Poor air quality doesn't just make it hard to go outside and enjoy your day, but it can lead to various health problems as well, including chronic sinusitis.
You or your family may experience the following symptoms from a dirty air filter or air ducts: Respiratory infections. Worsened allergies or asthma. Frequent sinus infections.
It's usually caused by the common cold, but other viruses, bacteria, fungi and allergies can also cause sinusitis.
Air purifiers reduce irritating pollutants in the air that may cause or exacerbate frustrating sinus and respiratory symptoms. Removing these pollutants from your breathing air in spaces in which you spend the most time (home, work, etc.) indeed helps reduce dependence on sinus medication.
Unkempt air filters may negatively affect indoor air quality by spreading pet dander, dust, and other allergens throughout your home. This may lead to irritated eyes, nose, and potentially breathing problems.
Unfortunately, it turns out that pollutants in the air can also play a role in chronic sinus conditions. A recent study from Johns Hopkins University has revealed that air pollution in many areas can now lead to chronic sinusitis, more commonly known as a sinus infection.
A blocked filter continuously recirculates those particles back into the home, causing you and your family any number of health-related symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, cold-like symptoms that don't ever seem to go away and chronic allergies.
Common Causes of Dry Sinuses
Dehydration: Not drinking enough water can lead to overall dryness in your body, including your sinuses. Allergies: Allergens like pollen, dust, and pet dander can irritate the sinuses and lead to dryness.
Other disease processes can mimic sinusitis including the common cold, allergies, migraine headache, chronic daily headache, myofascial pain, temporomandibular joint or jaw pain, rhinitis medicamentosa, and even sleep apnea. Therefore an accurate diagnosis requires a thorough history and physical examination.
Pollen, dust, pet dander, dust mites, mold, fungus, and mildew are always floating around outside the home and inside, even with a particularly good HEPA filter. Likewise, fumes from building projects and strong chemicals with irritating scents (such as formaldehyde) could also cause problems with the sinuses.
Reduced airflow
A dirty filter could be to blame. When the air filter is clogged, the airflow in your HVAC system is reduced. This makes it harder for the system to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. This can lead to uneven or inadequate heating and cooling.
The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually. Household air pollution exposure leads to noncommunicable diseases including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.
They can make your family sick:
Your family may suffer upper respiratory infections if they experience coughing, headaches, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throats, runny noses, and low fevers due to dirty air-conditioning filters.
Headaches, sore throat, coughing, Asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing are a few of the symptoms that can be brought on by some air purifiers.
Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners
One mechanism of damage results from ozone-olefin reactions, and another from ozone reacting with electron donors (such as glutathione). Inhalation of relatively small amounts of ozone can cause coughing, chest pain, throat irritation, and shortness of breath.
The airflow reduction of the air filter causes severe health issues like fatigue, headache, breathing difficulty, and cold. Bad air quality: You can't expect fresh air when your air filter is dirty. The air filter is designed to filter out the microscopic particles and lower the smoke's intensity.
If you have a weak immune system , you are more likely to develop sinus infection from bacteria or mold. Other things that can cause sinus infections are colds, seasonal allergies, nasal polyps or a deviated septum.
Air pollution also increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer, and more severely affects people who are already ill. People's health risks from air pollution vary widely depending on age, location, underlying health, and other factors.
People who are sensitive to dust, smog, smoke, strong odors and chemicals may experience nonallergic sinusitis. Temperature changes, along with changes in humidity and stress may also be triggers. Other causes may include: Infections - Viral infections, such as a cold or flu, may trigger nonallergic sinusitis.
What are the symptoms of a dirty air filter? A fuel smell, performance issues, decreased fuel economy, black exhaust smoke, engine noises, and/or a Check Engine Light on are signs you need a new air filter.
This leads to a variety of issues for your HVAC system including system inefficiency, higher energy bills, inadequate air quality, and ultimately failure. If you haven't been swapping your air filters as frequently as you should, there's no time like the present to start practicing this crucial maintenance step.
How Often Do I Need to Change Out My Air Filter? Generally, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days, or 3 months.