Why do we experience allergies indoors? For most people, allergies that cause sniffles and sneezing come from seasonal plants. Pollen and spores in the air agitate your sinuses. This causes your immune system to go haywire trying to protect you from outside particles. But why, then, are you also sniffling indoors? The answer, of course, is simple: it’s your indoor air quality that’s the problem.
Some pollen must have gotten inside, and the allergens are still agitating your allergies. The good news is that the solution is just as simple. By improving indoor air quality, you can enjoy allergy relief anywhere once pollen and spores can be effectively removed from the air around you. Let’s talk air quality and allergies, and you’ll soon see your way to clear air and clear sinuses.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality is a measure of the pollutants that are contained in the air inside your home. High-quality indoor air has very few pollutants. But low-quality indoor air may be filled with dust, allergens, and other harmful particles floating in the air.
Proper filtration and ventilation can improve air quality, but these systems can also worsen it if they are not properly maintained. Indoor air quality can be measured with lab tests of air from inside your home, but often, you will feel the effects of allergies and illness-like symptoms long before a lab test is required.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important for Allergies?
Allergies are triggered by particles in the air that you are allergic to. Many people are allergic to seasonal pollen and spores from nearby trees and other plants. If that pollen stays outdoors, then your sneezing and sniffling should subside within a few minutes of entering your home. However, if you keep experiencing allergies indoors, this clearly indicates that your air quality may be lower than you realize.
Poor air quality means dust and allergens are still floating in the air, triggering your allergies again and again. High air quality results in relief from allergies when inside a building that effectively filters allergens in constantly cycled air.
Causes of Allergens Indoors
Outdoor air pollution should stay outdoors. However, indoor air pollution from imperfect ventilation systems is unfortunately common. There are many reasons why smog and allergens could creep into your home to trigger allergies and other symptoms of illness from poor air quality.
Clogged Filters
If the air filters in your HVAC system haven’t been changed in a long time, they get clogged and can’t do their job. Allergens, dust, and other unwanted particles may not be properly blocked, and a clogged filter might even release once-trapped particles as air is forced through the filter fibers that can’t hold any more.
Leaky Ducts
Air ducts are supposed to remain sealed to convey clean, temperature-conditioned air throughout your house. However, gaps in your ductwork can allow outside air into your ventilation system. These gaps often occur in the dusty (and sometimes mold-infested) areas between your walls, where allergens and worse can slip in.
System Inefficiency
An inefficient HVAC system may not effectively filter out unwanted particles or cycle clean air through your house. Poor air pressure from a weak blower fan, for example, may be the source of your problem.
Humidity
Humidity can trap unwanted allergens and other particles in microscopic water droplets in the air. This can make it more difficult to achieve high air quality, and dehumidifiers can be helpful if this is the case.
Lack of Ventilation
Poor ventilation can prevent air from fully circulating through your house. This can result in some rooms holding more dust and allergens because the air is too still.
Addressing Indoor Air Quality—Reducing Pollen and Mold
If pollen and mold inside your house trigger your allergies, there are several effective ways to improve the indoor air quality. The right combination of methods will depend on why your home is full of allergens. The best route is to improve filtration and air circulation through your house to clear out the allergens from every room and space.
Change Your Air Filter
Change out your air filter regularly, and consider a higher rating of air filter. Higher ratings equate to a better ability to filter more and smaller particles. This can be very important for someone with allergies who benefits the most from cleaner air.
Add an Air Purification System
Air purification systems can kill microorganisms and add extra layers of filtration to your HVAC. UV light purification, for example, kills bacteria particles as air passes through the UV-illuminated vent area.
Clean and Repair Your Ducts
Ductwork matters a great deal for both your air quality and your allergy symptoms. Cleaning your ducts will remove years of built-up dust and ancient off-season allergens that would normally continue to cycle through the house. Repairing your ducts will prevent any gaps from allowing in outside dust, pollution, and allergens in the future.
Install or Improve Exhaust Fans
Use the fans in your kitchen and bathrooms to improve air quality. If you don’t have fans, have some installed. If the fans work poorly, have them cleaned, repaired, or replaced.
Repair or Replace a Failing HVAC System
If your HVAC system is inefficient, have it repaired, tuned up, or replaced, depending on the best way to improve its performance.
Get Your Home Air-Balanced
Air balancing is the calibration of your air vents to ensure every room receives approximately the same air pressure from the vents. This will optimize air circulation, ensuring every room is comfortable and dust never has a chance to settle.
Kabran Air Quality Solutions
If you have been suffering from allergies at home, it’s time to take control of your home’s air quality with the help of skilled HVAC and air quality specialists. Here at Kabran Air Conditioning & Heating, we can help you with every step of the process for improving the air quality of your home. Inspections, repairs, cleaning, and installing air purification systems are all within our skillset.
We can help you improve your home’s air circulation, keep your ducts in good repair, and ensure you have the right air filtration levels to prevent pollen and mold from triggering your allergies indoors in the future.
Call Kabran to learn more about air quality solutions and consult on the best ways to improve the air quality in your home.
