What Can Patients Do to Lower their Exposure to Unhealthy Air Quality Inside?

The best way to protect patients from indoor air pollution is to prevent or minimize the release of pollutants in the first place. Patients should: 

• Switch from indoor appliances that run on gas to those that run on electricity. This may reduce indoor air pollution up to 50% (Stanford, 2022).  
• Avoid burning candles and incense indoors and get rid of scented air fresheners. 
• Quit smoking! If they can’t keep cigarette smoking, vaping, and marijuana smoking to outdoor areas and away from doors and windows. Wash hands after use. 
• Use unscented EPA Certified Safer Choice cleaning products. Or, make their own DIY products!  
• Avoid using pesticide sprays or “pesticide bombs”, use gels or traps instead. The best approach is to eliminate leaking water and unsealed foods that attract pests and use integrated pest management practices (see Additional Resources section). 
• Reduce existing indoor pollution: 
  • On good air days, advise that they open windows and doors as weather permits, especially if using products that may generate pollutants. 
  • Recommend extra precautions if patients live near heavy industry or busy shipping routes like train tracks, warehouses or near seaports.   
  • If patients have a central heating and cooling system, “HVAC”, use high efficiency filters:  
  • Filters rated as MERV 13 or higher are best for reducing small particles that may impact health. Change air filters more often when there’s more smoke or pollen in the air (see Additional Resources section).  
  • Consider recommending portable indoor air purifier/filter with a HEPA filters in the rooms patients spend the most time in, especially if they live near heavy industry. Avoid those with “ionizers” as these can create more pollutants. Patients can also make fairly effective low cost filters by taping a MERV13 filter onto a box fan (see Additional Resource section). For safety reasons, make sure the box fans used are from 2015 or later.  
  • Encourage patients to advocate for similar actions at their children’s schools.