3 things in your home that can affect your health (and how to improve them)

How you handle things at home can have an impact on your health. This means that small customs, such as opening the windows and letting the air circulate through the environment, can already make a big difference. Learn more about how your home can affect your health.

1- Accumulation of dust

Books accumulated in a corner of the house, drawers that haven’t been opened for a long time… These are some of the things that can promote the accumulation of dust and, consequently, the presence of mites.

“From an allergological point of view, the house dust mite is the major cause of allergic reactions. It lives in humid environments and feeds on the remains of our exfoliated skin, as part of the natural process of cell renewal”, explains immunologist Javier Ricardo Carbajal Lizárraga.

So it’s important to keep the house clean and change bed sheets frequently. In this way, the development of mites can be controlled, avoiding complications such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis.

2- Exposure to mold

This can happen in different ways, like moldy walls or even spoiled food. According to Javier, fungi of the genus Aspergillus are capable of causing respiratory infections and allergies from food such as rotten fruits and vegetables.

“But the fungi of far greater importance are those of the genus Aspergillus Flavus, producers of toxins known as aflatoxins (in general) or flavotoxins (in the specific case), highly toxic and carcinogenic. These colonize foods such as soybeans, peanuts, Brazil nuts, among others”, he says.

Learn more: WHO releases list of fungi most dangerous to human health (and 4 are very common!)

Thus, the specialist warns that it is necessary to take preventive measures, such as checking the origin and being careful with the products before purchase, keeping them in a clean place and immediately eliminating food infected by fungi.

In the case of surfaces, it is recommended to clean them with a mixture of water and candida to reduce fungal contamination – always leaving surfaces dry after cleaning.

3- Accumulation of garbage

Leaving a large amount of garbage at home can attract different insects and mice. This increases the risk of contracting a number of diseases, as these invaders carry different types of bacteria.

In the case of flies, for example, a brief contact with exposed food can already be enough for the emergence of diseases. “In just a second that the fly lands on food, it is capable of transmitting salmonella, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and several eggs of worms and parasites”, explained nutritionist Karina Gardini previously to MinhaVida.

Learn more: Fly on food: is it better to throw it away or eat it?