Page 13 - Dainfern Precinct Living 4 2021

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Improving the air quality in

your home not only enhances

your well-being, but for

the WFH-ers (work-from-

home-ers), it improves your

productivity as well.

eing restricted to working your blood pressure and your heart combustion is incomplete, CO will
entirely from home rate. It also helps to strengthen your be produced.
has its benefits and immune system, sharpen the mind
disadvantages. While and improve your overall well-being. Whilst high concentrations of
Bmany will welcome the CO may cause sleepiness and
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time saved by not having to sit Getting back to the heating scenario headaches, CO is highly toxic and
for endless hours in traffic jams, – remember that anything that if there’s a high concentration of the
and appreciate the opportunity to burns will deplete the oxygen in the gas in the room, it can cause brain
monitor their kids’ online lessons, air, so whether it’s a cosy fireplace, damage, organ failure and possibly
the downside is that, being in the a gas heater or, for that matter, even death.
same space day in and day out a collection of candles to set the
can be a negative when there’s mood in the evening, if you’re not The other gas, NO , is also
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something toxic in the environment allowing enough fresh air into your commonly emitted from home
– be it a relationship, or something space, you’ll start to feel sluggish heating elements such as gas, oil,
causing one to underperform, such and ill. and kerosene burning appliances,
as poor air quality. including stoves, room heaters, and
In addition to the depletion of the water heaters, as well as wood-
Poor air quality can be caused by a oxygen in the air, there are some burning and coal-burning furnaces
number of factors. Let’s take a look pretty mean gases that will cruise in and fireplaces. Some of the effects
at some of the culprits. to fill that space – such as carbon of NO poisoning include wheezing
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dioxide (CO ), carbon monoxide or coughing, conjunctivitis,
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LACK OF ADEQUATE (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO ). headaches, throat irritation and
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VENTILATION Any unvented heating appliance dyspnea (shortness of breath).
As we head into the cold months where the air is not channelled out
of winter, inviting air in from the through a chimney will generate POLLUTANTS
outdoors may well be something CO into the indoor environment Formaldehyde from pressed wood,
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you want to avoid. However, if your when there’s complete combustion lead from lead-based paints and
home is modern and exceptionally of carbon-based fuels. However, if lead water pipes, volatile organic
‘green’, you may have all the
necessary insulation to prevent heat
loss and drafts, double glazing to
combat noise pollution and a myriad
gas appliances – stoves, heaters
etc – sucking up lots of oxygen,
which is why ensuring that there’s
enough fresh air in your indoor air
space is essential.

Taking a breather out in the garden
once or twice a day and then going
back to a stuffy office isn’t enough
to keep your productivity at its
optimum level – especially if you’re
breathing in the same air all day
long.

Breathing in fresh air increases the
amount of oxygen available to your Cleaning materials can
body. More oxygen in your pollute the air indoors
bloodstream helps to lower both
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