Can you get allergies in the fall? You most certainly can! Allergens can strike at any moment. Even though spring allergies can be more common, allergies in the fall are a significant problem for countless people. Here, Broad Ripple Service Experts can help you understand and better manage fall allergies. Sadly, the solution isn’t as simple as staying away from the pollen-filled world surrounding your home. Fall allergy season finds various ways into your home. By determining what triggers fall allergies, you can also identify the best ways to reduce them.
How to Recognize Fall Allergy Symptoms
Determining your fall allergy symptoms can be more difficult than it may seem. The symptoms of seasonal fall allergies are frequently discreet and mistaken for a mild cold. Coughing, sneezing and sinusitis tend to be symptoms that appear in both fall allergies and the common cold. A medical professional is always the most dependable source for identifying allergies. However, a few common symptoms of fall allergies and sinusitis include:
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Headache
- Fatigue or tiredness
What Produces Fall Allergies?
When investigating what triggers fall allergies in your particular case, there are plenty of likely culprits. Dust mites and allergens can collect in different places throughout your home. The majority of these sources of seasonal fall allergies can be managed with professional air quality services such as those provided by Broad Ripple Service Experts. That said, 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 buildup inside your ducts
Work-Arounds for Seasonal Fall Allergies
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says that homeowners dealing with fall allergies should boost their air quality in three ways. First, you could restrict your exposure to airborne allergens within your home. This entails installing a whole-house dehumidifier, cleaning ducts and keeping your home from getting too warm. Second, you need to ventilate your home, ensuring that airborne debris does not amass in stagnant air. Third, you could look at installing an air cleaner to remove allergens from the air. Learn more about these solutions below.
Manage Your Home’s Humidity with a Whole-House Dehumidifier
When the air in your home is different from the EPA’s ideal humidity levels (30%-40% humidity), it encourages a petri dish for mold, dust mites and countless other sources of allergy symptoms. With a whole-house dehumidifier, you have accurate control over the humidity levels throughout your entire home. These modern dehumidifiers allow you to adjust the humidity in your home within 1% of the set levels, eliminating the conditions for excess mold, dust mites, fungi, bacteria and other contaminants.
Keep Your Air Clean With Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights
Ultraviolet germicidal lights purify the air in your home before it spreads through your ductwork. As the air exits your HVAC unit and enters your ductwork, it moves through a strong ultraviolet light that deactivates contaminants before they can multiply. 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 found to eradicate half of the concentrated bioaerosols within their initial 45 minutes of use.
Trap Contaminants with HEPA Air Filters
When you favor a high-efficiency air filter, you need a HEPA air filter that can capture 99.97% of the contaminants in the air. Because of their unique design, these filters snatch the most common triggers of fall allergies from their air, like ragweed, pollen and dust mites. HEPA air filters also capture contaminants such as:
- Tobacco smoke
- Dirt particles
- Pollen
- Ragweed
- Dust mites
- Various odors and airborne chemicals
Regularly Clean Your HVAC System’s Ducts
Historically, HVAC systems have not always done a great job of removing contaminants from the air. This means that debris often spreads through ductwork for decades. Over time, a portion of that debris can accumulate inside your ductwork. This is why many people recommend Broad Ripple Service Experts and our duct cleaning services before turning on the heat for the first time in the fall. This can minimize one of the most substantial sources of airborne contaminants in your home.
The 10 Cities in the United States With the Worst Fall Allergy Seasons
In many cases, your location has a significant impact on the extent of your fall allergy symptoms. Fall allergies are understood to be more serious in some areas of the country versus others. For instance, ragweed (one of the most widespread sources of allergy-inducing pollen) is more common in the country’s eastern region along with the Midwest. However, allergies can be a substantial problem despite where you live. Here are the 10 toughest cities for those managing seasonal allergies.
Getting Support From Broad Ripple Service Experts
As you have now seen, the most comprehensive remedy for dust mites and fall allergies comprises of an all-out assault on the pollutants and contaminants in the air within your home. Every home will need a precise approach structured for that home’s unique makeup and layout. With air quality experts all over the United States, Broad Ripple Service Experts can offer support in almost every corner of the country. If you're looking for one of our indoor air quality specialists to help address as many sources of allergens as possible, call or fill out a contact form right away.