Cleaning your ducts could be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but if you are neglecting your ductwork, you could be putting your family at serious risk of developing significant respiratory and sinus conditions.
In addition to leading to increased heating and cooling costs, a clogged and dirty duct system also results in several health issues that range from uncomfortable to life-threatening. Here are some of the issues you can expect by not cleaning your air ducts:
Worsened Allergy Symptoms
If you suffer from any type of allergy, you understand how important it is to stay away from the products and pathogens that are most harmful to you.
For many people, this includes dust, pet dander, smoke, and other impurities often found in the air. If your duct system is dirty, it means there is an excess amount of debris and dust flying through the air that will make your allergy symptoms worse. Some of the most common allergy symptoms include:
- A runny nose.
- Itching eyes.
- Sneezing and wheezing.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Coughing.
- Itchy throat and sinus.
Asthma Attacks
Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by having the bronchi in your lungs spasm due to allergies or other hypersensitivities. This is a serious condition that makes it very difficult for people to breathe during an attack.
Sufferers must always keep medicine nearby to treat a sudden attack. Dirty or clogged ductwork opens new opportunities for the bronchi to become exposed to pathogens and impurities, which will lead to spasms and asthma attacks.
Increased Chance of Developing a Respiratory Infection
Even if you don’t suffer from asthma or allergies, dirty ducts also cause us to breathe in microscopic bacteria and pathogens that can cause serious respiratory diseases.
Airborne bacteria that are inhaled cause most respiratory infections. Illnesses such as tonsillitis, laryngitis, and even influenza can be caught from dirty ducts. Is having dirty ducts really worth it?
Sinus Infections
If breathing in bacteria flying through the air causes lung infections, it only makes sense that it can also cause a sinus infection or sinusitis. Sinus infections are mostly targeted to the sinus area, but you will feel negative symptoms throughout your entire body. Some symptoms of sinusitis include:
- Aches and fever.
- Dripping or running noses.
- Congestion in the nose and head.
- Frontal headaches.
- Aching teeth.
- Phlegm.
- Tenderness around the face or aching teeth.
If running an efficient and cost-effective HVAC system isn’t reason enough to clean your air ducts, preventing these illnesses and conditions from harming your family should do the trick. By cleaning your air ducts on a regular basis, you can help prevent some of these serious issues.