Smart Health

(ARA) – Home is where the heart is, but what happens if your home becomes the enemy to your health? With Americans worrying more and more about airborne pathogens there has been a big push toward preventive health care solutions.

Staying healthy and preventing illness starts in the home. A clean and safe home can be a sanctuary for the entire family, from infants to seniors. Here's what you need to know about making your home a healthy place for people of all ages.

1. Healthy and Happy Baby
With a new little one in the home, many people decide to baby proof. You can add locks to your cabinets, move items high out of baby's reach and block electrical outlets from curious fingers in just minutes. But what about when baby is sleeping? Newborn babies spend half of their day in the nursery resting.

Sudden infant death syndrome, more commonly known as SIDS, is a sudden unexplained death of a seemingly healthy baby that kills 2,500 infants annually. It is the leading cause of death in children between one month and one year.

A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that using a fan while a baby is sleeping can cut the risk of SIDS by 72 percent. A survey by HealthyChildrenToday.com found that 70 percent of mothers were unaware of this fan study. The use of a fan is based on the hypothesis that SIDS is related to babies re-breathing exhaled carbon dioxide that gets trapped near them in bedding. A fan increases room air circulation, decreasing the amount of trapped carbon dioxide.

2. Breathe Easy, Children
You have a fan in the baby's room and you likely have others in older kids' bedrooms and throughout your home. Why not take the next step and improve indoor air quality for everyone? Respiratory problems are most troublesome up until age 12.

With national concern about the outbreak of airborne pathogens, influenza prevention has become a focus beyond seasonal vulnerabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of influenza complications.

A Healthy Fan is a device that incorporates existing ceiling fan technology combined with UV-C light energy to increase room air circulation while decreasing the amount of airborne bacteria, viruses and mold spores. During air circulation, the Air Purifying Medallion traps dust particles and allergens in a charged filter. Some germs, especially virus cells, are extremely tiny and can therefore be suspended in the air. These are the target of the UV-C light, which emits energy that kills and neutralizes germs. The result is a well-circulated room that has a 99 percent reduction in airborne bacteria, viruses and mold spores. A Healthy Fan sanitizes a houseful of air every 15 minutes.

3. Clean Teens and Adults
Unclean surfaces most likely haunt your home -- the most notorious being in the kitchen and the bathroom. Buy a good quality bactericidal cleaner and wipe surfaces weekly and more often as they are used. Doing this will reduce the bioload (level of germs and bacteria) found in the home. With many different types of germ-killing sprays and disposable wipes available, this is one of the easiest and fastest ways to a sanitized home.

Another thing you should do on a weekly basis is dust and vacuum. Using a vacuum with a HEPA-rated filter helps catch additional allergens. When you dust, use a damp cloth so you avoid simply pushing dust around and spreading it in the air. Then wipe with a dry cloth to discourage the growth of surface mold.

It only takes a couple of minutes to make your home a healthy home. With these steps, every member of your family will live healthier, whether nine weeks or 90 years old. For more information on the Healthy Fan, visit www.healthyfan.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent


 

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