Tips To beat In-Home Allergies This Winter
(ARA) – Allergy sufferers often pay the greatest price during the winter months when the cold weather forces us indoors. Even though ragweed season has passed, there is something else that can trigger allergy symptoms without warning – the allergens that lurk inside your home.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, over 20 percent of the general population suffers from allergies caused by dust mite debris, pet dander and mold. In fact, three out of every four adolescents with asthma are also allergic to these microscopic contaminants, the organization reports.
The most rampant of these allergens is the dust mite, which flourishes indoors during the cooler weather.
Dust mites live in warm, humid environments. They prefer temperatures between 70 to 85 degrees with a relative humidity of 70 to 80 percent but cannot survive when humidity levels fall below 50 percent. So as you turn up your thermostats and humidifiers this season, keep in mind you are unknowingly providing a safe haven for these unwanted houseguests.
The largest concentrations of dust mites occur in the bedroom. Pillows, mattresses, carpets, blinds, and upholstered furniture may contain millions of dust mites.
So how can you protect yourself from indoor allergens and experience the natural allergy relief you deserve?
Traditional methods recommended by most allergists involve using a multifaceted approach to eliminate allergen sources from the bedroom – remove, encase, and purify. These tasks often require difficult lifestyle changes.
* Remove dust reservoirs. Vacuuming can help, but disturbing carpet may cause dust mite debris to become airborne. By removing carpets, drapes and upholstered furniture from the bedroom and installing tile or wood floors, you can eliminate many dust mite environments.
* Encase all bedding. Specialized encasement covers for mattresses, box springs, bedcovers and pillows are designed to trap dust mite particles from coming into contact with your body.
* Purify and de-humidify. Quality furnace filters can remove some allergen sources but maintaining lower humidity levels is often overlooked. De-humidification reduces both dust mites and molds, both which cannot thrive in arid environments. Room air purifiers can help but clinical tests have shown no symptom relief.
A new approach: personal air filtration systems
Recently, allergists have helped develop a clinically proven nighttime allergy relief option called a personal air filtration system. These systems are designed to eliminate allergens from the breathing zone using HEPA filtration and dust mite encasement.
One such device is The PureZone System; a specialized pillowcase that delivers clean, allergen-free air to the breathing zone using your own pillow.
“The PureZone System is the first device that combines bedding encasement and air purification in one simple therapy,” Dr. James Sublett, the head of allergy and asthma at the University of Louisville and an expert on environmental control measures for allergy sufferers says. “I’m impressed with the clinical results as well as the way it sets up on any bed. You don’t even have to change your pillow. It’s HEPA filtration without the hype because it only has to work in a small space around your nose and mouth as you sleep.”
To learn more about The PureZone System visit www.purezone.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Courtesy of Jennifer V-E Johnson, Reston Expert and www.WashMetroHomes.com
