Air quality is an important part of living a healthy life, and studies show that patients with certain forms of cancer can face more difficult odds during recovery if they live in areas with heavy air pollution. Patients who live in wide open, green spaces can also be affected, however, as homes have been known to contain, sometimes, even more pollutants than the air outside. And, you don’t even have to be diagnosed with lung cancer in order to feel affected by mold spores and other pollutants that are circulating throughout the air in a home or recovery facility. Learning how to combat at-home air pollutants and keep other bacteria at bay will help ensure a quicker, easier recovery.

Special Attention on Avoiding Infection

When recovering from cancer treatment, it’s especially important for patients to avoid contact with other people or any sort of allergen that could cause infection. This is why hospital rooms are kept so clean, in order to allow your immune system to build itself back up over time. Most recovery facilities and rooms will feature a HEPA air purifier that has the ability to catch and destroy any virus, bacteria or mold in the air. Air filters, therefore, are a great tool when to facilitate quick recovery, especially for patients diagnosed with upper respiratory types of cancer. High-quality filters can clean the average-sized hospital time up to 12 times per hour. If you’re going to invest in an air filter or purifier for your home, it’s important to look for one with a HEPA filter as it will help capture microscopic dust and allergens that can cause harm even after your treatment and recovery are over.

Keeping Home Clean During Recovery

Once you’ve been discharged from a hospital or care facility, it’s extremely important to keep your home very clean, for much of the same reasons of avoiding infection or viruses. While this includes washing bedding and clothing in hot water nearly daily and cleaning all hard surfaces with disinfectants, it also means managing the humidity and mold in your home. Seeing as humidity is the cause of a lot of home health problems, it’s a good idea to first invest in a portable humidity meter to stay on top of the levels. Then, you’ll want to ensure that the humidity levels never rise above about 60%. Doing so can permit mold, which can cause autoimmunity, fatigue, nausea, and even asthma, all of which are things you’ll want to avoid especially if you’re recovering from cancer treatment.

Clean Air Equals Peace of Mind

The great news is that there’s currently no scientific evidence to back the idea that exposure to mold spores can lead to cancer. The real issue at hand is purifying and dehumidifying the air to ensure that no other types of bacteria or virus can enter into your lungs and compromise your immune system during such a delicate recovery period. Clean air will ensure you can breath easily and relax as you embark on the journey that is recovery, and that peace of mind will mean everything once you’re back at home and ready to just rest.