Find out more about what causes mould in your home and what its effects are for residents.

Improved ventilation in your home will help to reduce the concentration of pollen that can trigger hay fever, but opening a window simply allows more to enter the building

Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from Hay Fever, and unlike most people who look forward to spring and summer, people with hay fever face several months of misery as they battle with a severe allergic reaction to pollen

Many respiratory illnesses including asthma, allergies, and hay fever can be triggered by allergens in the home including mould spores, and house dust mites.

According to the National Pollen Research Unit, air pollution in towns could cause the number of people with Hay Fever in the UK to double by 2040.

Asthma is often worsened by exposure to environments where there is a lot of dust or chemicals that can irritate the lungs and cause the airways to contract in response.

There can be many different triggers for asthma including strenuous activity and as a result of illness, but common household dust can cause problems for many sufferers too.

There are many benefits to be gained by installing a ventilation system in your home. Home ventilation refers to the process of moving air around, so that it is changed or replaced in different spaces, improving the quality of indoor air. Almost every home in the UK will have some form of ventilation, even if this is just in the form of air bricks, which are often neglected, covered up, or are not adequate to cope with today’s living. Modern ventilation systems often use mechanical elements and offer a whole-house approach.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are contained within many of the products and items we are surrounded by day to day, and are carbon-based chemicals which evaporate at room temperature. The list of products which contain VOCs is extensive, but among some of the most common household items to contain these potentially harmful chemicals are carpet adhesives, paints, upholstery fabrics, air fresheners, disinfectants and cosmetics. With so many household products containing VOCs, the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risk estimates that there are up to 900 chemicals in the indoor air we breathe. Staggeringly, that means that the air in our homes may in fact be up to 70% more polluted than the air outside, with airborne irritants significantly impacting our overall health and physical wellbeing.