When allergy season is on the way, it’s important to be prepared. Allergies can affect anyone, and they’re not just a nuisance: they can trigger serious health problems like asthma attacks, sinus infections, or even anaphylaxis. If you want to prepare your family for allergy season, this article will give you all the information you need to make sure everyone stays healthy.
Keep Out the Allergens: Pay Attention to Your Air Filters
The science is in, quality air filters are one of the keys to allergy relief. If you want your allergies to stay away, the air in your home must be as clean as possible. This means checking and changing your filters regularly, so they’re not clogged with dirt or dust. It also means using high-quality replacement filters.
Give Yourself a Break
The psychological toll of allergies is just as real as the physical toll, so it’s important to take care of your mental health during allergy season. A primary part of staying sane during allergy season is to have a safe, allergy-free house to come home to.
For those who suffer from allergies and live in certain parts of the country, it can be hard to get a break. It doesn’t take much to secure your home, so go ahead and take the time to do it.
Use High-Quality Air Filters
To protect against allergies, you will need special air filters. Your normal HVAC filters do not help capture the particles that cause allergy symptoms. Standard air filters will trap large particles, but not the smaller ones that lead to allergy symptoms.
While shopping for filters, you may have seen the MERV rating, which shows you how effective each filter is in trapping different-sized particles like pollen and dust mites. The higher the number, the more effective the filter. Consider products like Lennox air filters that are easy to use, durable, and affordable.
If you want to be sure that your HVAC system is trapping all of the particles that can cause allergy symptoms, go with a high MERV rating. The highest MERV rating is 16, which is recommended for those with high sensitivity to allergens.
Clear Your Garden and Clean Your Yard
Your yard is one of the most important places to keep clean when you want to protect yourself against allergens. If your garden has weeds, prune them back far enough away from your home so that pollen doesn’t blow up onto the house or through open windows.
Clear leaf litter and dead leaves out of any areas near your home where the grass doesn’t grow. Any leaves that get wet cause mold to form, which is another allergen you want to keep out of your home.
Do Your Homework: Fruits and Veggies
Antioxidants and other natural chemicals found in fruit are great for your health and help fight off some of the symptoms of allergies, such as inflammation. There are certain types of produce, however, that you should avoid when preparing for allergy season.
- Tomatoes – Tomatoes cause allergies in some people because they’re members of the nightshade family. This means your immune system might recognize them as harmful and fight back by causing allergic symptoms.
- Potatoes & Eggplant – Both potatoes and eggplant are nightshades, so you should avoid eating them when pollen counts are high.
- Peaches & Peanuts – These two foods contain a specific type of mold that many people are allergic to. If you have allergies and want to enjoy these fruits in the summer months, eat them at least three days after the peak pollen count for your area.
Avoid the Moldy Food
Mold is an allergen you should pay attention to during allergy season. It can grow on anything, so it’s important that your food stays as mold-free as possible. One of the biggest sources of mold can occur if you store your fruits and vegetables together in a container or unventilated fridge drawer: fruit juice. Juice attracts fruit flies, which are often the source of mold spores in your kitchen.
Conclusion
So, get the right air filters, make sure your yard is clean, and watch the food in your home. With a little bit of effort, you can make the outside world easier to deal with and your home allergy-free.