Allergy Season is Coming: 5 Ways to Cope With Allergy season

In many areas of the United States, spring allergies start in February and last until early summer. Recently, scientists have noticed that allergy season has hit many states earlier than normal due to global warming. In fact, pollen season is starting 20 days earlier than it used to and pollen loads are 21% higher than they were in 1990. For individuals who suffer from seasonal allergies, including a stuffy nose, and red, itchy, watery eyes, this is not good news. Fortunately, there are ways to manage allergies and today, we go over 5 ways to cope with them and the many reasons why an HVAC technician can help.

How Can You Manage Your Allergies?

Common seasonal allergy culprits include pollen, grass, and mold. Some ways to help manage your season allergies include the following:

Clean Your Air Ducts

As the air in your home is filtered by an HVAC unit and then sent all around through ductwork, dust, pollen, and other common allergens can build up within the duct system. Dirty air ducts lead to poor indoor air quality.

An experienced HVAC technician can clean your air ducts and inspect them for signs of pollen, dust, mold, and wear and tear.

Deep Clean Your House

One of the best ways to keep your home free from allergens is to deep clean it as often as possible. Dust particles and pollen can accumulate on all the surfaces of your home, including in corners of rooms, under couches, and behind furniture. Avoid suffering from a swollen throat, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes by keeping your home clean. Additionally, the cleaner your home, the easier it is for your HVAC unit to do its job. Here are some tips on how to deep clean your house:

• Wipe down hard to reach areas, including ceiling fans and underneath furniture
• Sweep and mop floors
• Vacuum any carpeted areas with a HEPA filter
• Shake out rugs
• Clean in between sofa and seat cushions

Change Your Air Filters

If someone in your home suffers from allergies, it is advised to change your air filters every 30 days to help him/her reduce symptoms.

If you require assistance determining which air filter will best suit you and your family’s needs, contact a qualified HVAC professional for professional advice.

Purchase A Dehumidifier

You may want to purchase a dehumidifier to help alleviate seasonal allergies inside your home. A dehumidifier helps keep the relative humidity from being too high. If someone in your home suffers from asthma, or other issues associated with mold growth, ensuring the humidity level in your home is at an optimal level (around 40%-60%) can really help.

Get Your HVAC Unit Serviced Properly

We cannot stress the importance of this enough. An experienced HVAC technician can perform routine maintenance, identify potential problems, perform repairs, and offer suggestions on how to improve your indoor air quality. An HVAC technician can provide you with available options to treat the air in your home which may help reduce issues associated with seasonal allergies.

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Call our indoor air experts at 434-293-4556 or complete an online form to learn more about how we can help.