Are you sniffling and sneezing more this time of year? You may have allergies that are being affected by the weather. Studies have shown that sensitivity to allergies has increased. Ragweed, mold, dust, dander, cats, and dogs all trigger people with sensitive allergies to sneeze and cough. All those allergens thrive in the air in your home and it provides a perfect breeding ground for more to grow. These allergens can make you and your family sick. Suffering from allergies has more effects than just sneezing. When you are bothered by allergens you can suffer from watery eyes, breathing issues, coughing, headaches, sleeping problems, and concentration problems. When fall comes and temperatures drop you turn your heat on which makes the environment that allergens thrive in even better due to increased humidity, air flow, and heat. Asthma is another issue that is made worse by these allergens. Around 80% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies so its a double whammy on them. The people most sensitive to indoor pollutants are children with asthma and the elderly. Even though the plants and flowers you thought caused the allergies are gone, their allergens will be circulated through your HVAC system for awhile after.
There are things you can do in your home to alleviate the spring and fall flare ups. Get your furnace, air conditioner, and ducts cleaned and sanitized. This takes care of cleaning out the allergens as best as possible. This also helps your system to perform better saving you money on energy bills. Use a humidifier. The more humid you home is the better the environment for allergens to grow. Keeping humidity down will keep you allergen growth down. Clean your home regularly including your carpet, vacuum each week. Use all natural air fresheners in your homes. The other ones let off more pollutants that can bother your breathing. Make sure any pets you have are groomed regularly. This helps keep the air clearer. If you are allergic to the pets, keep them out of the bedrooms so you can sleep better. Keep smoking outside of the home. Clean with all natural products only. Make sure you change your filters each month and use the best one possible for your needs. These are just some of the things you can do to make your home air better. Call Bartlett Heating and Air today to clean and check your HVAC system to help you start breathing better now.
