A sniffle here, a sneeze there, and a slight nagging cough -- unfortunately, you must be coming down with yet another cold. Yet you have not been around anyone to catch a germ, you got your flu shot, and the last you checked, pollen never bothered you. But wait... what if the bronchial irritations that keep showing up have nothing to do with germs, or even seasonal allergies? What if the air in your home is really what is making you sick?

You may scoff at the idea and assume that your brand new HVAC system is absolutely not capable of causing your breathing problems. However, it may be what is hiding way down deep, hidden away from sight, in the vents and ductwork of your home that is making you sick.

How can ductwork make you sick?

It is normal that you would question the proposed idea that something in your own home is making you ill when there are so many more logical solutions. However, recent articles and news releases have talked openly about the issue. A report published on NBC.com even mentioned how dust and debris from uncleaned ventilation systems could be making people sick. And this is far from the only trustworthy report. It is completely possible that trapped dirt and other contaminants are making their way into your home's air - the air you breathe every day - and causing bronchial irritations.

Just what all could really be in there?

You may be amazed at all of the stuff that could make its way into your HVAC vents. You would probably expect some dust, a few spiders, and maybe even some sticky grime from that one time you left the sink running. What you would not expect to find in your ducts may surprise, or even scare you. Mold and mildew, rodents and their biological waste, and perhaps even food are all possibilities. Generally speaking, you will find more grit in ducts that lead from a vent registry on the floor, because all kinds of stuff gets swept inside.

How in the world can you keep your ducts from getting this gunk in them?

There are a few steps you should take to get and keep clean ducts in your house:

1. Have your ducts cleaned regularly by an HVAC professional.
2. Consider rerouting vents that are on the floor where they are even more prone to contamination.
3. Invest in inexpensive vent covers with HEPA filters implemented into them.

Before you head out to see the doc and get another round of prescriptions for that new bout of bronchitis, stop for a minute and consider that it could be an HVAC problem instead - a problem that no doctor or prescription will fix.