OH (BLANK), it's allergy season again

OH (BLANK), it's allergy season again

To my great surprise and disgust, one can develop allergies later in life, and not only in springtime.  This was the case despite living in the same city (New Orleans) for over 12 years.  I used to be amazed at the green coating on my vehicle and washed it off weekly without any respiratory reactions, but then suddenly one March, I was aware of SPRING.  Only in hindsight (when it’s nearly impossible to counteract the raging histamines and inflammation), I realized, am I allergic to pollen?  A couple years later, the onset was in the winter after a particularly rainy period and I was overwhelmed again. 

Even staying inside during “high pollen count days” is of little comfort if your home is not armed against pollen.  Here’s what we’re talking about: neutralization and filtration.

Neutralization breaks apart contaminants, makes them less harmful, or changes them for easier removal from the air.  Neutralization with HypoAir products looks like this: the polar ions cluster around contaminants such as pollen grains and mold spores (both are allergens, as the pollen grain comes with actively pollinating plants and the mold may come during/after a wet season), causing these contaminants to become heavier and drop out of the air, or more easily filtered out of the air (next step).  

Filtration is the next key.  Fortunately, pollen grains are relatively large in diameter, 10-17 microns in size.  That means you don’t need a HEPA filter (which target particles about 2.5 microns and larger) in the HVAC system to get most of the pollen out of the air.  What we recommend is changing the HVAC filter slightly early during high pollen season, even if you don’t see a visible change in the filter.  We do continue to recommend HEPA filter vacuums (or their equivalent like the Sirena) because the pollen on the floor will be entrained with smaller particles and they all need to GO!

You also need to consider the air you let into your home.  Just because it’s allergy season, it's not necessary to padlock your windows!  This is especially true in milder climates that don’t even require air conditioning or heat for much of the year, like southern California or Hawaii.  There are several products on the market that let you leave the windows open, but keep the pollen out.  Our Window Ventilation Filters allow you to do this, and are easy to vacuum clean.  

Circulation/movement of air through your home is a good thing; it enables air conditioning, heat, humidification or dehumidification to work more efficiently.  If you use ceiling fans to help circulate air in your home, you can check out these filters by BioStrike.  They are applied to the top of ceiling fan blades, and customers do see a difference in their cleanliness of their fan blades and surrounding area. 

Allergens are everywhere outside, so remember when entering the house, taking off outer layers can prevent spreading the allergens around inside.  This is especially true before going to bed.  Taking a shower before bed, washing or rinsing your hair, and changing your pillowcase more frequently can prevent you from breathing in allergens at night.   Contact us at HypoAir for customized recommendations on making allergy season(s) less painful for you and your family!