Heavy Rain and Flooding in Chicago Area
The record rainfall in the Chicago area this year caused flooding for thousands of homeowners. Chicago’s north and south sides were both hard hit with flooded basements, roadways, and even sinkholes. Some of the hardest hit areas include River Forest, Des Plaines, Oakbrook, Downers Grove, Lombard, and Lisle in the western suburbs and Barrington, Barrington Hills, North Barrington, Lake Zurich, Cary and Fox River Grove in the north and northwestern suburbs. The highest rainfall recorded during the June 26th rain event was 8.05” in Barrington. What do you do after the initial basement...
read moreWinter and Indoor Air Pollution: What You Can Do
Air Pollution. The term usually conjures the image of factory chimneys belching out toxic black smoke. But most people don’t realize the biggest threat lurks inside their homes. According to the EPA, indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2 to 5 times and occasionally up to 100 times higher than outdoor levels. Most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors, which underscores the importance of indoor air quality as a factor in our overall health.[i] Indoor air pollution becomes even more critical at this time of year since we don’t get frequent exchanges of outside air in...
read moreSinusitis — The Fungal Connection
Is chronic sinusitis caused by bacteria or mold? Studies continue to show that mold is now the prime suspect. The paradigm shift started in 1999 when the Mayo Clinic published a breakthrough study that indicated as many as 96% of sinusitis cases were caused by mold. http://www.mayoclinic.org/ent-rst/chronicsinus.html. The evidence has continued to gain ground with experts and researchers; however, as often happens with new evidence, acceptance of these findings by the medical community has been slow. A sinus expert in New York, W.S. Tichenor M.D. offers a detailed explanation of the...
read moreHigh Mold Counts – Outside and Inside
This year outside mold counts have been the highest on record in the Chicago area — on some days as much as fifteen times higher than normal. As a result, mold-allergic individuals suffer chronic upper respiratory irritation that feels like chronic cold symptoms. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-08/news/ct-met-historic-mold-counts-20120808_1_national-allergy-bureau-allergen-counts-allergy-sufferers. This would explain symptoms that worsen when you spend more time outside. But what does it mean if your allergy symptoms become worse when you spend more time inside? If you...
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