How indoor air quality affects us

Those who live in a big city know that the air in the countryside really is different. Suddenly breathing in becomes a joyful, fresh experience. Unfortunately, people who spend a lot of time indoors also know that feeling, no matter where they live. That’s because indoor air quality is often overlooked. In an ergonomic workplace or comfortable home, you will also need to look at the air. Here’s why.

We are what we breathe 

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’, but the same goes for what you breathe. If you’re constantly breathing in ‘bad air’ that hasn't circulated, is contaminated with bacteria, dust and pollen, you will feel just as bad — if not worse — as when your diet consists of just fast food and soda. At an average of 23,040 breaths a day, every breath counts, especially since most of us spend our time seated indoors.

A third of deaths from strokes, lung cancer and heart diseases can be linked to air pollution. Air is more important than we think, yet harder to control. We can’t see the microscopic bad particles in it, so we don’t worry about it. Until we start noticing the effects.

What bad indoor air quality can do to us:

We have all spent hours in classrooms that were poorly ventilated with students that had all kinds of lunches packed. You rarely left the room feeling energized. That has a lot to do with the air quality in there, and less with what the teacher was talking about.

Bad indoor air quality can cause:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Irritated eyes, nose or throat
• Respiratory and heart diseases

The air can also be full of triggers that can worsen asthma and allergies, including hay fever.

How indoor air quality affects performance

It’s not just our health. When it comes to performance, for students and workers, air quality also makes a difference. Healthy air can cause a decrease in absence due to health issues with 25% and boosts productivity (15%)

Want to prevent all these issues?

It doesn’t require complicated systems or a complete renovation of your building. Talk to our experts to find out how our HEPA filters can make a change in your building.