If you're among the 40 million people who suffer from
indoor/outdoor allergies, it may be hard to think of your home as
your castle this time of year. Warmer weather can mean more pollen,
and when mixed with household dust -- and the resulting dust mites
-- you could feel like you have around-the-clock hay fever.
Fortunately, there are several ways to lower the allergens in
your home and get some relief, says Mike Tringale, vice president
of external affairs at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
in Landover, Md. People react differently to particles in the air,
so the first step is to diagnose your sensitivity, he says.
In general, seasonal allergy sufferers are allergic to pollen,
pet dander, dust mites, or a mix of all three. "Most doctors can do
a simple blood test to determine what you're allergic to," Tringale
says. Once you know what's causing the allergies, you can take
steps to eliminate the sources.
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There is no one way to 100 percent rid your home of all
allergens, but if you use a combination of the following four tips,
you can greatly reduce irritating particles which can provide
relief, says Tringale.
4 ways to allergy-proof your home
No. 1: Change your home's air filter
. If you have a forced air heating and cooling system, changing a
dirty filter is a simple but critical step in ridding your home of
sneeze-inducing particles, says Ted Myatt, a senior scientist at
Environmental Health and Engineering in Needham, Mass.
Check the owners' manual of your HVAC system to find the correct
size and location for your disposable air filter, then replace it,
he says. A filter generally costs around $20 and can be purchased
from any home improvement store, Myatt says.
"Make sure it is changed every three to four months," Myatt
recommends. Otherwise, the filter could get dirty and not clean the
air as well.
Completing this simple task can also help your system run more
efficiently, which can save hundreds of dollars in heating and
cooling costs.
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No. 2: Use allergy-proof pillow and mattress
covers.
You probably spend more hours of the day in your bed than in any
other place in your home, so use dust-proof bed and linen covers if
you suspect you are allergic to dust mites, says Dr. Marjorie
Slankard, an allergist at ColumbiaDoctors Eastside in New York
City.
No matter how clean your home is, microscopic dust mites (and
their waste products) can nestle in your pillows and mattresses, so
covering them up can keep the offending allergens away from your
nasal passages while you sleep, she says.
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Be sure to launder the dust covers and your bed linen regularly.
"Wash them at least once a week, and make sure the water is at
least 130 degrees (Fahrenheit)," says Tringale. The water needs to
be hot in order to kill dust mites, he says.
No. 3: Make sure your vacuum is HEPA-ready.
If your vacuum doesn't have enough suction, it can leave behind
dander and other particles that provide a steady food source for
dust mites, says Caroline Blazovsky of HealthyHomeExpert.com.
Combat that by making sure you have a good high efficiency
particulate air (HEPA) filter in your vacuum cleaner. "HEPA filters
allow you to pick up small microscopic dander that a regular vacuum
cannot," Blazovsky says.
Regular maintenance is a must. Every few months, take apart your
vacuum and clean the filter, vacuum bag chamber, and brushes, and
check the integrity of the belt in the system, she says.
No. 4: Invest in an air purifier.
Technically, these machines are called "room air filters," says
Tringale. They circulate air throughout a room, while at the same
time trapping allergy-causing pollen and other particles through
filters, all before you have a chance to inhale them.
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"Air purifiers have HEPA filters, and that's how they're able to
remove so many particles," Tringale says. He adds that you should
look for units with labels certifying that they capture 99.97
percent or more of the small particles.
Purifiers are priced anywhere from about $50 to nearly $300,
depending on the size of the room the machine can accommodate.
You'll also have to buy replacement filters every six months or so,
and those can cost between $20 and $50.
Most allergy sufferers find that there's no one way to rid their
home of microscopic irritants 100 percent of the time. However, if
you follow the four tips listed above, you have a very good chance
of being able to reduce allergens and breathe easier in your home
this allergy season.