There's nothing worse than walking outside and suddenly bursting into a sneezing fit. Seasonal allergies are a nuisance that no one enjoys dealing with. Even worse is when you continue to suffer from allergies when you're in the comfort of your home. While you can't remove the allergens from the outside air, there are plenty of steps you can take to reduce your suffering when you're inside.
Keep Windows and Doors Closed
Opening windows to let in some fresh air on a beautiful day is a great way to connect with the outdoors and lower your energy costs. Unfortunately, leaving windows and doors open when there are allergens outside is a sure-fire way to go through boxes of facial tissue inside. Although they're effective against insects, the screens on windows are no match for the small size of most allergens. Try putting your house fan on without air conditioning to still enjoy fresh air without a fresh helping of allergens.
Clean Your Home's Ducts
Allergens have a nasty habit of hiding in unseen places. One of these unseen places is the ducts in your home. If there is dust in the ducts, the dust can easily capture seasonal allergies as they circulate through your HVAC system. Then, they can redistribute those allergens at the most unfortunate times. That's why it's good to have a company like ServiceMaster Restore clean your home's ducts so that you can improve HVAC efficiency and reduce the frequency of your sneezing.
Upgrade Your Air Filter
Another great way to use your HVAC system in the fight against seasonal allergies is to upgrade the system's air filter. HVAC air filters use a rating system called the MERV scale to measure the size of contaminants that the filter can capture. By upgrading to a filter with a higher MERV rating, you'll be able to capture smaller contaminants, including many common seasonal allergies.
Don't Hang Clothes Outside
Hanging clothes outside to dry is a time-honored method of keeping your house cool and your clothes fresh. However, on days when allergens are expected to be numerous, your best bet is to dry your clothes in your dryer. Pollen and other allergens are sticky, which is one reason why they're so effective at remaining in your nasal passages. Unfortunately, this means that these allergens can also stick to clothes fibers. Thus, when you bring your clothes inside and disturb the fabric, you'll release a cloud of allergens into the air in your home.
Consult a Physician
While it's good to tackle seasonal allergies with the above methods, there are times when prevention alone won't do the trick. In times like these, it's best to consult a physician so that you can experience long-term relief. Using a multi-pronged approach, you'll be better able to overcome your allergy symptoms so that you can get back to enjoying the beautiful weather.
If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, try some of the treatment options above. You deserve to feel your best.