The Linn County Public Health website recently published some great information about key principles of a healthy home, and we felt it was well worth sharing.
- Keep Me Maintained: Poorly maintained homes are at-risk for fall and trip injuries, moisture intrusion, and pest problems. Deteriorated paint in older housing (pre-1978) can present a lead-based paint hazard. Despite recent knowledge regarding the hazards of exposure to lead-based paint, each year 1,100 to 1,500 children are newly diagnosed with lead poisoning.
- Keep Me Pest-Free: Pests, such as cockroaches and mice are not only asthma triggers but they can also contaminate food and destroy property. Each year, Americans use more than a billion pounds of pesticides to address pest issues within their home. However, the application of pesticides to treat cockroaches, mice, and bed bugs may exacerbate health problems and could lead to poisoning if not properly applied. Approximately, every 13 seconds in the U.S., a poison control center receives a call about a potential poisoning, of which more than 90% occur in the home.
- Keep Me Clean: Clutter provides food and harborage for some pests and can present a trip hazard in the home. Among the pests that present in cluttered homes are dust mites, which may trigger asthma.
- Keep Me Dry: Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, rodents, roaches, and mold, all of which can be asthma triggers.
- Keep Me Safe: Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children ages 0 to 19. Every day, approximately 8,000 children in the U.S. are treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries; which, adds-up to approximately 2.8 million children a year.
- Keep Me Ventilated: Increasing the fresh air supply in a home, helps improve respiratory health.
- Keep Me Contaminant-Free: Chemical exposures include radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke.
