How Indoor Air Quality Affects Seasonal Allergies

Achoo! So, your seasonal allergies have you reaching for the bottle of Benadryl, again. You might want to consider the air quality inside your house, because believe it or not, the air you breathe inside your house is likely to be more polluted than the outside air. Yes, you read that right!

Instead of suffering through yet another allergy season, learn how indoor air quality affects seasonal allergies and how you combat these allergens so you can breathe easier!

Indoor Air Quality

One of the most important things that you can do for your allergies is to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air because allergens can be more concentrated and recirculated through your house through your HVAC system. 

We recommend three methods to improve your air quality:

• Use air filters to clean indoor air
• Ventilated indoor areas
• Minimize contact with indoor airborne allergens

By improving the air quality in your home, you can help mitigate allergy and asthma triggers.

Why is My Home So Polluted?

Efforts to make homes more airtight to improve energy efficiency have created homes that can’t “breathe.” This results in the build-up of indoor pollutants that would be unacceptable outside.

Further, harmful VOCs could be circulating through our homes due to the products, furniture, fabrics, and more that we bring into our homes. Not to mention the pet dander, pollen, viruses, and other allergens that could be circulating in our air too!

Controlling Indoor Allergens

To control indoor allergens, you must clean to eliminate them, and then filter the air to prevent their spread.

Having the right HVAC filters and installing or using a dehumidifier or air cleaner can greatly reduce the number of allergens in your indoor air. Further, running your AC versus opening the windows can help reduce outdoor allergens like pollen or mold from infiltrating your home.

You should also consider:

• Avoiding fabric drapes or curtains
• Using allergen-resistant covers for your pillows and mattress
• Washing bedding weekly to kill dust mites
• Vacuuming frequently with a vacuum that is allergy or asthma friendly
• Wearing a mask when cleaning or dusting
• Cleaning or dusting with a dampened cloth to help collect more dust
• Keeping bedroom doors closed from pets
• Washing pet bedding often
• Keeping doors and windows closed especially when there is a high pollen count
• Changing your HVAC filters frequently
• Reducing humidity by using an exhaust fan in the bathroom or by installing a dehumidifier

HVAC Tips to Control Indoor Air Quality

Your air conditioning system can have a big impact on the air quality in your home. If you suffer from seasonal allergies in Tampa Bay, we recommend replacing air filters every 30-60 days, or more often if you have pets or the pollen count is high.

We also recommend getting a Higher MERV-rated filter. The higher the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of an air filter, the more particles it will catch, but be aware that this can put more strain on your AC system as these filters can restrict airflow. 

Other ways to ensure that the air you breathe is as clean as possible inside your home include, having your HVAC system serviced seasonally by our team at Super Heat & Air, and getting your ductwork cleaned biennially.

Enhance the Air Your Breathe

Don’t let the air that you breathe inside your air exacerbate your seasonal allergies! Call our team at Super Heat & Air to inspect your HVAC system seasonally to ensure it is running properly, for duct cleaning, or for the installation of a whole-home dehumidifier. We will help you breathe easier!