Why is Dust Harmful?

As mentioned before, popular sources of dust are air pollution and pollen. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 91% of the population lives in areas where the air is heavily polluted and over 3.8 million people die of household air pollution. It’s a major silent assassin that not many people realize is killing them!

Polluted dust can contain toxic gases and materials as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and manufacturing processes. These particles can cause a myriad of health effects including decreased organ performance, lower lung capacity, lymphoma, respiratory infection, dizziness, headaches, lowered immune system, less oxygen reaching blood cells, cancer, bronchitis, nerve damage, and damage to your vital organs.

What are the worst culprits of these toxic dust particles? Lead, mercury, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter from wood combustion and many other harmful chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which come from cars, paint, and chemical solvents.

I mentioned that mold can be found in most peoples homes earlier, but why should you care? After all, there are tons of mold variations that cause little to no effects in most people. How bad mold effects humans varies drastically depending on your tolerance and other health attributes, however, indoor mold is widely associated with millions of cases of respiratory illness, increased asthma-related symptoms, hypersensitivity, lethargy, and even cancer! Jeez, everything causes cancer nowadays.

It’s a horrendous situation but it’s real, we live in a world where we breathe in all of those things on a daily basis and it’s extremely likely that you’re already experiencing negative health effects from doing so. Dust in our home carries most, if not all of those things, making dust one of the most dangerous aspects of living in your home.

Aside from potentially killing you, there are some short term effects that are far more noticeable at first exposure. These include allergies and irritations. Most people are allergic to some mold, pollen, pet dander, and many other particulate matters. Allergies downright make life less enjoyable and can cause a ton of annoying side effects such as itchy eyes, runny nose, allergic reactions, skin rashes, hair loss, coughing, difficulty breathing, lowered immune system, etc. Allergies are a lot worse than just a sneeze or two here and there and if you’re suffering, you should take action! You deserve to live a clean and clear life.