Common Household Allergens and How to Combat Them

No matter how often you scrub, scour, dust and vacuum, good housekeeping isn’t enough to keep allergens out of your home. From dust mites and pet dander to mold and bacteria, an invisible cloud of allergy-inducing particulates floats through the average home in Broward County, FL. Fortunately, an arsenal of indoor air quality products is available to combat them. The first step to fighting this enemy of good health is to learn how to identify the most common culprits.

What Causes Allergy Symptoms?

Are you one of the more than 100 million Americans who suffer with allergies? If so, you likely already know the range of symptoms allergies can cause. Coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose — the list goes on and on. Most people react to allergens the same way as they do to viruses, and for good reason. Both trigger your immune system to react against an invading substance.

While some allergies get triggered by something you eat or touch, it’s the tiny bits that circulate through the air that pose the greatest danger. Microscopic matter is particularly hazardous because it gets inhaled deep into your lungs. Prolonged exposure to these tiny airborne invaders increases your risk of severe health problems, including asthma, and heart problems. Thankfully, there are effective ways to keep them at bay.

Community Contaminants

Even if you don’t own any pets, chances are animal dander wafts through your home. Pet dander gets released into the air from both pet owners and their furry family members. Tree, grass and weed pollen also find their way into your home, tracked indoors on your hair and clothing. Some can even hitch a ride indoors on a new piece of furniture or packages left on your doorstep by your local mail carrier.

Changing the filter in your HVAC system whenever it’s dirty helps keep community contaminants from circulating through your home. For allergy sufferers, upgrading to whole-home air filtration offers far greater relief. These affordable air purifiers get installed into the ductwork of your central air system and are up to 100 times more effective than standard HVAC filters.

Moisture-Loving Allergens

Biological irritants such as mold, dust mites and viruses can also cause allergic reactions. These organisms thrive on humidity, making them particularly hard to eradicate when you live in a hot and humid climate like Broward County. Whole-house dehumidifiers offer an effective solution. Integrated with your HVAC system, they help maintain humidity at levels deemed best for allergy sufferers.

UV lights installed in the ductwork or near cooling coils can also help rid your home of biological organisms that trigger allergies. They can save you money too! UV lights aimed at coil surfaces disinfect and clean the surfaces, resulting in greater efficiency from your AC system.

Dust to Dust

Vacuuming and dusting your home each week helps keep sneeze-inducing dust at bay, but it doesn’t kill the dust mites themselves. Without intervention, dust mites will continue to multiply and produce the toxic byproducts that set off allergic reactions. What’s the solution? Whole-house ventilation systems offer an effective way to decrease their population.

Introducing fresh air into your home with an energy recover ventilator lowers the number of all airborne contaminants from pet dander and pollen to mold and mildew. These highly efficient ventilation systems use the outgoing air’s thermal energy to pre-condition the incoming air. Perfect for climates with hot, humid summers, energy recovery ventilators let you enjoy a healthier indoor environment without exceeding your budget.

With a little help from HI-VAC Air Conditioning Service, you can inhabit a home that isn’t constantly triggering your allergies. Our experienced professionals will help you select a product that lets everyone in your home breathe easier. For more information, explore our indoor air quality services or call us today.