However, the air inside your home, office and car can present an even greater threat to your lungs. Have you noticed the thin greasy film that accumulates on the inside of your car windows? The automotive plastics and rubber are deteriorating and radiating gases that can easily find their way into your body. You are exposed daily to construction materials that threaten your quality of life: plastics of all kinds, particle board, veneers, paints, carpets, popcorn ceilings, carpet glues, linoleum adhesives, wallpaper glues, household cleaners, dry cleaning fumes, mothballs, cigarette smoke. You are built to tolerate a few of these irritants at one time for a short period of time.
Sensitivities arise when you have long and repeated exposure to any dangerous substance. Finally your overburdened respiratory system can no longer keep up the good fight and you find yourself with asthma or worse. These sensitivities tend to be permanent.
Lend your most powerful political voice to laws that clean up the environment and the building industry standards. Read the air quality reports every day in the paper so you can avoid unnecessary trips outside on bad-air days but reverse that when the air outside is relatively clear.
Try to avoid staying in any single setting for more than a couple hours at a time. Take a short break in a different venue as often as possible. Leave your office for a quick walk around the block to clear your head and to break your shallow breathing pattern.
Be well. Breathe beautifully.
