Spring 2023: The Weapons You Need to Fight Environmental Allergens This Year

Spring is the season when the trees turn back to green and the flowers bloom. However, with this change in the environment comes relentless sneezing and coughing.

Allergies in the U.S.

Allergens are, once again, everywhere. More than 50 million Americans experience types of allergies every year. It is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the United States. Moreover, it can be deadly.

Food is the most common and dangerous trigger, which sends about 200,000 people to the emergency room every year. It can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways and blocks breathing.

Environmental Allergies, a.k.a. Hay Fever

Although not as dangerous, allergies caused by environmental allergens such as pollen can still cause annoying consequences. Symptoms caused by ecological allergens include sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, an itchy throat, and itchy skin.

Unlike food, environmental allergens are not visible. It is much harder to avoid because it is most likely present when you go outside. Before you know it, you will be sneezing and coughing uncontrollably for the next several minutes.

However, you can prevent it as long as you arm yourself with these products.

More than Just Insulation

The spray foam insulation used to line and thicken walls to prevent the heat and cold from escaping from inside the house can also be an effective way to combat common environmental allergens.

You are not safe from allergens inside the house. Once you open the windows and the doors for ventilation, you are also letting pollen in. Moreover, any holes and gaps around your home can serve as a doorway for the unwanted matter. The undesirable matter will enter the house and integrate with the indoor air.

That might be why, even at home, allergens are still present with the windows and the doors shut tightly.

The typical spray foam can seal any cracks and gaps to prevent anything - be it pollen or insect - from invading the house. It is easy to use, too. Once it is applied, it begins its work.

It doesn't only save you money by reducing your utility bills; it also keeps your airways clear of allergens.

Purify the Indoor Air

However, allergens are also present and generated from inside the house. The mold that grew in your bathroom and kitchen, for example, is releasing spores that, if inhaled, can trigger symptoms and exacerbate existing respiratory conditions. Your pet's dead skin also caused a reaction.

For allergens that exist indoors, use air purifiers. These devices are fantastic because they pull the air from the room, make it pass through filters, and circulate fresh air free of dust, mold spores, pet dander, and other allergens. Some even remove viruses and bacteria from the air, improving safety at home.

Look for air purifiers that use a multi-layered filtration system called HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. Although it can be expensive, the device can remove 99.7% of particles that are about 0.3 microns from the air. For context, the size of pollen is between 15 to 200 microns.

The Friendly Ones

Plants can cause allergies by producing pollen, but not all plants are off-limits to people who suffer from environmental allergens. Some plants will help alleviate symptoms by cleaning the air.

Several studies have shown that indoor plants can act as natural air filters. They remove dangerous gasses and smoke particles in the air, turning indoor air clean and healthy for the homeowner.

The Chinese evergreen, for example, is low-maintenance and is known to remove pollutants from the air.

The pandemic has been terrible, but there is one good thing that is coming out of it. The wearing of face coverings is saving people from catching the flu and other illnesses. It also shields people from coming into contact with allergens.

Many people who have allergies have reported experiencing fewer symptoms in the past year. There is no data to prove it, but masking seems to save people from allergens outdoors, too.

Just remember that if you are wearing a cloth mask, pollen sticks onto your clothing. That includes face coverings. After spending time outside, you should wash the face mask and your clothes as soon as possible. Do not just throw it anywhere because you would risk spreading allergens inside your home.

Spring is warm and beautiful, but people with allergies do not always get to enjoy the season. However, being armed with these tools, hopefully, will make this spring better than the last.