If you’re one of the 100 million Americans who suffer from allergies, you may feel that you never get a break. Just when ragweed season ends, it’s time for spring and summer blooms and the pollen they spread through the air.
Pollen doesn’t stay outside either; it collects on your clothes and blows in through your windows and doors.
So how can you keep outdoor allergens outdoors? It just takes a little planning and effort to transform your home into an allergy-free zone.
Our expert healthcare providers at South Plains Rural Health Services diagnose and treat allergies at our offices in Levelland, Lamesa, and Big Spring, Texas. We’ve compiled a brief guide to help you plan for spring, summer, and fall allergens this year and every year.
If you have allergies, your immune system has decided that a normally benign substance is a threat.
For reasons that are still not quite clear to researchers, when you come into contact with one of your triggers, your immune system flushes your body with chemicals — including histamine — that cause inflammation. This can result in symptoms such as:
You might start an allergy diary to keep track of when you develop symptoms so you can pinpoint the cause or causes. But this may be an overwhelming task, especially since your symptoms might not start immediately after contact with a trigger.
Instead, we recommend allergy testing. During this testing, we expose you to a minute amount of a number of common allergens, such as:
If one or more of the many substances we test causes a slight reaction, you now have a known trigger that you can avoid. The list of triggers helps you come up with a plan to allergy-proof your home.
Due to all of the porous surfaces in your home, including upholstered furniture, drapery, and bedding, you may have more allergens inside than outside. Most allergens, like pollen and dust, are easily airborne, which means you might stir them up when you sit on a sofa or walk on a carpet, and then inhale them.
If you improve your ventilation indoors, you may improve your allergies. Regularly change the filters in your furnace or air conditioner. If you can’t change the filter, then vacuum it often.
Standard filters may keep out dust, but not smaller allergen particles, such as mold or pollen. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAI) suggests a single-room air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filter to remove the allergens from the air you breathe.
To filter a central air system, the AAAI recommends using a disposable filter with a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating between 11 and 13. Replace it every three months.
Also, keep your windows closed but run the AC. An air purifier for every room in the house also helps.
Your mattress, pillows, and bedding are havens for dust mites. Protect your bedding with a dust mite mattress and pillow covers.
Wash sheets and pillowcases at least weekly. Wash your comforter and other blankets at least once a month. Use hot water because that’s the only way to kill the dust mites.
The moist heat in your bathroom is an ideal environment for mold to grow and flourish. Always use an exhaust fan when you run the bath or shower to help remove some moisture. Afterward, run a squeegee down the walls and dry your stall and tub with a towel to control moisture and mold growth.
Every week, wash your bathroom rug in hot water. Clean or replace shower curtains and bath mats if you see or smell mold.
A dehumidifier can reduce mold in the bathroom, too. Consider one for any room in your house that tends to be moist, including the kitchen and basement.
Remove the dust and pollen that gets tracked into the house by vacuuming surfaces (including curtains or blinds) regularly. Be sure that your vacuum has a HEPA filter. If you have allergies, you may wish to wear an N95 mask while cleaning to avoid inhaling stray particles.
When dusting, don’t use a feather duster or other tool that disperses the dust. Always vacuum after dusting to take care of any dust that has fallen to the floor.
If you have allergies, we can help keep you comfortable. In addition to controlling your environment, you may benefit from medications or from immunotherapy. Call our friendly office staff at our location nearest you to book an allergy consultation.
