Asthma Awareness Month Spawns Healthy Advice

May is Asthma Awareness Month according the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and DUCTZ Indoor Air Professionals is taking this opportunity to educate consumers on the importance of clean indoor air in relation to this serious condition.

The EPA states that asthma sent nearly 2 million Americans to the emergency room in the year 2000, and according to the American Lung Association (ALA), poor indoor air quality can aggravate allergies and asthma, and can be up to five times as harmful as outdoor air pollution. Additionally, the ALA cites heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems as a frequent source of the indoor air pollution that can aggravate asthma.

DUCTZ Indoor Air Professionals, headquartered in Ann Arbor Michigan with business locations nationwide, recognizes the severity of this lung disease and suggests ways to reduce your home's asthma triggers and improve the indoor air quality.

1. Do not smoke indoors. According to the EPA, secondhand smoke is particularly dangerous to those who suffer from asthma.

2. Keep your home dust-free. When dusting, the EPA suggests using a damp cloth and making sure all allergy and asthma sufferers have left the area.

3. Have your HVAC system inspected and, if necessary, cleaned. Mold can trigger asthma attacks for those who are sensitive to it, and if there is substantial mold growth inside the air ducts or other HVAC components, the EPA recommends having the system cleaned. In doing so, make sure to identify and eliminate the source of the mold growth so as to prevent reoccurrence.

4. Hire a professional. Not all HVAC cleaning companies can or should be trusted. An HVAC system cleaning that is not done correctly can actually make a home's indoor air quality worse. DUCTZ Indoor Air Professionals, unlike many competitors, guarantees its work and adheres strictly to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association's rigid service standards.

"Asthma is a serious condition that deserves the national attention Asthma Awareness Month provides," said John Rotche, President of DUCTZ. "As indoor air professionals, DUCTZ owners and technicians are trained to help consumers improve the quality of their indoor air so that triggers of this disease and many others may be reduced or eliminated."