in their homes can contribute to health problems, particularly during peak summer months when ozone pollution is at its highest, according to the American Lung Association.

"Indoor air pollutants like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and tobacco and cooking smoke particles can cause asthma attacks, as well as itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose. Radon and tobacco smoke can cause even more dangerous health effects, including lung cancer," said John L. Kirkwood, president and CEO of the American Lung Association. "Keeping the air in your home clean is particularly important for people with asthma or allergies, but the quality of indoor air is something all Americans should be concerned about."

Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of or worsen chronic lung diseases such as lung cancer or asthma. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have respiratory diseases are at greater risk for problems caused by poor indoor air quality.

The American Lung Association recommends these strategies for reducing indoor air pollution:

-- Control the source: Reduce or remove as many asthma or allergy triggers from your home as possible; pay attention to dust mites, controlling them especially in the bedroom; keep pets outside whenever possible; wash all bedding weekly in hot water; don't allow anyone to smoke indoors.

-- Ventilate: Keep the windows open as often as possible to allow air to circulate. When the temperature, pollution index or pollen count are high, use an air conditioner to allow the windows and doors to stay closed while air circulates. Test your home for radon and, if present in high levels, add ventilation to remove it.

-- Filter the Air: This can be done several ways, such as by using high-efficiency filters that meet the American Lung Association Health House Guidelines to help capture airborne particles and common household allergens, such as pollen, pet dander, dust and mold spores that pass through the air.

For more information about indoor air quality and lung health, call the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA or visit http://www.lungusa.org.

For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined.

The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time."

For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to http://www.lungusa.org.