Your Home
Make Your Home A Healthier Home
Posted: 6/10/2010
(NAPSA) - Protecting your family from potential your home may be easier with a few tips from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Unsafe and unhealthy homes continue to harm the health of millions of Americans. The following suggestions look at some current common problems and offer simple solutions:
Problem:
Exposure to dust mite and mold aggravates asthma and results in increased health costs each year.
Solutions:
- Ensure proper ventilation in
the attic and bathroom to prevent
excessive moisture that can promote
mold growth.
- Wash sheets and blankets
in hot water weekly and use
mattress and pillow covers to
reduce asthma triggers and
attacks.
- Vent the clothes dryer outside
the home to prevent mold and
mildew.
- Vacuum carpets to remove
allergens that trigger asthma
attacks and allergic reactions.
Problem:
Falls are the leading cause of home injury deaths. The and older exceeds $19 billion annually.
Solutions:
- Remove any items that can
be tripped over (such as papers,
books, clothes and shoes) from
stairs and places where you walk.
- Good lighting can make a difference.
Keep everything well lit.
- Install grab bars in bathrooms.
Problem:
For children, fire, suffocation, firearms, drowning and poisoning are the leading causes of deaths at home.
Solutions:
- Install and maintain smoke
and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Make sure that cribs,
playpens and play equipment are
safe and always keep a crib free of
soft objects or loose bedding.
- If you have a swimming pool,
install four-sided isolation fencing
around the pool with a self-closing,
self-latching gate.
- In homes with young children,
control or eliminate leadbased
paint hazards and lock up
products used for cleaning, car
maintenance, gardening, and
pest control.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/healthyhomes. |
