Summertime and air conditioning season mean there are more mold spores in the air.  These mold spores can be uncomfortable and most likely harmful to people with asthma and allergies.  Even a person who is not allergic to mold may experience unpleasant symptoms due to the higher levels of mold in the air this time of year.  In addition to airborne mold, the increased running of an air conditioning system can create an ideal environment for mold to grow, making an HVAC system a breeding ground for mold during the hot summer months.

The BreatheCLEAN high intensity ultraviolet air cleaner continually reduces the levels of  viruses, mold, and bacteria that cause illness and irritate asthma and allergies.

Asthma is a serious, life threatening respiratory disease that affects

over 20 million Americans and an estimated 300 million people worldwide!

Symptoms:

• Wheezing
• Breathlessness
• Chest tightness
• Coughing

Reducing triggers will help asthmatic patients experience less coughing and wheezing.  They will sleep better and reduce absenteeism at work and school.  Those with asthma may enjoy indoor and outdoor physical activities with less restriction.

Triggers

• Secondhand smoke
• Dustmites
• Mold
• Cockroaches and pests
• Pets

Air purification is one way of reducing many of the triggers that aggravate an asthmatic's symptoms.  By reducing the amount of viruses, dust, mold, bacteria, particles and VOC's from the air, an asthmatic can dramatically improve their quality of life.

Statistics on Asthma

1. It is estimated that the number of people with asthma will grow by more than 100 million by 2025. (World Health Organization)
   
2. Asthma is one of the most common serious chronic diseases in children, more than 6 million children have asthma. (Summary of Health Statistics for U.S. Children)
   
3. 13 million school days are missed each year due to Asthma. (Center for Disease Control)
   
4. Asthma accounts for about 10.1 million missed work days for adults annually. (Center for Disease Control)
   
5. About 70% of asthmatics also have allergies. (World Health Organization)
   
6. 12 million people report having an asthma attack in the past year. (Summary of Health Statistics for U.S. children)
   
7. Workplace conditions, such as exposure to fumes, gases or dust are responsible for 11% of asthma cases worldwide. (World Health Organization)
   
8. Asthma accounts for approximately 500,000 hospitalizations each year. (Center for Disease Control)
   
9. Annual expenditures for health and lost productivity due to asthma are estimated at over $20 billion. (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)
   
10. In 2006, almost 2.5 million people over the age of 65 had asthma. (American Lung Association)
    
11. Asthma accounts for 217,000 emergency room visits and 10.5 million physician office visits every year. (National Center for Health Statistics, 2008)
    

The Minnesota Baby Expo takes place this weekend (April 10 & 11) at the Minneapolis Convention Center! Come and enjoy fun entertainment for the whole family, hear presentations on many topics from health and fitness to fashion, crafts, child entertainment and more. At any given time you will find seven entertainers or presenters, plus vendors, exhibits and lounges.

One of the speakers is the president of Healthy Indoor Air,LLC, Mark Valenziano, who will be discussing simple holistic methods of keeping your home clean and your family healthy. Learn about all the invisible stuff that's in the air you breathe and how it affects your sleep, and the general health of your family. You'll learn about the non-medicinal ways to reduce headaches, red and irritated eyes, congestion, sore throats, coughing and more. Mark will be hosting a casual conversation on Saturday from 10:15am to 11:45am, and will be giving a presentation on Sunday afternoon from 4:15pm to 4:45pm.

Traditional media filters found in air cleaners utilize a lot of power due to airflow restriction of the media.  HealthWay's patented Enhanced Media Filtration compensates for the major drawbacks of traditional media filters.  Thus the machine can move considerable more air than traditonal air cleaners without jeopradizing efficiency while at the same time being more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

When purchasing an air cleaner consider this:

ENERGY STAR certified room air cleaners are 35% more energy-efficient than standard models saving consumers 215 kWh/year, or $16 annually on utility bills.  These savings could add up to as much as $150.00 over the life of the air cleaner.  Moreover, if many people switch to more energy-efficient appliances the total conservation of energy will have a significant effect in reducing energy consumption & carbon emissions.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy which helps consumers save money while protecting the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

For more information contact us at 866-332-7247

Almost 1/3, or 28 percent, of adults and children hospitalized with H1N1 (a.k.a. swine flu) have asthma. That's almost double any other chronic condition, according to a recent analysis of cases published in the New England Journal of Medicine. A weakened immune system came in tied for second with 15 percent of patients studied.

