How to Improve Indoor Air Quality During Allergy Season
Allergy season means more pollen and other allergens in your home. No one enjoys sniffling and sneezing for months out of the year, especially in their own home. While many allergens are present outside in nature, your home is less allergen-free than you think. Allergens regularly pop up throughout your home, impacting your indoor air quality.
What is indoor air quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the amount of pollutants, such as dust, in the air. Whether it be in your home, office, or your kid’s school, breathing in these irritants causes allergy symptoms. While common symptoms tend to be mild itchiness or sniffling, over time these irritants affect your health.
If you want to stop sneezing during allergy season, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll go over common allergy symptoms, common allergens in your home, and what you can do to reduce the amount of allergens in your household.
Common Allergy Symptoms
Allergy symptoms range from mild irritation in the eyes and throat to serious swelling that can be quite uncomfortable. These symptoms are worse for people with lung conditions such as asthma, as allergens can agitate the symptoms they already have.
Common allergy symptoms include the following:
- Runny Nose
- Itchy Eyes
- Mild Cough
- Throat Irritation
- Congestion
- Difficulty Breathing
While seasonal allergies may not seem like a big deal to some, they can impact overall health and quality of life for others. Long-term allergies can stress out your immune system, leading to worsening symptoms over time. While your body tries to fight off the allergens, it can leave you vulnerable to viruses such as the common cold, the flu, or other more serious illnesses.
Allergies are more than just physical symptoms; they can impact your mental health. Allergy symptoms may keep you up at night, making sleeping more difficult. A lack of sleep leaves you tired and cranky during the day, and it can be frustrating to deal with all season long. Allergies affect both adults and kids, impacting their ability to learn in school.
Main Sources of Indoor Allergens
Common allergens in your home include the following:
- Dust: Dust particles float around in your air and settle in a fine layer on every surface in your home. It contains a mix of various materials, such as pollen, dead skin cells, material fibers, particles from cleaning detergents, and even airborne mold spores.
- Dust Mites: Dust mites are microscopic insect-like critters that live in dust particles. These little bugs love warm and humid environments such as couches, beds, curtains, rugs, and carpets. They are the most common cause of allergy symptoms and asthma. Around 4 out of every 5 homes have dust mites in at least one bedroom.
- Pet Dander: Furry pets such as dogs and cats are lovely additions to a family, but they can also agitate allergy symptoms. Dander refers to the dead skin cells pets naturally shed over time. These particles can quickly spread around your home and cause itchy eyes and runny noses.
- Mold and Mildew: Mold and mildew can hide throughout your home in places you can’t easily see. Common places for mold and mildew to hide include bathrooms and showers. The high moisture levels are the perfect environment for mold to grow, and the spores agitate yearly allergy symptoms.
- Bugs: No one wants creepy crawlies in their home, especially when they make you itchy and sniffling. Cockroaches are a common allergen culprit, and they sneak into your home through tiny gaps and cracks.
How to Reduce Indoor Allergens
Are we left defenseless against these allergy assailants? Absolutely not! You can reduce the amount of allergens in your home with simple cleaning habits every day.
Dust and Vacuum Regularly
Dust and allergens build up on shelves and in your carpet over time. Regular vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting help control the dust and decrease your allergy symptoms. Try to clean up dust weekly to maintain a high air quality in your home.
Change Your Bedding
Wrestling the sheets and pillowcases off your bed can be a hassle, but allergens such as dander and dust mites collect there over time. Change your bedding every two weeks to reduce the number of allergens and keep your bed dust-mite-free.
Clean Your Heater
No one uses their heater during the summer when temperatures are in the triple digits. Your heater collects dust throughout the summer, and this dust can cause allergy symptoms. Clean your heater once a month to remove excess dust and other particles that build up over time.
Invest in an Air Purification System
If you have a high level of dust or other allergens in your home, invest in an air purification system. The REME HALO system catches airborne particles in the filters, improving your overall indoor air quality and reducing your seasonal allergies.
Bathe Your Pets Regularly
Bathing your dog on a consistent schedule reduces the amount of dander they produce. This in turn reduces your allergy symptoms over time. Try to give your dog a bath every 3 to 4 weeks to reduce dander without harming their skin.
Enjoy Cleaner Air with Semper FI’s REME HALO Air Purifier Installation
At Semper Fi Heating & Cooling, we understand that poor indoor air quality and seasonal allergies can leave you feeling unwell and helpless. That’s why we offer a wide range of IAQ services for homeowners in the Phoenix and Las Vegas areas. Our expert technicians specialize in HVAC services and REME HALO air purifier installations to create an allergy-free home.
Interested in a professional indoor air purification service? Book an Air Quality Inspection Today
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