Your Indoor Environment

Don’t let dry air, allergies or faulty home heating damage your health this winter

The thermostat is turned up, the humidifier is running on maximum and a kerosene heater is warming your bedroom. Sounds harmless, but these can be the ingredients for an unhealthy winter.

To protect your family from dry, cracked skin, winter allergies and heating-related burns, here are some strategies from allergist Shannon Kearney, D.O., and burn specialist Daniel Lozano, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

Ban smoking

• Tobacco smoke is the most common indoor winter pollutant, triggering bronchitis and asthma in children and lung cancer and heart disease in smokers.

Coddle your skin

• A humidifier helps prevent drying and cracking, but keep the humidity level in your home below 50 percent to discourage mold and dust mites.
  
  
• Don’t let your bath or shower water get too hot, and moisturize your entire body afterward.

Combat allergies

• If you have a pet you’re allergic to, keep it out of the bedroom, wash it regularly and consider an air purifier.
  
  
• Use mite-proof mattress and pillow covers. Microscopic dust mites are a common allergen.
  
  
• Avoid carpeting and fabrics in your décor. Use wood, tile, vinyl or leather.
  
  
• Prevent cockroach infestation by storing food properly and cleaning up promptly after a meal.

Do good maintenance

• Have your chimney professionally cleaned every year to ensure that carbon monoxide (an odorless and colorless gas) is being ventilated properly. High levels can be fatal.
  
  
• Have your heating system professionally inspected every year. Faulty systems can spread carbon monoxide throughout your home.
  
  
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor and check the batteries as recommended.

Prevent burns

• Keep space heaters off carpets and turn them off before going to sleep.

Keep dampness out

• Repair any leaks in your roof, especially if someone in your home has allergies. Damp areas are a breeding ground for mold spores.
  
  
• Check the basement regularly, and make repairs if water is leaking in. Puddles encourage mold.

ARTICLE TOOLS: