Spring is in Air
It seems as if the entire Grand Strand is living under a yellow blanket, and it’s not the crumbs falling off the marshmallow Peeps in the Easter candy aisle. Nope, pollen season is officially here, and if you are a seasonal sufferer, this is a particularly bad spring. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, we can blame climate change and lengthening growing seasons for the increased pollen production.
Although the seasonal allergy and sinus symptoms are bad with all the sneezing, sniffling and coughing, airborne allergens that trigger asthma attacks can be quite serious. One of the things that both doctorsand allergists recommend is assessing the air quality and ventilation of your home. Cooper Mechanical Services professionals can help you improve the quality of air in your home or workplace to help minimize your seasonal allergies.
Minimizing Exposure to Allergens
While some allergens may come from inside your home, such as dust mites or pet dander, many seasonal allergies are triggered by things outside the home, namely blossoming plants, flowers and trees. Keep the source of your headaches out by doing the following:
• Keep windows closed and use air conditioning during warmer days and months. Open windows, while nice, are bringing in pollen and ragweed particles that move beyond window ledges once in the home.
• Clean all air filters, air conditioning filters and duct filters. This is particularly important to do before the change of seasons.
• Vacuum and clean frequently. Seasonal allergens can nestle in carpeting and wreak havoc on your nasal passages. Consider a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner if things are particularly bad in your home.
Improving Air Quality with an Air Filter
Air filtration systems are another option for minimizing allergy symptoms. Recommended by both the EPA and the American Lung Association, an air filter will remove the microscopic particles in the air.
There are many types of home air filters, but mechanical air filters such as HEPA, are most widely known. Not a brand, HEPA stands for a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are required to catch 90% of all particulates (including the pollen, dander and dust triggering your allergies) that are .3 microns or larger in diameter. Considering that 1 micron is 1,000 times smaller than a millimeter, these are filters that are catching the microscopic particles that may be passing through the conventional air conditioning filters in your home.
Cooper Mechanical Services Can Help
Whether you’re interested in upgrading your air filtration system, or you need help maintaining your current system for optimal performance, CMS is here to help you survive this seasonal allergy time of year.