We often think of cancer as something that develops due of our genes, contamination from outside sources, or just bad luck. But a lot of people don’t know that the places we live every day might be bad for our health, especially as we get older and spend more time inside.
Living in the modern world is nice, but it also has phony materials, chemicals, and hidden cancer-causing agents. These things, like scented candles and regular receipts, may not seem dangerous, but they can have an effect on our health that we don’t generally notice.
These six simple things could make you more likely to get cancer or impair your health. Here are some things you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
- Air fresheners and scented candles: a risk that smells nice
Don’t they smell great? A lavender candle in the bedroom or a citrus air freshener in the bathroom can make your home smell nice and feel clean. But those nice smells could be hiding things that could kill you. When limonene, which gives scented things their lemony smell, comes into touch with air, it can turn into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known cancer-causing substance that has been linked to lung cancer, breast cancer, liver damage, and breathing problems, especially when people are exposed to it a lot. Phthalates, which are chemicals that help scents last longer, are also to fault. Because they are endocrine disruptors, they tamper with the balance of hormones in the body. This can make it harder to get pregnant, raise the risk of cancer, and cause problems during pregnancy. Choose the safer option: employ natural ventilation, open windows when you can, and choose alternatives that don’t have a smell or are based on essential oils. Use soy or beeswax candles and burn them in places where the air flows well.
2.Do air humidifiers help you breathe or make germs spread?
Many individuals enjoy to use humidifiers in the winter, especially those with dry skin or sinuses. If you don’t clean these items well, though, they can become places where bacteria and other hazardous pathogens can grow. Research shows that even when you use distilled or filtered water, germs can still grow in humidifier tanks overnight. Legionella, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus pneumoniae are some hazardous microorganisms that can spread via the air and cause lung infections, sinus difficulties, and even pneumonia. To keep safe, clean the tank of your humidifier with warm, soapy water every other day and allow it dry fully before you fill it up again. Don’t let water sit motionless for more than a day, and change the filters periodically.
3.Chemicals Used in Dry Cleaning: Clean Clothes, Dirty Truth
Everyone loves how a freshly dry-cleaned jacket or silk shirt looks and feels, but a lot of people don’t aware that the chemicals used in normal dry cleaning are dangerous for you. The main part is perchloroethylene, or “perc,” which is a petroleum-based solvent that is likely to give humans cancer. Long-term exposure to perc can make you have cancer in your bladder, uterus, and esophagus. Even being near it for a short period could make you dizzy, nauseated, give you migraines, and make your skin itch. Some simple safety tips are: As soon as you get home, please take off the plastic covers from your garments.
Let your garments air out for at least three to four hours outside or in an area with sufficient air flow before putting them away in your closet.
You could wish to look at “green” or eco-friendly dry cleaning businesses that don’t use harmful chemicals.
4.Receipts from the cash register: A Paper Trail of Chemicals
Do you see those little pieces of thermal paper at the grocery store or pharmacy? A lot of them have bisphenol A (BPA) or BPS on them, which are chemicals that mess with hormones. They may look harmless, but they aren’t. There is a correlation between being around BPA and: Problems with hormones
Going through puberty at a young age
Breast and uterine cancer Obesity and diabetes
Not being able to have children and having birth defects
The risk comes from being around it a lot. Putting receipts in your wallet, holding them, or even folding them might let BPA go into your skin. Look after your health: You should either touch the unprinted side or wear gloves if you handle receipts a lot, like when you work as a cashier.
When you can, say “no receipt.”
Always wash your hands after handling receipts, and don’t store them near food.
5.Hairbrushes: A Hidden Place for Bacteria
You use it every day, but how often do you clean it? Not only do hairbrushes pick up hair and oil, but they can also pick up dead skin cells, dirt, and pathogens. Over time, this buildup can make your scalp itchy, give you dandruff, folliculitis (infected hair follicles), and even make your hair fall out. Sharing filthy brushes or using them on a scalp that has a cut or scrape on it makes them even more harmful. A simple plan for cleaning: Remove the hair from your brush after each usage.
Put it in warm, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes once a week.
Use an old toothbrush to scrub between the bristles.
Let it dry in the sun, which is a natural approach to destroy bacteria.
6.Remote Controls: Small Things, Big Germs
Even though we use them in our living rooms, bedrooms, and hotel rooms, remote controls are some of the dirtiest items we touch. Researchers who reported for the Journal of Infection Prevention found that TV remotes can carry Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and pneumococcus, all of which can cause skin infections, pneumonia, stomach bugs, and urinary tract infections. And what about the remotes in hotels? They can get really dirty, and people often forget to clean them. How to keep your home safe: Clean your remotes often with cleaning wipes that include alcohol or a soft cloth that has been soaked in rubbing alcohol that has been diluted.
Keep the hotel remote safe by cleaning it or putting it in a plastic sandwich bag when you travel.
Wash your hands after you eat or touch things that are used a lot, including doorknobs or remotes.
The first step to a healthy household is to be aware.
We should feel safe in our homes, yet comfort and cleanliness don’t always go hand in hand. A lot of products we use every day at home can disguise cancer risks or mess with the endocrine system. But we can protect ourselves and make the world a better place by being informed and taking small, proactive steps. This kind of awareness is especially vital as we become older. Open your windows to let in air.
Clean it often.
Look at the labels.
Watch out for normal stuff.
Don’t be scared, though.
It’s about being aware and having a goal in life. Every small thing you do now can help you and your family stay healthy for a long time.
