The air in your home could be affecting you more than you know

By Helen Alexander|

Did you know that pollutant levels are up to five times worse inside than the air outside?

You might have complained about the smell of a car's exhaust, chimney smoke or other outdoor fumes — but have you ever stopped to consider the air quality of your indoor environments?

We spend more than 90 percent of our time indoors, where pollutant levels are up to five times worse than the air outside. As a result, indoor air typically accounts for the majority of human exposure to potentially harmful contaminants.

Here's how you can support you and your family's health by lowering the level of pollutants and allergens found in the home.

What are we breathing in?

Siobhan Brophy at the National Asthma Council Australia (NACA) tells Coach that indoor and outdoor pollution is similar, but that the contaminants found indoors come directly from sources inside the home.

"This means that individuals can take steps to reduce the amount of pollution — something that is much more difficult to do for outdoor pollution."

However, living in Australia's capital cities can exacerbate the problem, where cracking open a window can actually do more harm than good. Keeping windows closed for long periods of time might lead to poor ventilation, but open windows in densely urban areas can let in outdoor pollutants — both of which lead to poorer indoor air quality.

A hidden health issue

Heating, cooking, cleaning and soft furnishings can all be sources of indoor pollutants, releasing chemicals such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into our homes. Additionally, the presence of allergens such as dust mites also contributes to poor indoor air quality.

"Sometimes the impact of these pollutants on our health is immediate and obvious, such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat… or headaches and dizziness too," says Brophy. "The more difficult health impacts to identify are the longer term or subtle problems, such as flare-ups in asthma due to mould allergies or cigarette smoke."

According to NACA, over 2 million Australians have asthma — that's about one in 10 people — and so maintaining low levels of air pollutants should be the something every household wants to achieve.

Furthermore, these pollutants can cause tiredness or lethargy and, in serious cases, can aggravate allergies as well as a range of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. In fact, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has estimated that the cost of poor indoor air quality in Australia may be as high as $12 billion in medical costs per year.

Improve air quality in your home

"Try and work out what's causing the problem and deal with it at the source," says Brophy. "For example, have your gas appliances serviced, remove mould as soon as it appears, and ensure no one is smoking inside.

"Climate, temperature and humidity are important factors to consider too. A home in a humid environment is likely to have greater problems with mould than one in an area of low humidity. Conversely, a home in a cold environment could have greater problems with heating pollution such as wood smoke or gas from a poorly flued heater."

Here are Brophy's top tips for lowering the levels of indoor pollutants in your home:

Increase ventilation

"This could be as simple as opening a window or using an extractor fan, especially in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry."

Buy an air purifier or dehumidifier

Use an air purifier to remove airborne contamination, allergens and impurities, and a dehumidifier to reduce the level of humidity in the air and counter mould. In addition, many vacuum cleaners are now able to eliminate dust mites.

Look for 'sensitive choice' products

Displaying a blue butterfly symbol, there are hundreds of products and services that have been approved by the National Asthma Council Australia as being a better choice for people who suffer from asthma and allergies.

RELATED: The dark side of scented candles: they make the air in your home dirtier

Property News: At home with activewear queen Lorna Jane Clarkson -