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For four years, I lived on 58th street in Manhattan.
mykeyruna
My apartment was basically on the Queensborough Bridge, right where cars enter and exit.
I know what youre thinking"How loud was that?
“and you’d have a point.
In all honesty, it was pretty noisy.
Were not talking about your normal dustthis was straightsoot and pollutionfrom the constant flow of motors outside.
So keeping them closed meant less cleaning up, which was OK with me.
It probably should have raised some other alarm bells.
Like the fact that I was actually inhaling all the crap coming in from outside.
Let me start by saying that I am one of those people who’s kind of always coughing.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice how bad it had gotten.
I was coughing constantlylike all day, all the time.
When I would lie down for bed, that’s when it got even worse.
I’d cough for about 10 minutes before falling asleep.
One afternoon my mom was over at my place and pointed out how frequently I was doing it.
We were rearranging and cleaning out my room, and suddenly she zeroed in on the problem.
Its this pollution, she said.
I dont know how anyone could breathe in a place with this much dust.
She decided to buy me an air purifier that day and let me tell you…life changing!
You just plug it in, turn it on, and let it run.
My cough got so much better.
Ive since moved down a couple streets so Im no longer living on such a busy intersection.
But I still have an air purifier in my apartment to help keep my health in check.
You live in an area with lots of pollution.
Like me, you may forget that pollution really does affect your health.
Indoor air filtration has been found to provide a statistically significant improvement in a variety of respiratory symptoms.
You have seasonal allergies.
Pollution isn’t the only thing making its way in your windows.
Pollen and other allergens might be sneaking in there as well.
You’re allergic to pets, but you still own oneor your roommate or S.O.
Bassett says that an air purifier can reduce your exposure topetallergens in your home.
You live with someone who smokes in the house.
Theres no question about ityour lungs are being affected.
You just want to be sure youre breathing fresh, clean air in your home.
If youre able to get an air purifier, theres really no downside to it.
(Note: some are louder than others so do your research first!)
So you should strive to eliminate or reduce sources of pollutants in your home.
Photo Credit: Mykeyruna / Getty Images
