5 Ways to Avoid Annoying Seasonal Allergies in Georgia

Many Georgia homeowners see springtime as a joyous time between the weary winter and the sizzling summer. But for allergy sufferers, it’s the time you dread the most.

Sneezing. Sniffling. Puffiness. It’s a pain. Most allergy sufferers try to power through it. But there are many ways to avoid these painful symptoms.

Here are 5 of them.

• Plan your day around pollen count
  One day you’re breathing fine. But the next you feel like you you can’t breathe through your nose. Does this sound familiar?
  
  Some days are worse because there’s more pollen in the air. The amount of pollen in the air is called a pollen count.
  
  Use the Weather channel’s PollenCast to get a 4-day forecast of the pollen count in your area.
  
  Use this tool to plan when an outdoor activity (like jogging) would or would not be a smart idea for you or a family member with allergies.

Here’s an example of a 4-day PollenCast of Atlanta, Georgia:

As you can see, you can get the PollenCast sent to your email so you don’t have to keep checking the website every day.

• Control the humidity in your home to prevent mold growth
  Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to molds, which can cause a variety of harmful reactions like:
  • Nasal stuffiness
  • Eye irritation
  • Wheezing
  • Skin irritation

The major cause of mold growth is moisture. And, as you’re well aware, Georgia’s humidity/moisture levels are unbearably high around spring and summer.

To keep mold from growing in your home, the EPA suggests keeping your home’s relative humidity level between 30% to 50%. Get a thermostat that can track humidity levels in your home.

To keep home humidity levels low, here are 3 cheap, natural solutions.

For greater humidity control, get a whole-house dehumidifier installed alongside your heating and cooling system to dehumidify the air circulating through your return vents.

Ask our experts about whole-house dehumidifiers.

• Prevent pollen from sneaking inside
  Pollen sneaks into your home in various ways:
  • Shoes- Don’t track pollen in. Leave your shoes at the door instead.
  • Hair- Become a nighttime shower person to get rid of pollen in your hair.
  • Clothes- Don’t dry your clothes outside; put them in a dryer instead.
• Keep your pets clean
  Pets that like to play outdoors can get become giant pollen carriers since pollen clings to their fur.
  
  Brush and wash your pets more frequently than you normally would. Or don’t them outside on days with a high pollen count (sorry, Poochie).
  
  
• Get a whole-house air cleaner/purifier

Sometimes it’s just impossible to keep pollen out. So we suggest getting a whole-house air cleaner (also called an air purifier) to catch it.

An air cleaner is basically a super powerful air filter that’s installed next to your heating/cooling equipment. This air cleaning method is effective because your heating/cooling system is always circulating air (and the pollen with it). So the air cleaner will catch pollen as it goes through your return vents.

Now, you might be wondering, “Won’t my fiberglass air filter catch the pollen?”

Not much of it. Fiberglass filters are designed to catch larger particles to protect your heating/cooling system—not you.

Want to learn more? Ask our experts about air cleaners.

Coolray is your Atlanta-area home comfort expert with specialists in heating, air conditioning, air quality and plumbing. Have more questions? We’d be happy to help – just contact us online.