Every May, ProTeam joins hundreds of organizations in recognizing World Asthma Day. Asthma is a lung disease affecting 24 million people in the United States, including 6 million children.

Asthma symptoms include episodes of breathlessness, wheeziness, coughing, and chest tightness. These can be worsened by triggers such as heavy exercise and intense emotional states, or by external factors such as bacteria, pollen, smoke, or dust. While there is no cure for asthma, identifying and avoiding asthma triggers can help those with asthma manage their symptoms. Cleaning for Health is one of many tools that can be utilized to help reduce asthma triggers.

ProTeam is a proud partner of the American Lung Association on World Asthma Day and every day. Together, we fight for clean indoor air so that we all can breathe easier. As leaders in the cleaning industry, we believe in the power of cleaning professionals to improve health and indoor air quality through proper cleaning tools and techniques. While those with asthma should consult with a doctor to create a personal asthma action plan, there are proven benefits to Cleaning for Health to remove asthma triggers for all building occupants. We’ve outlined five below.

1. Improve IAQ

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Cleaning for Health improves IAQ by capturing and containing many pollutants that cannot be seen with the naked eye. ProTeam vacuums contain a multi-level filtration system that captures many allergens and asthma triggers, preventing them from being reintroduced to the environment. That means improved indoor air quality and fewer triggers that can be a threat to occupants with asthma.

2. Decrease Asthma Symptoms

With Americans spending roughly 90 percent of their time indoors, there is no way for asthma sufferers to fully avoid indoor irritants such as pollen, pet dander, dust, and bacteria. Six out of 10 people in the US are exposed to pet dander, while 8 out of 10 are exposed to dust mites. Cleaning for Health can reduce the number of asthma triggers in the environment and decrease asthma symptoms. For example, upper respiratory infections, caused by harmful bacteria, are a common cause of asthma flare-ups that proper cleaning can help avoid.

3. Increase Productivity

A recent survey showed that 23 percent of U.S. office workers experience frequent symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), including respiratory ailments, allergies, and asthma. Employees working through the day with asthma symptoms are less productive than healthy employees. Another study, out of Denmark’s International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy, discovered that improved IAQ can increase worker productivity by 5-10 percent.

4. Reduce Absenteeism

Every year, millions of asthma sufferers miss school or work and limit their physical activity due to asthma symptoms. Asthma-related symptoms are responsible for 14 million lost school days every year. Eliminating asthma triggers helps reduce absenteeism for students and employees. After implementing a comprehensive indoor air management plan, one Oregon elementary school saw a 15% decrease in absenteeism.

5. Financial Savings

Low productivity and missed school and work days cost approximately $60 billion annually in the United States.  A study conducted by William Fisk from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that improving IAQ can reduce asthma symptoms by 8-25 percent, leading to an estimated savings of $1-4 billion.

The fight for clean indoor air is unending, but cleaning professionals can take steps to help make the air we breathe cleaner and safer. While Cleaning for Health allows asthma sufferers to breath easier, the benefits reach far beyond, improving the lives of all building occupants.

Read last year’s World Asthma Day blog 4 Asthma Triggers a ProTeam Vacuum Helps Remove.