More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). From just the slightest irritant in the environment like pollen or dust, allergy sufferers experience itchy eyes, a dripping nose, and uncontrollable sneezing that can’t be avoided. Or, can it?

As a heating and cooling repair company with over a century of experience, we know a thing or two about combating airborne allergens and improving indoor air quality. Between checking your local allergy alerts, getting plenty of sleep, and cleaning your home’s indoor air, there are actually several things you can do to alleviate your allergy symptoms.

Below, we outline those tips for surviving allergy season and highlight the most effective air cleaners to provide you with some sweet relief.

4 Steps to Surviving Allergy Season

Here are some helpful tips for countering your allergy symptoms, whether you have itchy eyes or a congested nose.

Step 1: Check the pollen counts.

If you want to enjoy a round of golf or a morning run, check the pollen counts for your neighborhood’s allergy forecast. And as a general rule of thumb, pollen counts are usually at their highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. so plan your mornings accordingly.

According to the AAAAI, the best times to exercise outdoors are early evening, when pollen counts are down; on a damp, cloudy day; and, ideally, just after a seasonal shower, when the rain has temporarily washed the pollen and pollutants out of the air.

Step 2: Get enough sleep.

A common side-effect of allergies is low energy, which often correlates to low-grade depression. Because allergies affect the immune system, it’s natural to feel physically low as your immune system is fighting allergens and pollens, which saps your energy level. So it’s especially important to have uninterrupted sleep, which means eliminating stimulants such as coffee and colas, and depressants, like alcohol, which can cause changes in your sleep pattern. When allergy season passes, partaking in your favorite refreshments shouldn’t be a problem.

Step 3: Drink a lot of water.

Allergy symptoms are often confused with a cold or the flu because the immune response releases protein molecules used in communication between cells. This signals the brain, which initiates feelings of sickness. Because your immune system is sluggish, drinking plenty of fluids—whether you exercise vigorously or not—is essential to keeping pollens and pollutants from clogging up your lymphatic system.

Step 4: Install an air cleaner.

Unfortunately, not all outdoor allergens remain outdoors. Allergens can travel through opens windows or doors and are carried in and on the clothes and bodies of people and pets. An air cleaner removes up to 99.98% of allergens from filtered air, trapping the tiniest particles, including dust, soot, and mold spores in your home. Removing these common allergens will increase the quality of air in your home and improve allergy symptoms while indoors. The air cleaner unit won’t take up extra space either, as it attaches onto the side of your existing heating or cooling system and is then connected to your existing ductwork.

5 Reasons Why You Need a Whole-House Air Cleaner

Air cleaners, installed onto the side of your existing heating or cooling system, go beyond the standard air filter for your furnace or air conditioner to protect your family from airborne allergy triggers that can accumulate in your system. How exactly can they help? Here are the top five reasons:

#1 – Eliminates mold.

Tiny mold spores floating in the air of your home can make indoor air quality unbearable for some allergy sufferers. Whole-house air cleaners can eliminate the threat of mold by removing even the tiniest mold spores from the atmosphere down to just 0.01 microns.

#2 – Removes pet hair and dander.

For allergy sufferers, exposure to pet hair and dander can be one of the most irritating allergens. But it’s not just hair and dander than can cause flare-ups, but dried pet saliva as well. Air cleaners can take care of all allergy problems caused by beloved family pets by removing their allergens from the air.

#3 – Destroys viruses and bacteria.

Airborne microorganisms that cause colds, flus, and other viruses can quickly be spread throughout your home because of the confinement of air. Whole-house air cleaners destroy harmful bacteria and viruses, keeping not just allergy sufferers, but all residents safe and healthy all spring long.

#4 – Eliminates pollen.

Pollen is a common springtime allergen that can easily be tracked indoors by your family members, your pets, or even a gust of wind. High-quality, high-efficiency air cleaners can be used to rid the air pollen, one of the smallest particles of matter that exists in indoor air.

#5 – Rids homes of dust.

Dust is one of the most common household irritants — particularly irritating for those with allergies. Keeping a clean home can help, but allergy sufferers know that’s not always enough. Dusting materials can even make it worse by stirring the dust up. Behind the scenes, air cleaners can remove dust from the air so that it can’t be breathed in by allergy sufferers.

The Best Air Cleaners for Allergies

Coming in at around $400, purchasing an air cleaner is a small price to pay as it can give you priceless relief. Not sure which air cleaner is right for your home? Here are our recommendations for the best air cleaners for allergy sufferers.

Trane CleanEffects Electronic Air Cleaner

With the Trane CleanEffects electronic air cleaner, your family can minimize the number of irritants and allergens that circulate throughout your home. This whole-house, electronic air cleaner works in conjunction with your heating and cooling system to clean up to 99.98% of allergens from the filtered air, trapping particles down to 0.3 microns in size, including dust, soot, and mold spores. In addition, its patented filtration process doesn’t reduce airflow, providing you with long-lasting and consistent performance.

Aprilaire Central Air Cleaner

High-efficiency Aprilaire central air cleaners are installed as a part of your home’s heating and cooling system—completely out of sight and silent. As a result, the central air cleaner distributes clean air throughout your home via the heating and cooling system’s ductwork. As a high-efficiency cleaner, certain models can trap everything from dander and dust to smoke and bacteria.

Lennox Healthy Climate® 16 Media Air Cleaner

The Lennox Healthy Climate® 16 Media Air Cleaner is one of the industry’s highest-rated whole-house air cleaner and filtration system. With a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating of 16, this media air cleaner removes more than 95% of allergy-aggravating particles down to 0.3 microns and over 90% of bioaerosols and microorganisms down to 0.01 microns.

Take Allergies Out of Season

These are a just few simple steps you can take to minimize the effects of allergy season. It only takes a little forethought and plenty of water and sleep to counter some of this season’s highest pollen counts. But for your best shot at combating the wrath of allergens within your own home, installing an air cleaner is a sure bet.

For more tips on how to ensure your home’s indoor air is squeaky clean, view our tips for improving indoor air quality.

Ready to remove allergens from your life? Contact us for information on installing an air cleaning system in your home.