The Air Engineers Service Experts Guide to Fall Allergy Season
Can you have allergies in the fall? You most definitely can! Allergens can strike at any moment. While spring allergies may be more prevalent, allergies in the fall are a substantial problem for lots of people. Here, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help you understand and overcome fall allergies. Unfortunately, the solution isn’t as straightforward as staying clear of the pollen-filled world surrounding your home. Fall allergy season finds different ways into your home. By identifying what triggers fall allergies, you can also identify the best ways to reduce them.
How to Learn More About Your Fall Allergy Symptoms
Recognizing your fall allergy symptoms can be more difficult than it may seem. The symptoms of seasonal fall allergies are commonly subtle and mistaken for a mild cold. Coughing, sneezing and sinusitis are typical symptoms that appear in both fall allergies and the common cold. A doctor is always the best source for confirming allergies. However, a few common symptoms of fall allergies and sinusitis include:
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- Itchy or watery eyes
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- Sneezing
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- Coughing
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- Headache
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- Fatigue or tiredness
What Triggers Fall Allergies?
When investigating what causes fall allergies in your exact case, there are many possible culprits. Dust mites and allergens can build up in countless places inside your home. The majority of these sources of seasonal fall allergies can be controlled with professional air quality services including those offered by Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Having said that, the most prevalent sources of indoor fall allergies include:
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- Airborne pollen
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- Mold
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- Dust mites
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- Pets
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- Wall-to-wall carpet
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- Damp areas
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- Indoor plants
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- Stuffed toys
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- Mattresses and other padded furniture
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- Debris buildup within your ductwork
Work-Arounds for Seasonal Fall Allergies
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says that homeowners managing fall allergies should enhance their air quality in three ways. First, you could limit your contact with airborne allergens within your home. This entails installing a whole-house dehumidifier, cleaning ducts and preventing your home from getting too hot. Second, you need to ventilate your house, ensuring that airborne particles don’t build up in stagnant air. Third, you should look at installing an air cleaner to eliminate allergens from the air. Learn more about each solution below.
Manage Your Home’s Humidity with a Whole-House Dehumidifier
When the air in your home deviates from the EPA’s ideal humidity levels (30%-40% humidity), it provides a petri dish for mold, dust mites and various other sources of allergic reactions. With a whole-house dehumidifier, you have fine-tuned control over the humidity levels throughout your entire home. These state-of-the-art dehumidifiers permit you to dictate the humidity of your home within 1% of the desired levels, eliminating the conditions for excess mold, dust mites, fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms.
Keep Your Air Healthy With Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights
Ultraviolet germicidal lights clean the air in your home before it circulates through your ductwork. As the air flows out of your HVAC unit and enters your ducts, it goes through a strong ultraviolet light that deactivates contaminants before they can disperse. This system answers the question, “What is the best air purifier for allergies?” This system will quickly make your air considerably cleaner. UV lights have been shown to remove half of the concentrated bioaerosols within their first 45 minutes of use.
Eliminate Contaminants with HEPA Air Filters
When you favor a high-efficiency air filter, you should find a HEPA air filter that can trap 99.97% of the contaminants in the air. Thanks to their distinct design, these filters collect the most common triggers of fall allergies from their air, including ragweed, pollen and dust mites. HEPA air filters also eliminate contaminants including:
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- Tobacco smoke
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- Dirt particles
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- Pollen
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- Ragweed
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- Dust mites
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- Assorted odors and airborne chemicals
Routinely Clean Your HVAC System’s Air Ducts
In the past, HVAC systems have not always done a great job of getting rid of impurities from the air. This means that debris routinely flows through ductwork for many years. Over time, some of that debris may pile up within your air ducts. This is why some people advocate for Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing and our duct cleaning services before switching on the heat for the first time in the fall. Doing so can resolve one of the most substantial sources of airborne contaminants in your home.
The 10 Cities in the United States With the Most Difficult Fall Allergy Seasons
Most of the time, your location has a significant impact on the intensity of your fall allergy symptoms. Fall allergies are known to be even worse in specific areas of the country compared to others. For instance, ragweed (one of the most extensive sources of allergy-inducing pollen) is concentrated in the country’s eastern region along with the Midwest. However, allergies can be a significant problem despite where you live. Here are the 10 most difficult cities for those with seasonal allergies.
Getting Assistance From Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing
As you have now seen, the best strategy for dust mites and fall allergies comprises of an all-out assault on the pollutants and contaminants in the air inside your home. Every home will need a precise approach structured for that home’s particular makeup and layout. With air quality specialists all across the United States, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can offer support in almost every part of the country. If you want one of our indoor air quality specialists to help address as many sources of allergens as possible, call or fill out a contact form right away.