Do you live in a “sick house”?

It’s been a rough few years in our house in terms of our allergy symptoms. My husband and I did not develop the common “seasonal” allergies until we were both well into our 20’s. And, as each year goes by, the allergy seasons get longer and our symptoms become more severe.

I have been increasingly concerned this year that our daughters are developing seasonal allergies as well. The common symptoms such as sneezing, watery,eyes, nasal congestion, etc have all presented themselves and they just aren’t pleasant. Seasonal allergies, right?

Or maybe not. It has occurred to me in the last few months that perhaps there is more to the equation than just the super-general “seasonal allergy” diagnosis. I had wondered if perhaps there were other factors in our environment that were contributing to all of our symptoms and that it may be wise to investigate further.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to work with Caroline Blazovsky to test my home for mold and allergens. Caroline is America’s Healthy Home Expert and the President of My Healthy Home, LLC.

Caroline’s company specializes in testing for many different contaminants in the home, however, since my particular issue was with my allergies, Caroline quickly shipped me an Examinair Professional Allergen and Mold testing kit. After a very brief conversation about how to conduct the test (very well written directions come in the testing kit as well), I was off and running. I collected air samples from 4 locations: my back yard, my basement playroom, my family room, and the master bedroom. I was able to complete all of the testing and paperwork and pack the air samples back into their shipping box in about a 1/2 hour! The process really could not have been more painless.

I dropped my box of air samples off at the local FedEx pickup location and expected to wait 3 – 5 business days for my results. I was really looking forward to my phone consultation with Caroline to see just what the samples showed about the air quality in and around my home.

On day 2, I got a call from Caroline. She already had my results. Talk about fast service! We got right into our consultation and it was so interesting. The bottom line was that the inside of my house was actually really good. We got very normal readings for the molds, allergens, danders, and other factors making up the air quality in our home. There were no surprises or areas of concern whatsoever for Caroline inside.

However, when we discussed the outside air sample that I took in my backyard, Caroline told me that my numbers were quite high for pollens. Our back yard does back up to a thick tree and brush area, so I expected that my numbers would be high, just not quite that high. This really helps me understand why my youngest daughter gets a runny nose and starts sneezing each and every time we go outside to play on our swing set. Doesn’t make it better, but certainly starts to answer questions.

What did I get out of this experience? Alot, if you ask me. The most basic benefit is that I have a document that outlines for me that there are no molds, allergens, etc, lurking in the air inside my home that my family breathes in each and every day…… how’s that for some peace of mind?! Second, this detailed report will be fantastic documentation to show any prospective buyers of our house that it’s been tested for mold and allergens and comes up “clean” (not that we are looking to sell anytime soon :-)). Third, I have some more answers about the seasonal allergies that we are experiencing and why my backyard seems to be such a trigger area for myself and my children.

While I don’t have serious medical concerns to deal with in my house, I can see how this type of testing, consultation, and remediation could provide even more relief and answers to people dealing with family members who have serious allergies, asthma, respiratory disorders, etc.

Check out Caroline’s site for much more information and to discuss the products and services that may be right for you.

About Caroline Blazovsky:

Caroline Blazovsky is a National Healthy Home Expert, Certified Mold Remediator-CMR, an indoor air quality specialist /Certified Indoor Environmentalist-CIE, sustainable design professional-SDC, a member of the American IAQ Council and IAQA, and President of My Healthy Home, LLC. She is available for consultations. Consult on testing for contaminants in the home, reducing the use of chemicals, improving indoor air quality, mold, and using more environmentally-friendly building materials and products. Learn more at www.myhealthyhome.info or phone 1-866-743-8563.

* Disclosure: ChesterCountyMoms.com was given an Examinair Professional Allergen & Mold Testing Kit in order to review this My Healthy Home, LLC’s product and service. No payment was received for this review.