Today, on Redhead Mom, I’m sharing a partnered guest post about dust and related health problems.
We are constantly surrounded by dust, but it rarely crosses our minds to consider where it comes from or whether breathing it in can be harmful for our health. Although dust is no more than an unsightly nuisance to the majority of people, it can trigger allergic reactions in others. In some cases, exposure to dust can even cause more significant medical symptoms. We discuss how dust is created, how to keep your living space clean, and potential health hazards of dust exposure in this article.
What is Dust?
In a household, dust is created by a number of tiny particles from both outside and inside your home. The kind of dust you’d find in a household is generally made up of dirt, dead skin cells, pollen, hair, clothing fibers, and other microscopic particles. The pollutants that make up dust particles can get into your household on your clothing or shoes, via your pet(s), or through open windows. The use of consumer products around your home can also create dust particles.
Outside of the household, dust clouds can occur due to strong winds and poor weather. In other cases, dust clouds may be man made. For example, when a building is demolished, it is likely that the construction site will be shrouded in dust clouds. This can be especially dangerous, as dust present in a collapsing building can contain “asbestos, lead, glass fiber, PCBs, and pulverized cement dust.”
Is Dust Actually Bad for Your Health?
In most cases, dust does not pose serious risk to human lives. You may prefer not to dwell on what it is that you’re inhaling when you get a whiff of dust, but it’s unlikely to cause you serious or immediate harm. However, repeated and long-term exposure to high levels of dust, regardless of its origin, can be bad for your health. Normal levels of exposure in your home is not likely to cause a problem, but working in an unclean or dusty environment may cause long-term health issues.
Some people with allergies may be particularly sensitive to dust exposure and can develop symptoms such as:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Asthma attacks
- Hay fever
- Irritated or watery eyes
Some specific types of dust can cause serious or even fatal injuries when inhaled, even for people without allergies. Tiny particles of wood, sand, and asbestos are capable of causing a wide range of medical conditions, from asthma to various types of cancer. Those working regularly around wood, sand, or in the construction industry must take industry-standard precautions to limit their exposure to dangerous particles as much as possible. Doing so significantly reduces your chances of experiencing adverse medical effects.
What Happens When We Breathe in Dust?
The human body has a series of defense mechanisms that work to protect us when we inhale things that could potentially cause harm. When you breathe in, many of the particles you inhale are filtered out by your nose. Large particles are trapped in your nose and unable to get further in your body. When you sneeze or blow your nose, the particles are harmlessly removed.
Smaller particles may make it through your nose and reach your windpipe. At this point, particles must travel through tubes called bronchi and bronchioles to arrive at your lungs. Mucus produced by cells lining these airways will catch most of the particles, which are then removed as mucus travels upward into the throat.
Any remaining particles that manage to actually reach your airway are attacked by cells called macrophages. These cells keep your airway clean by swallowing foreign particles, then the cells themselves travel to parts of your airway covered by tiny hairs called cilia. The cilia move the macrophages containing dust upwards into the throat, where they can be naturally removed.
How to Reduce Dust in Your Household
Even if you’re not sensitive to dust and there are no dangerous substances present in your home, having clumps of dust everywhere can be quite an eyesore. While it’s not possible to entirely get rid of dust in your home, we do have some tips that will make the issue much more manageable.
- Clean regularly with microfiber products. Microfiber cloths and towels are excellent for cleaning up dust. They actually attract dust particles with an electrostatic charge, which makes them incredibly efficient cleaning products for your home. Machine washable microfiber towels are particularly convenient, as you can reuse them many times.
- Vacuum regularly. A good-quality vacuum cleaner, combined with good housekeeping techniques, can get quite a bit of dust out of your home’s carpeting. You should vacuum high-traffic areas of your home frequently (at least twice a week) and clean all carpeted areas at least weekly. Be sure to use high-quality vacuum bags, as they are less likely to leak dust all over your home.
- Purify your home’s air. There are a number of strategies you can use to preserve the air quality of your living spaces. First, you can place air purifiers with True High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to remove dust before it settles. You may also consider adding some plants to your rooms, as they absorb a number of common indoor pollutants. Finally, keep your windows and doors shut on windy days to keep out airborne pollutants, pollen, and mold spores.
- Buy an air cleaner. An air cleaner can remove particles from the air within the room you place it in. However, it’s important to remember that air cleaners are designed to work within a very limited space, usually the room in which the air cleaner is installed. To catch a majority of dust in your household, you’d need an individual unit in each room.
- Choose easy-to-clean flooring materials. Carpets are known for gathering dust, even if you clean regularly. If you’re renovating your home, you might consider going with a flooring material such as wood, tile, or laminate. You’ll still need to mop regularly to keep the floor clean but you won’t have quite as much dust buildup as if you had carpeting.
Protect Your Health & Your Home’s Air Quality at the Same Time
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that a small bit of dust around your home will cause you or your family any significant issues. Even so, it’s beneficial to keep your household as clean and dust-free as possible, to reduce the chances of an allergic reaction or more serious medical issue. We hope this article helps you enjoy a pristine, dust-free household for a long time to come.