Can you get allergies around fall? You most certainly can! Allergens can hit at any moment. Even though spring allergies can be more widespread, allergies in the fall are a substantial problem for countless people. Here, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you understand and fight fall allergies. Unfortunately, the solution isn’t as easy as staying away from the pollen-filled world around your home. Fall allergy season finds several ways into your home. By determining what triggers fall allergies, you can fully understand the best ways to minimize them.
How to Recognize Fall Allergy Symptoms
Figuring out your fall allergy symptoms can be harder than it may seem. The symptoms of seasonal fall allergies are commonly subtle and mistaken for a mild cold. Coughing, sneezing and sinusitis are all symptoms that appear in both fall allergies and the common cold. A doctor is always the most dependable source for recognizing allergies. However, several common symptoms of fall allergies and sinusitis include:
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Headache
- Fatigue or tiredness
What Triggers Fall Allergies?
When looking into what causes fall allergies in your specific case, there are various possible culprits. Dust mites and allergens can build up in countless places throughout your home. Most of these sources of seasonal fall allergies can be controlled with professional air quality services like those offered by Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. Having said that, the most likely sources of indoor fall allergies include:
- Airborne pollen
- Mold
- Dust mites
- Pets
- Wall-to-wall carpet
- Damp areas
- Indoor plants
- Stuffed toys
- Mattresses and other padded furniture
- Debris accumulation within your ductwork
Work-Arounds for Seasonal Fall Allergies
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says that homeowners with fall allergies should boost their air quality in three ways. First, you should limit your exposure to airborne allergens in your home. This requires installing a whole-house dehumidifier, cleaning ducts and preventing your home from getting too hot. Second, you must ventilate your home, making sure that airborne particles don't amass in stagnant air. Third, you could consider installing an air cleaner to remove allergens from the air. Learn more about each of these solutions below.
Control Your Home’s Humidity with a Whole-House Dehumidifier
When the air in your home deviates from the EPA’s ideal humidity levels (30%-40% humidity), it creates ideal conditions for mold, dust mites and countless other sources of allergic reactions. With a whole-house dehumidifier, you have accurate control over the humidity levels across your entire home. These state-of-the-art dehumidifiers permit you to control the humidity in your home within 1% of the desired levels, eliminating the conditions for excessive mold, dust mites, fungi, bacteria and other microbes.
Keep Your Air Healthy With Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights
Ultraviolet germicidal lights deactivate microorganisms in the air in your home before it moves from room to room. As the air leaves your HVAC unit and enters the air ducts, it goes through an intense ultraviolet light that kills contaminants before they can disperse. This system addresses the question, “What is the best air purifier for allergies?” This system will quickly make your air noticeably cleaner. UV lights have been shown to eliminate half of the concentrated bioaerosols within their first 45 minutes of use.
Get Rid of Contaminants with HEPA Air Filters
When you favor a high-end air filter, you should find a HEPA air filter that can trap 99.97% of the impurities in the air. Because of their specific design, these filters snatch the most frequent triggers of fall allergies from their air, like ragweed, pollen and dust mites. HEPA air filters also remove contaminants including:
- Tobacco smoke
- Dirt particles
- Pollen
- Ragweed
- Dust mites
- Various odors and airborne chemicals
Consistently Clean Your HVAC System’s Ductwork
Traditionally, HVAC systems have not always done a thorough job eliminating pollutants from the air. This means that debris routinely spreads through ductwork for decades. Over time, some of that debris may build up within your ventilation. This is why some people advocate for Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and our duct cleaning services before running the heat for the first time in the fall. Doing so can eliminate one of the most substantial sources of airborne pollutants inside your home.
The 10 Cities in the United States With the Most Severe Fall Allergy Seasons
In many cases, your location has a major impact on the extent of your fall allergy symptoms. Fall allergies are understood to be more serious in certain areas of the country compared to others. As an example, ragweed (one of the most extensive sources of allergy-inducing pollen) is mostly found in the country’s eastern region and in the Midwest. That said, allergies can pose a considerable problem despite where you live. Here are the 10 most difficult cities for those managing seasonal allergies.
Getting Assistance From Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
As you have now seen, the ideal strategy for dust mites and fall allergies involves an all-out assault on the pollutants and other debris in the air throughout your home. Every home will need a focused approach appropriate for that home’s particular makeup and layout. With air quality experts all over the United States, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help in almost every part of the country. If you'd like one of our indoor air quality experts to help address as many sources of allergens as possible, call or fill out a contact form when you're ready to start.