Can you get allergies during the fall? You absolutely can! Allergens can hit at any moment. Even though spring allergies can be more prevalent, allergies in the fall are a significant problem for lots of people. Here, Stark Services strives to help you understand and overcome fall allergies. Regrettably, the solution isn’t as easy as avoiding the pollen-filled world surrounding your home. Fall allergy season finds various ways into your home. By determining what leads to fall allergies, you can recognize the best ways to minimize them.
How to Recognize Fall Allergy Symptoms
Recognizing your fall allergy symptoms can be harder than it can seem. The symptoms of seasonal fall allergies are frequently subtle and mistaken for a slight cold. Coughing, sneezing and sinusitis are all symptoms that develop in both fall allergies and the common cold. A healthcare professional is always the most reliable source for recognizing allergies. However, a few common symptoms of fall allergies and sinusitis include:
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Headache
- Fatigue or tiredness
What Produces Fall Allergies?
When looking into what triggers fall allergies in your particular case, there are several likely culprits. Dust mites and allergens can collect in difficult-to-reach places inside your home. Most of these sources of seasonal fall allergies can be minimized with professional air quality services such as those supplied by Stark Services. That said, the most likely sources of indoor fall allergies include:
- Airborne pollen
- Mold
- Dust mites
- Pets
- Wall-to-wall carpet
- Damp areas
- Indoor plants
- Stuffed toys
- Mattresses and other soft furniture
- Debris accumulation within your air ducts
Solutions for Seasonal Fall Allergies
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states that homeowners managing fall allergies could improve their air quality in three ways. First, you could restrict your exposure to airborne allergens within your home. This involves using a whole-house dehumidifier, ductwork cleaning and stopping your home from getting too warm. Second, you should ventilate your home, making sure that airborne debris does not amass in stagnant air. Third, you should think about installing an air cleaner to eliminate allergens from the air. Learn more about these solutions below.
Reduce Your Home’s Humidity with a Whole-House Dehumidifier
When the air in your home strays from the EPA’s recommended humidity levels (30%-40% humidity), it creates ideal conditions for mold, dust mites and numerous other sources of allergy symptoms. With a whole-house dehumidifier, you have accurate control over the humidity levels throughout your entire home. These modern dehumidifiers enable you to dictate the humidity inside your home within 1% of the desired levels, erasing the conditions for unwanted mold, dust mites, fungi, bacteria and other contaminants.
Keep Your Air Clear With Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights
Ultraviolet germicidal lights purify the air in your home before it moves through your home. As the air exits your HVAC unit and enters the air ducts, it passes through a strong ultraviolet light that kills contaminants before they can spread. This system resolves the question, “What is the best air purifier for allergies?” This system will quickly make your air noticeably cleaner. UV lights have been shown to remove half of the concentrated bioaerosols within their initial 45 minutes of use.
Get Rid of Contaminants with HEPA Air Filters
When you favor a top-of-the-line air filter, you should find a HEPA air filter that can capture 99.97% of the contaminants in the air. Because of their unique design, these filters collect the most common causes of fall allergies from their air, such as ragweed, pollen and dust mites. HEPA air filters also remove contaminants like:
- Tobacco smoke
- Dirt particles
- Pollen
- Ragweed
- Dust mites
- Various odors and airborne chemicals
Regularly Clean Your HVAC System’s Ducts
Historically, HVAC systems have not always done a thorough job eliminating impurities from the air. This means that debris routinely circulates through ductwork for many years. Over time, some of that debris may pile up in your air ducts. This is why many people recommend Stark Services and our duct cleaning services before turning on the heat for the first time in the fall. This can eliminate one of the most common sources of airborne debris within your home.
The 10 Cities in the United States With the Worst Fall Allergy Seasons
In many cases, your location has a major impact on the intensity of your fall allergy symptoms. Fall allergies are identified to be more serious in some areas of the country versus others. As an example, ragweed (one of the most extensive sources of allergy-inducing pollen) is mostly found in the country’s eastern region along with the Midwest. However, allergies can become a considerable problem despite where you live. Here are the 10 most challenging cities for those with seasonal allergies.
Getting Support From Stark Services
As you have now seen, the best solution for dust mites and fall allergies involves an all-out assault on the pollutants and other debris in the air inside your home. Every home will need a focused approach structured for that home’s unique makeup and layout. With air quality professionals all over the United States, Stark Services can help out in almost any part of the country. If you'd like one of our indoor air quality pros to help make your air as allergen-free as possible, call or fill out a contact form right away.