How — and when — to check indoor air quality in your home

If you are buying a home, any IAQ issues, especially radon, will probably be noted during the presale certified home inspection. Beyond that, Parsons doesn’t advise patients to have their home air quality tested without cause. “In my clinical experience, most triggers are detected by reviewing a patient’s medical history,” he says. “Poor air quality is real, but most issues are obvious: pets, a wood-burning stove, mold on a wall, things you can see. If you buy or remodel and find a major mold issue, then obviously you need to take care of it, but a spot of mold in your bathtub or on the carpet is easy to self-manage.”