Fall & Winter: The Seasons for Allergies and What You Can Do About It

The Western Michigan landscape is truly something to behold, isn’t it? Lush vegetation, magnificent trees and breathtaking flowers everywhere you turn. While your friends here at Mast Heating & Cooling join our neighbors and customers in appreciating the beauty every day, we also know that this means allergies are practically inescapable in our part of the country. In fact, it is basically allergy season all year long, with a brief respite for a month in the summer and another month in the winter. The fall and winter seasonal allergy are fast approaching, so now is a good time to take a look at what gets your noses itching and your eyes watering and what you can do about it.

WHAT TRIGGERS SEASONAL ALLERGIES?

There are many triggers that can spark an allergic outbreak of sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes. This time of the year there are three major culprits:

Ragweed Pollen

Ragweed is a plant that grows near water or riverbanks and begins to release its pollen in August. The ragweed allergy season usually peaks towards the end of September and will die out as the first frost approaches.

Mold

Organic mold found on our natural vegetation dries and becomes airborne, acting much the same as pollen.

Dust Mites

Nearly microscopic in size, these pests are associated with dust in your home and can be found in furniture, carpets, etc. Their droppings are believed to cause allergic reactions in humans.

IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY

The seasonal allergy triggers discussed above can get into your home, along with other airborne contaminants and will affect your indoor air quality (IAQ). Poor IAQ can impact your family’s health, so you want to pay attention to it. One way to keep IAQ at a healthy level is regular HVAC maintenance. You can do your part by changing air filters regularly. You can also call the professionals at Mast Heating & Cooling and schedule a seasonal tune-up.

Another option may be air purification solutions, including air scrubbers, humidifiers, etc. Mast Heating & Cooling carries a full line of equipment that can help you improve and maintain IAQ. Call us today for more info or stop by and see us at our Zeeland location. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.