Another major danger in the home – one that causes serious injury in lung cells, is radon, which silently hides in your living space, killing about 21,000 Americans each year. Although radon is a cancer-causing environmental hazard and not traditionally considered an injury, radon-related deaths can be avoided, and should be considered when assessing your home for safety.

Observe Home Safety Month by installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and safety devices to protect your children, and take other recommended measures to make yourself and your family safer in your home. And don’t forget to test for radon, the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, the second leading cause of lung cancer overall, and the cause of as many, if not more, home-related deaths than any other single, avoidable cause, including unintentional injuries.

Particulates, or fine particles, are also a common topic of discussion in air quality improvement circles.  These tiny culprits, found in indoor and outside air, are generated by both nature and man.  For the past 30 years or so, scientists have researched the effects of particulate inhalation, which can lead to asthma and lung cancer.  This seems pretty logical since particulates become lodged in the respiratory tract after being inhaled.  

Recent research by a team at the University of Calgary apparently links air pollution to an increased risk of appendicitis.  According to these researchers, particulates, sulphur dioxides, nitrogen dioxide, and, especially, ozone found in air pollution are all to blame for increased incidents of appendicitis.  Adverse health effects resulting from air pollution include reduced blood flow in the gut and dehydration — both of which could damage the appendix, leading to appendicitis.

When air quality is low, it is recommended that people stay indoors to reduce the risk of exposure and potential negative impacts on health.  Particulates also exist in the home, however.  To improve the indoor air quality inside your house, there are many options.  It is worth exploring whether an air purification system, room ventilation system, or central vacuum can help your family breathe easier.

Our houses and workspaces contain thousands of chemicals which we inhale every day that could over time be contributing factors to cancer, heart, lung and liver disease.  More obvious household items that could negatively impact our health include synthetic pesticides, cigarette smoke, and dry cleaning fluid fumes.  Common household items that we don’t usually think of as harmful, though, are air fresheners and mothballs, and there are certainly many more.  It should be noted that some chemicals are more toxic than others; however, the length of exposure to any chemical also affects how it may negatively impact your health.

There is no single tactic for cancer prevention, but there are small steps we can take to reduce potential harmful elements in our surroundings that impact our health.  First, become aware of the chemicals you and your children are exposed to daily (in food, in clothing, in household cleaners) and reduce these.  Buy organic, antibiotic and pesticide free products whenever possible.  Use natural household cleaners like vinegar to clean glass, lemon juice as a disinfectant, and baking soda to clean stains and remove odors.  

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of ventilation.  Some amount of indoor air pollution is inevitable.  Open windows when possible to increase the flow of air throughout the home.  Test your home for radon with a home radon test kit.  Consider purchasing a room (or even a whole-house) ventilation system.  These are all small steps you can take toward keeping you and yours healthy.  

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Breathe Easy,

The HomeAire Blogging Team