Detoxing Your Home: Understanding And Eliminating Environmental Toxins

Detoxing has become an inevitable part of our lifestyle. At least once every month, we all do a detox to get rid of the internal toxins from our body. However, many of us tend to overlook the fact that the toxins that harm our health are not just located within our system, but around us also.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the air in homes and other buildings is usually more polluted than the air outdoors . 

Yes, the most critical of the toxins are found around us - right in our homes. Introduction of new chemicals into the market on a daily basis can be attributed to the above mentioned. Each and every object in your home, from your mattresses, floors, furniture to your cosmetics contain several different types of toxins. A recent study on environmental toxins pointed out that harmful substances such as phenols and flame retardants are present in the dust in our homes - indicating the need to detox your home off of the chemicals by adopting toxin-free approaches . 

Because change starts with you! In order to create a better and healthier environment, you need to be the example first. Therefore, read on to know more about the environmental toxins present in your households and the ways to get rid of them.  

Toxins In Your Household 

An average household contains between 500 to 1000 different types of toxins, in which some cannot even be felt or seen. Most of the harmful toxins present in your household are invisible to the human eyes, therefore resulting in many thinking that their house is devoid of any toxins . The environmental toxins in your homes are accumulated from a wide range of building materials and household products.

The microscopic chemicals present all around you can have long-term negative impacts on your health . These toxins can cause poor memory and concentration, erratic behaviour, word confusion, mood issues, headaches, vertigo among various other health problems. Now, you need to be aware of the means through which the harmful toxins are entering your body. It could be from the things that you least expect . Household products: Air fresheners, polishing agents, cleaning powders, surface cleaners, and insecticides. 

Although these products help you keep your house fresh and clean, the chemical residue it leaves behind is extremely harmful to your health. Air purifiers are one of the biggest producers of environmental toxins inside the house . Hygiene and beauty products: Deodorants, perfume and cologne, soap (including antibacterial soap) and detergent, make-up and cosmetics, mouthwash and toothpaste, moisturiser and sunscreen, shampoo and other hair care products, and nail polish and nail polish remover. Almost all of these products contain toxic chemicals. 

 Substances: Some of the other means through which your household gets polluted is through the use of a substance such as drugs, cigarette and even alcohol. The smoke produced from smoking marijuana can result in decreased blood flow to the hippocampus, hampering with one's learning and basic cognitive abilities. Likewise, consuming alcohol will destroy your brain cells and cause it to shrink in size, increasing the risks of dementia . This also causes reduced blood flow to the brain, resulting in inflammatory bowel disease, nerve pain, liver failure and cancer . 

 Mould: This is one of the major contributors to environmental toxins in your house. Exposure to mould is extremely dangerous to your brain and its functions. In normal cases, mould causes sneezing, coughing, watery eyes and skin irritation. In severe cases, it can cause decreased neurological function including memory loss, noticeable personality changes and difficulty concentrating .