Cleaning Up For Hay Fever Allergies
Spring is coming and with it the pollen that is the primary
cause of Hay Fever. Start getting ready today and you can
reduce the watery eyes, runny nose, and low energy associated
with Hay Fever allergies.
How do we reduce the symptoms of Hay Fever? Simply put, we
reduce exposure to pollen. Let’s look at a typical American
home and understand how to achieve this reduction of pollen
exposure.
First we need to make sure that we have air conditioning. While
we all enjoy the breeze from an open window, that breeze will
carry in the pollen that we want to keep out. Therefore we need
air conditioning to keep the inside of our home pleasant. Since
some pollen will get inside when door are opened and closed we
need to make sure that the filter on is in good shape. Usually
the air conditioning system uses the same filter as the
furnace. Change to a high-end furnace filter available from 3M,
WEB, and Purolator. These are much more effective than your
bargain basement home improvement center filters. Next, change
the filter monthly during the peak Hay Fever season. It is a
small price to pay for a bit of cleaner air.
This next recommendation is simple and inexpensive. When you
and your children come home after work or after play take a
shower and put on freshly laundered clothes. Your hair, skin,
and clothes are ideal places to harbor pollen so don’t spend
the evening in your own personal pollen cloud. Get clean! This
extra pollen-free time will help you to recover from the day
and helps your body get ready for a restful sleep.
Wear a dust mask when you are doing the house cleaning. Many of
the dusting and vacuuming devices put almost as much dust and
pollen back circulating in the air as they take out. A dust
mask will help you from getting a “snoot full” of pollen as you
are cleaning. Speaking of vacuum cleaners, you should really
have a HEPA vacuum or at least one with a HEPA filter after the
bag filter. This will reduce the pollen and other bad stuff that
you put back into your home air space.
Now that everything is clean and tidy the job should be done.
If you still have sneezing at home the next line of defense is
a HEPA air purifier. Put a small one in each bedroom and run
them on high during the day. This will create a clean air
bubble in which your family can sleep restfully. If there is a
family room or other common area put an air purifier there so
that just before bedtime you get maximum clean air.
If your family still sneezes see your Doctor for medication to
address Hay Fever allergies. There are a number of new drugs
that will block the T-Cells which cause the runny nose due to
pollen.