Can you have allergies in the fall? You most definitely can! Allergens can appear at any moment. While spring allergies might be more common, allergies in the fall are a serious problem for lots of people. Here, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning will help you learn more about and overcome fall allergies. Sadly, the solution isn’t as straightforward as staying clear of the pollen-filled world around your home. Fall allergy season finds several ways into your home. By identifying what leads to fall allergies, you can recognize the best ways to reduce them.
How to Learn More About Your Fall Allergy Symptoms
Determining your fall allergy symptoms can be more difficult than it can seem. The symptoms of seasonal fall allergies are commonly discreet and mistaken for a mild cold. Coughing, sneezing and sinusitis are all symptoms that show up in both fall allergies and the common cold. A healthcare professional is always the most reliable source for recognizing allergies. However, some common symptoms of fall allergies and sinusitis include:
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Headache
- Fatigue or tiredness
What Causes Fall Allergies?
When looking into what triggers fall allergies in your specific case, there are plenty of likely culprits. Dust mites and allergens can accumulate in different places within your home. The majority of these sources of seasonal fall allergies can be minimized with professional air quality services such as those provided by Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. Having said that, the most prevalent 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 in your ductwork
Remedies for Seasonal Fall Allergies
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that homeowners with fall allergies should enhance their air quality in three ways. First, you should restrict your contact with 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 space, making sure that airborne particles don't build up in stagnant air. Third, you could look at installing an air cleaner to eliminate allergens from the air. Learn more about each solution below.
Manage Your Home’s Humidity with a Whole-House Dehumidifier
When the air in your home strays from the EPA’s ideal humidity levels (30%-40% humidity), it creates a perfect environment for mold, dust mites and various other sources of allergic reactions. With a whole-house dehumidifier, you have accurate control over the humidity levels throughout your entire home. These innovative dehumidifiers permit you to adjust the humidity in your home within 1% of the set levels, erasing the conditions for unwanted mold, dust mites, fungi, bacteria and other contaminants.
Keep Your Air Clean With Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights
Ultraviolet germicidal lights clean the air in your home before it spreads through your home. As the air flows out of your HVAC unit and enters the air ducts, it passes through a powerful ultraviolet light that deactivates contaminants before they can spread. This system resolves 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 initial 45 minutes of use.
Eliminate Contaminants with HEPA Air Filters
When you need a top-of-the-line air filter, you need a HEPA air filter that can trap 99.97% of the pollutants in the air. Because of their specific design, these filters pull the most prevalent causes of fall allergies from their air, including ragweed, pollen and dust mites. HEPA air filters also eliminate contaminants including:
- Tobacco smoke
- Dirt particles
- Pollen
- Ragweed
- Dust mites
- Assorted odors and airborne chemicals
Regularly Clean Your HVAC System’s Ducts
Historically, HVAC systems have not always done a thorough job removing contaminants from the air. This means that debris routinely spreads through ductwork for many years. Over time, large quantities of that debris may pile up inside your air ducts. This is why some people advocate for Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and our duct cleaning services before switching on the heat for the first time in the fall. This can minimize one of the most significant sources of airborne pollutants within your home.
The 10 Cities in the United States With the Worst Fall Allergy Seasons
Often, your location has a significant impact on the severity of your fall allergy symptoms. Fall allergies are known to be even worse in certain areas of the country than others. As an example, ragweed (one of the most extensive sources of allergy-inducing pollen) is more common in the country’s eastern region along with the Midwest. However, allergies can become a considerable problem no matter where you live. Here are the 10 most challenging cities for those dealing with seasonal allergies.
Getting Assistance From Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
As you have now seen, the most comprehensive remedy for dust mites and fall allergies involves an all-out assault on the pollutants and allergens in the air inside your home. Your home will require a focused approach structured for that home’s individual makeup and layout. With air quality professionals all over the United States, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help out in almost any part of the country. If you want one of our indoor air quality specialists to help make your air as allergen-free as possible, call or fill out a contact form right away.