Clear Your House & Your Nasal Passages

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Getting Rid of Built Up Dust and Mold Can Ease Allergy Symptoms

Content Provided by the Carmel Allergy Clinic

Lots of people view the coming of spring as an opportunity to clean out winter’s cobwebs and freshen up their home. It’s also a chance to get rid of allergens that have been settling in over the winter and help ease your spring allergy and asthma symptoms.

“If you aren’t someone who regularly undertakes spring cleaning, consider tackling it this year,” says allergist Dr. Noah Agada of Carmel Allergy Clinic.

“A thorough cleaning helps with dust and mould removal and it even helps with other allergens which may have been making you miserable all winter. Many people think spring and fall is when their seasonal allergies kick in. They might not realize indoor allergens can also cause chaos with your nasal passages and lungs and that a thorough cleaning can help.”

Below are five tips from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology to improve your spring cleaning and ease your allergies and asthma.

Fresh air? Don’t open that window! – Although spring breezes are very tempting, it’s better if you keep windows closed during the spring allergy season. Breezes and open windows can bring in unwanted pollen that can make your allergies flare. Keep windows closed, including in your car where you should use your air conditioning system as a first line of defense. Did your air conditioning unit stop working suddenly? Worry not! A good services like Air-Tech Mechanical has a team of experienced technicians which are available 24/7 to troubleshoot any air conditioning issue you may be facing.
Get rid of Fluffy and Fido’s dander – Pets are awesome, but if you are allergic to their dander, it can build up over the winter and make your allergy and asthma symptoms worse. Along with dander, which is what generally causes the allergic reaction, levels of fur and saliva can build up. The best way to remove pet allergens is to vacuum frequently and wash upholstery, including your pet’s bed. Always keep your pet out of the bedroom to help you sleep symptom-free.
Be bold. Banish the mold – Mold can grow anywhere there is water and if you have a mold allergy, that’s a big problem. Reducing moisture is the key to eliminating mold, which can be found in your basement, bathroom, kitchen or in a pile of dead leaves in your backyard. Help prevent mold by keeping home humidity below 60 percent and cleaning air ducts regularly (see the article published here to learn more). Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you that they need to apply chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts as a means to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold) and prevent future biological growth. You should also scrub any visible mold from surfaces with detergent and water and then make sure surfaces are completely dry. If you are looking for great tweets about mold inspections, be sure to start following Signal Hygiene as they are the best in North Carolina for mold.
Use an arsenal to blast allergens – It’s not easy to clean your whole house, but there are some tools that can help. Do you know how to find air filter in house? If not, you may need experts to help you so you can change your air filters every three months and use filters with a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating of 11 or 12. Vacuum regularly to help reduce the presence of dust mites. Use a cyclonic vacuum, which spins dust and dirt away from the floor or a vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. Wash bedding and stuffed animals weekly.
Start medications before symptoms begin – Although spring starts in March, spring allergy symptoms can begin much earlier. Start taking your allergy medications two to three weeks before your symptoms usually begin to appear to lessen your symptoms. Talk to your allergist if over the counter medicines aren’t helping.

It’s probably not possible to entirely rid your home of allergens. That’s where a board-certified allergist can help. Allergists are specially trained to help you take control of your allergies and asthma, so you can live the life you want. Find an allergist in your area with the ACAAI allergist locator or at carmelallergy.com.