HealthCentral.com reports that using a high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filter for just two days significantly improves cardiovascular health in elderly individuals.

Particulate matter in the air can lead to cardiovascular problems, possibly by damaging the endothelium (the interior lining of blood vessels). Read more about how HEPA filters improve cardiovascular health

Class is back in session! It’s time for homework, report cards, and (hopefully not too many) sick days.

The Mayo Clinic recently released the top five reasons why children miss school:

1. Common Cold – The airborne common cold virus spreads easily from child to child in classroom settings. Symptoms include runny nose, sore throat, cough, sneezing, and fever. Cough medicines are not recommended for young children, and there’s no cure for the cold, but here’s how you can help your child feel better:

Offer plenty of fluids, such as water, juice and chicken soup.
Encourage your child to rest as much as possible.
Run a humidifier in your child’s bedroom, or have your child sit in a steamy bathroom.
Try over-the-counter saline nose drops.
For an older child, soothe a sore throat with hard candy, cough drops or gargled salt water.

Read more about the most common reasons for missed school

I still clearly remember the day in sixth grade when I got called to the front office. I was wondering if I was in some kind of trouble when the secretary informed me that my mother was on her way to pick me up from school early. I was ecstatic about leaving early – until my mom told me that the bottom level of our house had flooded. My video games were down there!

My video games turned out to be okay, thanks to my fast-acting father. However, the carpet wasn’t so lucky. Instead of calling a water damage restoration professional immediately, my parents did what they could to clear out the lower level of our split-level home and dry things out. Unfortunately, they didn’t act fast enough. Read more about flood damage restoration

WebMD reports that veterans returning from Iraq appear to be at increased risk for developing allergies.

Soldiers deployed to the Persian Gulf were twice as likely to develop allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies) after returning home. Read more about allergies among Iraq war veterans

I recently attended my grandmother’s 90th birthday party (Happy Birthday, Grandma!) at my aunt and uncle’s house. I noticed that they had an iRobot Roomba vacuum, and being in the business of indoor health products, I just had to inspect the little robot.

I remember the first time that I saw the Roomba in a magazine. An intelligent, robotic vacuum that does the work for you! What could be better? “The future has arrived,” I thought. “Before long, we’ll all be living like The Jetsons.”

Well… Not quite. Read more about Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners

If you do an Internet search on how to clean grout, you’ll find all sorts of different methods involving harsh, toxic chemicals. These chemicals not only irritate asthma and allergies, but they also leave behind microorganisms in tiny cracks and crevices.

Vapor steam cleaners spray hot vapor deep inside cracks and indentions to kill all microorganisms – without any chemicals! A steam cleaner works much like an espresso machine; it heats water in a boiler to produce a “dry” steam vapor that dries in seconds. Read more about how to clean grout without chemicals

Just last month, the New York Times reported that granite countertops may emit harmful levels of radon. As granite countertops have become more popular, the media has been receiving more reports of high radon readings.

Lou Witt, program analyst at the EPA’s Indoor Environments Division, says, “We’ve been hearing from people all over the country concerned about high readings” – referring to measurements of radiation that go far above normal background levels. Read more about radon in granite countertops

According to WebMD, probiotics (”good” bacteria found in supplements and foods like yogurt) can change your immune system’s response to pollen.

In the future, probiotics may constitute another treatment option for the 40 million Americans who suffer from hay fever, or seasonal allergies. When ingested, probiotics join other microorganisms in the gut, where the majority of your immune system is located. Changes in intestinal bacteria have been linked to certain allergic disorders, and this prompted researchs to look at probiotics. Read more about probiotics and allergies

The Internet sure does produce a lot of heat!

If you’re building a new computer server room or expanding or upgrading an existing one, you’ll likely need some extra cooling power. As servers work harder, they produce more heat, which can easily overwhelm a building’s HVAC system and damage sensitive equipment. To combat this problem, most server room technicians invest in portable air conditioners.

A portable air conditioner, or spot cooler, is the best choice for server rooms because it doesn’t have to be permanently installed. If your company moves, it’s easy to take the air conditioner with you. Also, you can move them around to spot cool specific servers. Read more about the best portable air conditioners for server rooms

I recently moved out of metro Atlanta to a cabin in a rural, wooded area. Since my move, I’ve been spending a lot more time outdoors, and with increased exposure to sunlight, my mood has improved.

I’ve always been interested in seasonal affective disorder because I’ve certainly felt the “winter blues” a few times. After spending most of the cold months indoors, I’ve often felt like I have less energy and get tired more easily. This is actually fairly common; with less sunlight and heartier meals, most people naturally slow down a bit during the winter.

But the lack of sunlight during winter affects some people more drastically, leading to clinical depression. This is known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Read more about natural treatment options for SAD

Featured on Extreme Home Makeover, the IQAir Perfect 16 whole house air purifier is the premiere, state of the art system for delivering clean air to every room in your home. Most home air purifiers only clean the air in one room, but the Perfect 16 works in conjunction with your HVAC system to purify the air in your entire house.

It’s called the Perfect 16 because it’s rated a perfect MERV 16 - the highest rating possible for whole house air filters. It offers 50X more filtration power than the typical furnace filter, and within just an hour of installation, the air in your home is guaranteed to be 10X cleaner!

If you hate changing furnace filters, then you’ll love the IQAir Perfect 16 wholehouse system. The filters last for three years without losing efficiency!

The IQAir Perfect 16 ID-2225 is designed for 1,200 CFM systems (approximately 3-ton AC), while the Perfect 16 ID-2530 wholehouse system is designed for 2,000 CFM (approximately 5-ton AC).

Because sylvane.com is an authorized IQAir dealder, installation and post-installation testing is included when you order online!

Medical News Today reports that children who are given antibiotics during their first three months of life often wheeze at 15 months. However, researchers are not sure if antibiotics actually make children more prone to asthma since it’s difficult to distinguish between asthma and respiratory infections in young children. Read more and antibiotics and asthma

Wyndham hotels now offer allergy friendly rooms designed by PURE Solutions. Dubbed “CleanAir Rooms,” they feature hypoallergenic bedding and medical-grade HEPA air purifiers.

Wyndham.com states: “The state of the art air purification system operates continuously, eliminating up to 98-100% of viruses and bacteria. In gest rooms, you’ll sleep on PURE mattress and pillow covers that are resistant to mold and dust mites.” Read more about allergy friendly hotel rooms

That’s the question on the minds of citizens in the Dutch town of Hengelo, where officials are paving a road with a special type of air purifying concrete to curb nitrogen oxide pollution from vehicle exhaust.

Engadget reports that the concrete bricks contain a titanium dioxide additive which, when exposed to sunlight, binds with nitrogen oxide particles and breaks them down into “harmless nitrates” that wash away with water. Read more about the concrete that cleans the air

WebMD allergies and asthma expert Dr.Paul Enright, MD, recently blogged about the best antihistamines for allergies. With ragweed season just days away, Dr. Enright’s expert advice couldn’t come at a better time.

Like one in five Americans, Dr. Enright suffers from hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis. As a child, Dr. Enright took first generation antihistamines such as Benadryl. The problem with these older antihistamines is that they cause drowsiness; the same drugs are actually sold as over-the-counter (OTC) sleeping pills. Read more about the best antihistamines for allergy relief