When you breathe in the air full of dust and bacteria, you are risking your health, especially if you already suffer from allergies, asthma, or upper respiratory concerns. Even if you don't experience these problems, clean air is still important and linked with improved sleep and overall better health.
Leave Dust…in the Dust
It's important to recognize that for you to have healthy sleep, you should have a healthy bedroom. Especially if you suffer from allergies, asthma, apnea, or snore, it's important to create a dust free bedroom for easier breathing while you sleep.
Health Problems
Most people have some sensitivity to dust because it irritates respiratory passages. This causes sneezing and general respiratory discomfort. Many people also develop allergic reactions to dust allergens, which include pollen, dander, mold spores and dust mite waste products.
In some studies, sneezing, coughing, eye irritation, lung tissue swelling, asthma and throat infections were found to be more prevalent among individuals exposed to occupational dust. Moreover, the symptoms associated with impaired lung function may lead to occupational lung diseases (6, 7).
Breathing low levels of household or urban dust does not cause health problems in most individuals. Anyone who is exposed to high levels of dust may be affected – the longer you breathe in the dust, then the greater the chance that it will affect your health.
Health Impacts
Exposure to dust inside homes can have adverse health outcomes, such as respiratory problems, asthma, allergic reactions, and lead poisoning (if the dust contains lead). Dust comes from two sources. First, dirt and dust can be carried in from outside on shoes or blown in through windows and doors.
Dust Levels in the Air
Generally speaking, particle sizes of less than 10 micrometers are a concern because they can get into the lungs and cause respiratory health effects. Particle sizes less than 2.5 micrometers are even more concerning with compared to larger-sized particles.
Textiles generate a lot of dust.
You want your bedroom to be a haven. But those cozy comforts, like rugs and blankets, are the things in a home that can generate the most amount of dust. “Some rooms may have a tendency to collect more dust due to the contents of the room.
Unfortunately, keeping your windows open will not reduce the amount of dust in your home; in fact, doing this could increase it.
Household dust can also contain toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, flame retardants and asbestos. Young children are likely to ingest significant quantities of dirt and dust because they often play on the ground and put their hands and other objects into their mouths.
Lungs are self-cleaning organs that will begin to heal themselves once they are no longer exposed to pollutants. The best way to ensure your lungs are healthy is by avoiding harmful toxins like cigarette smoke and air pollution, as well as getting regular exercise and eating well.
Once inside the lungs, the dust particles can scar the lungs. This scarring is known as silicosis. Silicosis can lead to breathing problems, a serious lung condition called Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF), or lung cancer. There is no cure for silicosis and it can be fatal.
There is no treatment that can reverse the damage done by coal dust, but certain steps can help slow down progression of the disease, relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Once the severity of exposure has been determined, your doctor can determine the best course of action.
The pneumoconioses are a group of lung diseases caused by the lung's reaction inhaling certain dusts. The main cause of the pneumoconioses is work-place exposure. Environmental exposures have rarely been related to these diseases. The primary pneumoconioses are: Abestosis – caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
The surfaces that need dusting twice a month are areas that don't see a lot of traffic. Rooms like guest rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and other spaces that normally don't see a lot of traffic need wiping every two weeks. It is not a big deal if you miss a week, so don't stress it if you can't clean it twice a month.
The small hairs present in our nose act as filters stopping bigger dust particles and smaller dust particles will be expelled by sneezing. The dust and particles adhering to dust will be washed away by the watery mucous that is secreted by the nasal mucosal layer.
Open doors and windows can let dust creep indoors. The best solution is to seal windows and doors and any other cracks and crevices that are possible dust entryways. Dust also hides in cloth and clutter. Regular washing of carpets, textiles, stuffed animals, garages, and attics can go a long way.
Respirable dust (smaller than 10 µm) - these dust particles are so small that they are invisible under normal lighting conditions. Their extremely small size also means they can be breathed deep into your lungs and lead to lung damage.
When used properly, dust masks prevent the inhalation of dust in the air and protects the lungs. When you inhale, air is pulled through the dust mask and dust is captured on the outside of the mask. Dust masks will leak if they don't fit your face properly. Dust masks don't filter out chemical vapors.
Running your system on constant fan will run air through your filter more often, reducing the amount of dust your family breathes in your home.
If the air inside your home is never exchanged for fresh air, it can become stale. When you're inside a building that's tightly sealed, without much ventilation, for much of your time, it's called sick building syndrome, or SBS. Living in this type of environment can allow toxins to build up in the house.