We hope you’re happily settling into fall. It seems as though it’s just starting to heat up out here in Los Angeles, but we can’t forget that soon, in some parts of the country, leaves will turn red and the air will be cool and crisp. We can dream! Below you’ll find some useful ways to improve the indoor air quality in two of the places you probably spend most of your time: your car and your home or office.
Dr. Robert Eitches is an established allergist in the Los Angeles area with over 30 years of experience as an allergy and immunology specialist. We got a chance to interview Dr. Eitches about air purifiers and their affect on allergies and asthma. To read the complete interview, take a look at it on our website.
“You can’t cure allergies; you have to get them under good control.”
-Dr. Eitches
Bring Your Garden Inside
Unbeknownst to many, our homes and offices can harbor a lot of pollution—building materials release formaldehyde and benzene, furniture, carpeting, and copy machines give off ozone, and off-gassing from furniture, and carpeting will put harmful volatile organic compounds into the air. The answer to cleaner air is a natural solution: plants! That’s right, a bit of greenery will absorb harmful gases and clean the air. A NASA study found that plants, such as Gerbera daisy, Chrysanthemum, Philodendron, Spider plant, and Golden Pothos removed 80% of pollution within a 24-hour period. Get out to your local nursery to find some leafy friends to help battle indoor air pollution.
Valley Fever in the Air
California and Arizona have seen an increasing number of cases of Valley Fever, a disease caused by the inhalation of fungal spores. The spores, lifted from dry dirt by the wind, pass through your nostrils or down your throat, and are so tiny, they don’t even trigger a cough. For most, that’s as far as they go. For the unlucky though, the fungus takes root and starts to feed. The fungus is particularly prevalent along Interstate 5 and can be inhaled in just a single breath. For those who live in particularly dusty areas, or even for those just driving through, it’s important to seal yourself off from the air outside to avoid contact with coccidioidomycosis. When in your car, be sure to push that button that recycles the air, instead of taking it in from outside. It may seem a bit stale, but at least it’s clean!
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