 |
Autumns Unwelcome Visitors
We’ve roughed the spring months, trudged through another smoggy summer, and before we know it, fall will be here. With fall comes our yearly visitor, ragweed. As the most common allergen of the late summer/early fall months, ragweed is not affected by high gas prices. Each plant produces up to a billion grains of pollen, and these particles can travel hundreds of miles by simply hitching a ride with a passing breeze. In addition to ragweed, mold can also be an issue for some of us. Mold often flourishes as dead leaves accumulate in damp piles at the edge of our yards or by the street. Lastly, firing up the furnace for the first time can also unsettle dust mites and blow them and their allergenic byproducts throughout our homes.
While packing up all of our belongings and children (don’t forget the children!) and moving to the beach or the mountains might seem like a good idea, packing is not as much fun as it sounds and unpacking is something that usually takes us months, if not years, to complete. Besides it is a buyers market when it comes to houses, and relatives generally aren’t too keen on boarding extended family for months at a time. So what other alternatives do we have?
Ideally, keeping track of the pollen count is a great idea. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology tracks pollen counts on their site, and many times the local weather now includes this information in their broadcasts. While indoors, a HEPA certified air purifier can eliminate dust, spores and pollen from the home, and when the leaves need to be raked a Respro Aero mask can keep pollen and mold spores out. After finishing be sure to shower before bed to keep from transplanting these allergens onto your bedding. Cleaning the ducts, before using the furnace for the first time each fall, can eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of contaminants that would be blown throughout the home. Once the ducts are clean you can continue to keep pollen, dust, and smoke from circulating throughout the house by using vent filters.
With temperatures cooling off, the kids going back to school and the holiday season just around the corner, fall can be a great time of the year. Allergies should never be a reason for us not to enjoy what each season has to offer, and by keeping a few things in mind we can more fully enjoy all times of the year.
Posted by Kevin on Friday, August 22, 2008
Leave a Comment | Read Comments (0) | Email This | digg it
|
No Comments
Leave a Comment
Register
Forgot your password?
|
Email to a Friend
Seed Newsvine