Why Asthma?

"Asthma is sort of an accident waiting to happen," says Richard Gower, M.D., the president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. People with asthma are at risk for breathing trouble with infections in general, not just H1N1.

The lungs of people with asthma tend to bronchospasm, meaning they tighten in response to triggers, such as pollen, pet allergens, bacteria, viruses, or other airborne particles. In the case of an infection like H1N1, the lungs produce mucus in response to the germ, and the mucus can get trapped in the narrow airways, setting the stage for pneumonia.

I have Asthma, what can I do to prevent H1N1?

Taking your medication and getting vaccinated are two preventative measures. To enhance your protection, you can also use products that filter the air in your home or business, like portable air purifiers and ultraviolet air purifiers. And when H1N1 is said to spread up to 10 feet away, it is even more important that the air you breath indoors is healthy and clean.

In the case you do get sick, seek treatment quickly. Preventing it is most important, but taking care of yourself after you get sick can make a huge difference during your recovery process. Indoor air purifiers are also extremely helpful in protecting your immune system during this weakened period.

For more quick facts and updates, visit @breathofhealth on Twitter.

Staying healthy during the third wave of H1N1 might not be easy.  Flu season does not end until May and the CDC says that H1N1 is still circulating and causing illness, hospitalization and death.

Help prevent illness:                                                                                                                                                                                                    Whether in-home or in the office, air purifiers that destroy viruses(including seasonal and H1N1 influenza), mold and bacteria reduce the spread of illness and minimize the stress on your immune system. By keeping your immune system strong you are less susceptible to illness in general.

All indoor air has 3 types of pollutants

1. Particles: dust, dander, spores and hair
2. Organisms: viruses, mold/fungi and bacteria
3. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): chemical off-gassing from carpets, wallpaper, adhesives, cleaning supplies, paint and funiture                                                                                                                                                    

Typical symptoms of these irritants include headaches, burning and itchy eyes, sinus congestion, chest congestion, coughing, soar throat, sneezing, snoring, restless sleep, lethary, common cold and influenza.

Did you know 1 out of 2 households probably has someone who struggles with these symptoms?

Our goal at Healthy Indoor Air is to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information on indoor environments. To that point, a recent study on a live Christmas tree showed that they could be a source of allergenic mold. Measurements showed that mold counts were normal during the first three days (800 spores per cubic ft). However, by day 14 the measure was 5,000 spores per cubic foot!

Mold allergies affect about 15% of the population. Allergic reactions can include nasal, eye, & throat irritation, nasal stuffiness and headache. There is also a link between mold and asthma attacks.

Most Christmas trees are cut in advance of the holidays and stored in a moist environment, making them a likely mold source (WebMD November 12, 2007).

The Solution?

Having a BreatheCLEAN whole home ultraviolet air purifier or a HealthWay portable air purifier in the home can destroy the airborne mold spores and help to reduce allergic reactions.

Whether you have asthma, allergies, COPD, compromised immune system or are healthy and strong, breathing air with less mold, viruses, bacteria, particles, spores, dust and gases will have a positive impact on your daily health. If you struggle with congestion and other symptoms of asthma or allergies, removing these airborne pollutants will greatly improve your daily health and comfort.

You fill your lungs more than 20,000 times per day; don't take the air you breathe for granted.

We can help you use air quality indicators to more efficiently use energy and reduce those costs by 10% to 25%! For example, a federal building in Minnesota is saving $144,000 annually, or 22%.