How To Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter
Health has become the hot topic of conversation across the United States this year thanks to COVID-19. Finding ways for how to keep your family healthy this winter has taken on a whole new urgency. Families across the U.S. have become far more health-conscious in 2020 than they ever have been, but there are still threats that many families are overlooking when it comes to their health.
When you’re thinking of ways to keep your family healthy not only during the winter but all year long, you have to consider factors you may not have thought of before, such as the indoor air quality in your home. The Surgeon General has issued a warning that radon is number two on the list of causes of lung cancer. Knowing how to mitigate radon exposure in your home, and other helpful tips can help keep your family healthy this winter.
Test Your Home For Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring odorless gas that is produced by decomposing uranium and typically disperses into the atmosphere. In the outdoors radon is harmless but indoors, where it can get trapped, it can be a silent killer.
Elevated levels of radon can occur in any home in the United States. It is found in the soil from coast to coast. Problems occur when radon gas is trapped inside a home and the residents are exposed to elevated levels in the long term.
The correlation between long-term exposure to elevated levels of radon and lung cancer is well established. The Surgeon General’s warning makes it clear that there is a high risk of developing lung cancer if you or your family are exposed to this radioactive gas for a long time.
Experts recommend radon testing. You can test your home for high levels of radon in one of two ways. You can hire an expert to do the testing for you or you can head to your local home improvement store, buy the test kit, and send it off to the lab.
Radon testing can be done in the short term or in the long term and there are even electronic monitoring systems that will alert you when the radon levels are getting high.
Elevated levels are considered at 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). Typically, if the short term testing returns higher levels of the presence of this radioactive gas, long term testing can confirm the findings.
If your results come back with higher than normal levels, don’t panic. There are ways you can fix the problem and improve the indoor air quality in your home. Unlike asbestos or mold mitigation, you do not have to rip things out and absorb the cost of replacement.
Seal Drafty Windows and Doors
Whether or not you have high levels of radon in your home, you should try to make sure it is well-insulated. The best way to do this is by sealing the cracks in your home’s doors and windows. Not only can this keep dangerous gases such as radon out, but it can keep your home warmer and lower your energy bills.
When you’re sealing up your home, start by replacing faulty doors. Remember to go beyond just your front door. Replacing your garage door can help better insulate your home and as an added bonus, it can give you a 90% ROI, according to Remodeling Magazine. You can also repair any cracks around the foundation or in basement floors to seal up your home. While you’re sealing up your home, check to make sure your home is still vented properly. While you don’t want harmful gases coming in or your warm air going out, you still want a well-ventilated home.
Keep Up With Regular Doctor Appointments
One of the best things you can do for your family’s health is to keep up with your regular doctor’s appointments. When you are considering ways to keep your family healthy this winter, getting regular checkups should be high on the list.
One of the best ways to keep your family healthy is to partner with a doctor that focuses on prevention. DO’s (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) have risen in popularity over the past few decades because of their whole body healing approach. Many families are taking advantage of what a DO has to offer. Yours can too.
The DO is a doctor that focuses on the whole body to treat a wide range of conditions, illnesses, and disease. They use both traditional and non-traditional approaches to help people achieve wellness. The profession has grown by about 63% which speaks volumes about the demand for this approach from patients.
Your DO will spend a lot of time getting to know your family and looks at things like nutrition, lifestyle, and family history. They’ll work with you to correct your diet, treat the cause of illness, and improve your overall health.
By following these tips, you can help your family live a healthier lifestyle this year when your health is more important than ever before.
