Common Health Dangers Found in The Home

Our homes are our world - especially in this past year, but also in general. They’re a safe space, a haven from the outside world’s dangers, stresses, and general annoyances. Ideally, it is a place to rest, relax, and recharge for whatever the following day may throw at you. But when you learn about common health dangers that can be found right in your home, that sense of safety and tranquility can quickly dissipate. Luckily, if you know the symptoms or where to look, quickly identifying and tending to those dangers can get your home back to the safe haven it’s supposed to be.

Know what those dangers are and learn ways to eliminate them from your home.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas that can prove fatal to anyone within your home. CO is expected to be found emitting from your gas- burning appliances, such as your oven, furnace, or water heater. Exposure to CO inhibits the body’s blood flow, making it more difficult to transport oxygen through the blood; some symptoms include:

 Headaches

 Fatigue

 Nausea

 Flu-like symptoms

Preventative Measures

The most reliable way to prevent CO from infiltrating your home is to maintain and service your gas-burning appliances. Have them inspected regularly to ensure that they are still in working order and not emitting any harmful gasses. Also, install Carbon Monoxide detectors to catch a leak if maintenance breakdown. Having a handy little gas detector wand on hand is also a great way to get peace of mind when you’re just not sure.

Contaminants in Drinking Water

Typically, your drinking water is treated at a water plant before it ever enters your home. While this process is mostly safe, microorganisms can still enter your home through your running water; some illnesses that you may contract from bad drinking water are:

 Cholera

 Dysentery

 Typhoid

 Polio

Preventative Measures

Having a water filtration system installed in your home will separate whatever small sediments the water treatment couldn’t get, but water filtration won’t eliminate bacteria. Consider UV water purification to kill harmful bacteria the water treatment and home filtration could not stop. While UV water purification is safe and reliable, it does require you to know how to maintain the system to keep it running.

Lead Exposure

In many older homes, lead is a common contaminant due to its past popularity and ignorance of the adverse side effects. Lead has been used in piping and as lead- based paint in homes before the concerning health risks were known. Today, there are still homeowners who unknowingly have lead in their home, and it is a severe health risk to people of all ages—but it is especially dangerous to small children.

Preventative Measures

If you know your home is older, don’t do anything until you have it inspected by a professional. Trying to remove layers of lead paint yourself can result in lead poising, whether you inhale it into your body or your skin is directly exposed to the flakes of lead.

Proceed With Caution

Every home is different. Some people live in theirs for years with no problem while for others, issues arise as soon as they move in. Know what you are dealing with and act cautiously and you should be fine.