Suffering from seasonal allergies can be an incredibly unpleasant experience for many people, and the wide range of available treatment options can prove quite daunting. However, there are some steps you can take to help prevent allergen exposure in the first place- ensuring that your environment is free of harmful triggers and forming a routine that keeps airborne allergens at bay. In this blog post, I will discuss easy ways to avoid common allergens such as pollen and pet dander, so you don’t have to suffer through another allergy season with no relief. Remember, the Spring pollen season is upon us! With these tips, you’ll be able to find the right combination of prevention methods tailored just for you so that you may feel better and enjoy life without allergy-related irritation getting in your way!
3 Allergy Products Worth Investing In
September 1, 2021
Managing your allergies can be costly — especially when your daily antihistamine isn’t cutting out all of your symptoms. With so many products that claim to reduce allergy symptoms, it can be difficult to know which are worth the investment.
In this blog, read about three of the top allergy products that we find to be worth the money.
Mattress covers
Good for: Dust Mite Allergies
Dust mites thrive in dark, warm places, so the mattress is their ideal space to live. Placing a hypoallergenic mattress cover on the mattress provides a barrier between you and the mattress that is inevitably filled with allergens, which can help reduce symptoms.
Because your skin cells can contribute to dust mite accumulation, the mattress cover can also help prevent additional dust mite growth. Continue to wash your bedding on high heat weekly to kill allergens that may have accumulated above the mattress. Are dust mites gross? You bet, but unfortunately they can irritate your allergies 12 months out of the year, which means you never catch a break.
HEPA filters
Good for: Dust Mite and Pet Allergies
HEPA filters — high-efficiency particulate air filters — are a great way to reduce indoor allergens in your home, mainly dust mites and pet dander, but even mold, too.
These specialized filters grab and hold even the smallest particles, so they’re no longer in the air you breathe within your home. A word of caution if you don’t cover your mattress and pillows to protect you from dust mite–>filters only work for allergens that are airborne. I just told you that dust mite is heavy enough where it lands on the carpet or bed and often never stays airborne long enough to be filtered! Expensive mistake if you get a HEPA filter, but don’t complete the job for dust mite. Speaking of expense, the more you pay for a HEPA filter the better it works as long as you use it correctly.
You can get HEPA filters for your air purifier, but we also suggest you get them for the vacuum. It’s easy to forget about the allergens that may have made a home in the fluffy carpet in your home — especially bedrooms.
Air Conditioning
Good for: Seasonal Environmental Allergies (trees, ragweed, grass, etc.)
An air conditioner isn’t something you would typically categorize as an allergy product, but it has a big benefit for people with environmental allergies.
When a home doesn’t have air conditioning, most people choose to leave the windows open to get air circulation and a little bit of cooling. Unfortunately, window screens aren’t protective enough to keep pollen particles out, so they sneak through and land on your home’s surfaces. It may be a blessing in disguise that the Midwest is so hot, that we’ll do anything to keep our windows closed.
Because the pollen is inside the home, your body experiences almost constant exposure, meaning symptoms can be more long-lasting and feel more severe. It can make your seasonal allergies unbearable.
Disease-modifying treatment
All of these products can help reduce symptoms when you’re exposed, but they don’t get to the root cause of the issue. Immunotherapy is the only treatment that treats the cause of allergies, and it comes in two forms — allergy tablets (SLIT) and allergy shots. (SCIT)
When you treat the cause, the results are often long lasting. Personalized allergy immunotherapy is a safe and effective option that can help reduce, or eliminate, your symptoms after successful treatment. Learn more about personalized allergy shot treatment for better control of your allergies and asthma.
Preparing ahead of time can be a great way to avoid allergies; use mattress covers to protect from dust mites, buy a dehumidifier to control mold and mildew, and always watch pollen counts in your area for any forecasted high pollution days. Everyone’s situation is unique, so do your research and take the necessary precautions to keep your space healthy during allergy seasons. Taking care of yourself by avoiding allergens also reduces stress on your body systems which should help you feel better overall. With the right preparation and enough diligence, enjoying allergy season should be achievable. Make sure you take the proper steps to avoid allergens such as those mentioned above to maintain your health year-round.
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