Is Your Home Making You Sick?

NEW YORK (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- You may have heard of toxic mold and sick building syndrome. Could your home also make you sick?
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates indoor air quality is two- to five-times more polluted than the air we breathe outside.
"Living in a home that is polluted with mold can cause all sorts of respiratory problems," Neil Schachter, M.D., tells Ivanhoe. That's a great concern to homeowner Scott Lerman, who has a 4-year-old child.
"We want to make sure that our house is as healthy as it can be so that my son can be as healthy as he can be," says Lerman, who agreed to let Dr. Schachter, a lung specialist from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, inspect his home.
During the inspection, Dr. Schachter found water damage was causing mold to grow in Lerman's shower. He advises the Lermans and anyone with a similar problem to clean moldy showers with chlorinated wipes and avoid spraying any chemicals that might irritate the lungs.
Because dust can also cause respiratory problems like allergies and asthma, Dr. Schachter recommends putting clean area rugs over dusty carpets and getting rid of dust ruffles. He also says not to store items beneath the bed and to be aware that clutter stored in the basement can collect dust. Pollutants can also come from outside, so to keep them out, Dr. Schachter suggests installing a window filter.
"You assume your house is healthy until you get someone to point these things out," says Lerman, who is now committed to eliminating more than just dust in an effort to keep his family healthy.