PEOPLE are being warned to stop drying clothes indoors and always open a window when cooking to cut the risks from indoor pollution.
Health bosses have today said we should be taking extra care to reduce harmful toxin levels in our homes for the sake of our health.
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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) say that pre-schoolers, pregnant women, the disabled and the elderly may be especially vulnerable to the effects of pollution and poor ventilation.
It has issued new draft guidance for the public as well as councils, landlords and planners urging people to use extractor fans or open windows while cooking, drying clothes inside, and using household sprays, solvents and paints.
The NHS regulator also says that households need to be ventilated when candles are lit and when you’re having a bath or shower.
The guidance is for everyone but particularly affects vulnerable groups including people with lung conditions such as asthma.
Health bosses are also urging pregnant women to reduce their use of aerosols and household cleaning sprays.
Gill Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at Nice, said that poor air quality is linked to an increase in risk of health problems.
Pollution can make asthma worse
“Poor ventilation leads to a build-up of pollutants which can exacerbate illnesses such as asthma.
“Councils are in a good position to raise awareness among the general public.
“It’s important that local authority departments from social housing to providers of social care work together to identify, prevent and improve poor indoor air quality.”
Alan Maryon-Davis, honorary professor of public health at King’s College London, said: “We are all very aware of the detrimental health effects of outdoor air pollution.
“But how many of us think about the air quality inside our homes?
Cooking and cleaning largely to blame
“Many people spend most of their time at home indoors, and the pollutants we create through cooking and cleaning, or those arising from mould or building materials, can all too easily cause or exacerbate respiratory conditions and other health problems.”
Nice said housing conditions that put people at increased risk of exposure to poor indoor air include living near high levels of outdoor air pollution, living in small cramped rooms and having damp.
Builders should build with pollution risk in mind
So the new advice also urges architects and builders to consider both indoor and outdoor pollution when planning heating and ventilation for buildings.
Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead and GP at Asthma UK, said: “The effects of outdoor air pollution on the nation’s health is well known but toxic air in the home can be an invisible killer, especially for the 5.4million people with asthma in the UK.
“It is very encouraging that awareness is being raised among homeowners, landlords and architects so that measures can be taken to keep people with asthma safe.”
Cleaning products, smoke from fires and damp can all trigger life-threatening asthma attacks – but, Dr Whittamore says, there are steps you can take to cut your risk.
“Make sure you take your preventer inhaler (usually brown) as prescribed, follow your written asthma action plan and make sure you have a yearly asthma review.
“If you notice your symptoms are getting worse make sure you see your GP. For more information visit www.asthma.org.uk/triggers.“
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