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During peak spring and fall allergy seasons, many allergy sufferers stay indoors as much as possible to avoid tree pollen. But it turns out indoor allergens can trigger respiratory symptoms in some individuals. By improving the air quality in your home, you can reduce or eliminate allergy and asthma triggers.
What Are Allergens?
Allergens are substances that are ingested into the body, causing an allergic reaction. The body detects foreign objects entering it through the nasal passages, the skin, or the digestive tract and assumes it is under attack.
The body’s self-defense mechanism kicks into high gear, mounting an attack on these substances to destroy them quickly. In people with allergies, the body often misinterprets the level of danger and overreacts to the threat, causing an allergic reaction. That reaction can be coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, itching, a rash, or even an upset stomach.
Medicines like antihistamines can help minimize the body’s overreaction to foreign bodies entering the system, but they may cause side effects like drowsiness and dry mouth. Ask your doctor about managing allergy and asthma systems, even if you plan to reduce sources of triggers in your home.
Indoor Air Quality Allergies and Common Household Irritants
While many of us think of pollen as the culprit of allergy symptoms, there are many potential allergens that may be lingering in your home. Indoor allergens can be carried indoors from outside, or they may originate from your household environment.
Common indoor allergens include:
- Cleaning products, especially those that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Pet dander and dried saliva
- Mold and mildew
- Dust mites and cockroaches, specifically the proteins in feces and dead pests
Allergens can be airborne, but they often settle on soft, porous surfaces and linger, triggering an allergic reaction, especially when those surfaces are disturbed by sitting or lying on them, or by dusting or vacuuming.
How to Eliminate Allergens
Our goal is to improve air quality by getting rid of the source of allergens and irritants from the home, reducing contact with allergens, and allowing outdoor air into the home and reducing humidity as much as possible (as much as possible, before the cold temperatures of the heating season arrive.
Steps Can You Take to Control Indoor Allergens
Remove carpeting and switch to bare floors (such as tile, wood, or laminate) in the bedroom where you spend one-third of your life. If at all possible, avoid wall-to-wall carpet. If you absolutely MUST have carpet, try to use low-pile carpet. Even better, use throw rugs you can run through the washer. Avoid heavy draperies or curtains, as the fabric can capture dust and dust mites and keep them around. Replace them with hard-surface blinds or roll-down shades.
On your bedding, use allergen-resistant coverings. I use a zippered cover to keep mites away from my pillows. The cover is removable for easy washing. We also use an anti-allergen mattress cover that encloses it and reduces the ability for dust and mites to move in and stay. Experts recommend washing bedding, stuffed toys, uncovered pillow at least a couple of times per month in water 130 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, and run them through a hot dryer cycle to kill dust mites.
Vacuum often. Frequent vacuuming your carpet, and dusting, can help reduce allergens to a minimum in your home. Unfortunately, most regular vacuum cleaners put dust INTO the air after just removing it from your carpets. If allergens and dust are a serious problem in your home, invest in a certified asthma- and allergy-friendly vacuum. They’re been tested and will prevent allergens from going back into the air.
Switch to natural cleaning products. When using cleaning products that may trigger symptoms, keep the area well-ventilated and consider wearing a mask. For dusting, use a cloth that is treated with furniture or dusting polish, or slightly damp to minimize the amount of stirred-up dust. You may also consider leaving the house for a couple of hours after cleaning to allow the stirred up dust to re-settle.
Reduce pet dander. There is no such thing as a “hypoallergenic” pet. Pet allergies are due to animal dander, or skin cells that are shed into the air. Every animal has dander. Some animal dander may contain fewer allergenic proteins, leading to fewer symptoms. Pets that venture outdoors may also bring in pollen, especially on their paws and fur.
Bathing and brushing your pet often may help reduce symptoms. If you have severe allergies, avoid grooming your pet personally, either hire a groomer or wear a mask to minimize symptoms.
Keep windows and doors closed. Especially during high-pollen seasons like spring or fall, keep doors and windows closed as much as possible to prevent pollen and mold spores from coming in. Use air conditioning when temperatures are warm or moderate to control dust mites and reduce humidity.
Reduce potential for mold growth. Did you ever notice that areas of your home that have the potential for mold growth usually have some extra ventilation, like a bathroom fan or a kitchen range hood? Be sure to make use of those fans to prevent moisture build-up in those rooms.
HVAC Solutions for Indoor Air Quality Allergies
If allergies persist with the above steps, we recommend indoor air quality services like electrostatic air cleaners, better filtration, duct cleaning, duct sealing, and humidifiers/dehumidifiers to help manage the air quality.
Reduce Humidity
Did you know that one of the jobs of your home’s air conditioner is to reduce humidity? So simply running the AC will reduce humidity, minimizing moisture in the air, even if you keep your thermostat set a little higher as those fall evenings begin to cool. By keeping your home closed up as much as possible, the AC can somewhat eliminate outdoor allergens like tree pollen or mold from entering through an open window or door. We may also recommend a whole-home dehumidifier if your home is still too humid.
Upgrade your HVAC Air Filter
If you’re still running those cheap fiberglass filters you buy in the local grocery store or big box store, you should know they don’t do a very good job of filtering smaller particles like pollen, lint, and dust mites.
Switch to a Pleated Air Filter
Go for a filter that has a higher MERV rating. The higher the number, the better the filtration. But you have to balance the fact that higher MERV filters can restrict your furnace or AC system’s airflow, causing the system to work harder. At the very least, switch to a pleated filter to improve your air quality. If you’re not sure what type of filter is best for your home, ask your technician during your next HVAC maintenance appointment.
Electrostatic Air Filters
These devices use a charge to magnetically attract small particles that may otherwise make it through the filter and into your home’s air. They are well worth the investment if you have someone with severe allergies or asthma in your household.
Check Your Ductwork
Your ductwork distributes conditioned air throughout your home. It may also be circulating allergens if your ductwork has been contaminated with pests, has residue after construction or renovations, or has leaks that let in debris. We can inspect your ductwork and may recommend ductwork cleaning 0r air duct sealing.
Add Air Cleaners and Purifiers
Whole-home air cleaners and purifiers can help improve indoor air quality in your home. They work by integrating with your existing HVAC system, using advanced technology like UV-C lights, activated carbon filtration, and electrostatic attraction to trap, neutralize, and reduce contaminants that your HVAC filter may be leaving behind.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality With DorMar
Your HVAC system is the respiratory system of your home. A well-maintained HVAC system, plus the right indoor air quality products, can help reduce the circulation of allergens and improve your family’s comfort. DorMar is your experienced team of local experts. We can make a tailored plan to help you improve your home’s indoor air quality.
Contact DorMar and we’ll send one of our indoor air quality team out to inspect your system and make recommendations.
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