May was Asthma Awareness Month, and when you clean air ducts for a living, you develop quite an understanding of this widespread public health challenge. Asthma Awareness Month is intended to spread information about this chronic disease, letting the public know exactly what it is, how it affects people, and what we can do to prevent and control asthma episodes.

Asthma Awareness Month is necessary because the enormity of this epidemic cannot be overstated, but the public at large does not realize how many people this disease is affecting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are approximately 23 million asthma sufferers here in America, and in just the last year alone 12 million of them have had an asthma attack. Sadly, 6.8 million of them are children.

There is a lot of talk in the news about health care costs, and asthma is a major contributor. This chronic disease accounts for almost 17 million trips to doctors’ offices or hospitals annually, and asthma attacks result in an additional 2 million visits to hospital emergency rooms.

When people have an asthma attack, simply put, they feel like they can barely breathe because the airways to their lungs become inflamed and they narrow. Fortunately, there are treatments available, but at present, there is no cure for asthma.

You might think that it is much safer for asthma sufferers in their homes than it is outdoors, but the EPA has estimated that indoor air can typically be some 70% more polluted than the air that we breathe outside. For people that suffer from asthma, this is not good news, because the typical American spends about 90% of his or her time indoors, and unfortunately, most homes are full of asthma triggers.

Asthma triggers are the pollutants and allergens that we come in contact with around the home. Some of the most common and ubiquitous asthma triggers are dust mites, secondhand (and thirdhand) smoke, mold, common household pests (cockroaches in particular), dogs and cats (skin flakes, urine, and saliva), and Nitrogen Dioxide, a gas that comes from wood burning stoves, fireplaces, and other indoor heaters that burn fuel.

The primary purpose of Asthma Awareness Month is to help people understand what they can do to alleviate these asthma triggers and stop asthma attacks before they start. At Atlanta Air Duct Cleaning, we are dedicated to eradicating asthma triggers throughout the homes of our customers. We use specially formulated eco-friendly, organic cleansing solutions and commercial grade equipment, and our certified technicians have the experience and expertise that it takes to keep the air that your family is breathing fresh, clean, and free of airborne allergens and pollutants. Atlanta Air Duct Cleaning staunchly advocates asthma awareness, and we invite you to give us a call if you would like to be certain that your home is free of harmful asthma triggers so you and you are family can breathe safely and easily.