Good health starts at the hardware store

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Good health starts at the hardware store

Posted By MAG RUFFMAN, QMI AGENCY

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2240009

If you're feeling apprehensive about H1N1, I don't blame you.

It's a nasty strain of flu, there's no known cure, and although the vaccine may

be effective, it can also produce side effects in some people.

Why do some people always seem to get virus-related illnesses like colds and

flu, while others sail through winter in perfect health?

According to Dr. Murray Grossan, author of Free Yourself from Sinus and Allergy

Problems -- Permanently, people most at risk for contracting flu are young

children and older individuals who are in poor health.

But, he says, " people of any age with a compromised immune system can get it ...

especially those with respiratory or sinus problems. "

OK, what causes respiratory and sinus problems in people of any age?

According to a 1994 Harvard study, 50% of North American households have indoor

mould, mildew and moisture problems associated with a 50% to 100% increase in

respiratory symptoms.

A 1999 Mayo Clinic study linked nearly all of the chronic sinus infections

afflicting 37 million Americans to moulds. Recent studies link moulds to the

tripling of the asthma rate during the past 20 years.

Why is mould so unhealthy? According to Dr. Delgado, doctoral member of the

American Academy of Environmental Medicine, " Mould acts as a penetrating agent

to the body system, which lowers the threshold limit value of the immune system,

thereby allowing opportunistic diseases to flourish. "

This is an egghead way of saying we're sitting ducks if we're breathing mould.

So what can you do to safeguard your family's health in this rather dramatically

enhanced flu and cold season?

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Control trouble spots first, including: plumbing leaks that need repair,

visible condensation buildup around windows and walls, visible water seeping

into the basement, and roof/attic leaks.

Dry up: Get a hygrometer and maintain indoor relative humidity between 30% and

45%, using dehumidifiers as required. Because newer houses are airtight and trap

moisture, they require constant dehumidification, according to the Canada

Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Filter clean: Viruses are small. The diameter of a human hair is about 100

millionths of a metre (100 microns). The H1N1 virus measures one-tenth of one

micron across, without sucking its stomach in.

Fortunately, viruses travel on much larger particles (from sneezes or coughs)

that can be strained from your indoor air with a decent furnace filter (i. e.

Filtrete Max by 3M).

To air is divine: Ventilate, especially in bathrooms, to reduce humidity.

Install fans or open the doors and windows whenever possible. Mouldspore counts

are typically higher indoors.

Smeller's market: Mould and mildew smell badly, so do a nose check in your

basement, attic, kitchen and bathrooms, especially under cupboards and around

foundation walls.

If there's a " pong " the first time you turn on your forced-air furnace each

winter, you may have mould and mildew residing in your ducts.

Have your ducts professionally cleaned and treated with anti-mould spray. We had

ours done and our home no longer smells foul. Summer condensation inside the

ducts caused mould growth in construction debris caught in the ducts. Hence,

every time we turned the furnace on, we started sneezing and coughing.

Kill it dead: Don't use bleach to treat mould. It doesn't work. Bleach is harsh

enough to kill existing surface mould but does not damage the roots. That's why

mould and mildew grow back after you bleach.

Use a non-toxic, earth-friendly spray approved by Health Canada. I use

Concrobium Mold Control. It kills mould with a fungicidal film that stops

re-growth.