How to Choose and Use Home Air Purifiers
There are various technologies that allow home air purifiers to pull impurities from the air in your home. For seasonal allergy sufferers, you will want to make sure you get an air purifier that targets airborne particles. Along with pollen spores, an air purifier that targets airborne particles will also pick up pet dander, dust mite allergens, fungi, mold spores, and tobacco smoke. HEPA air purifiers are the best for targeting these airborne allergens that trigger allergy and asthma attacks.

HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate absorbing, and HEPA air purifiers take 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 micrometers in diameter or more out of the air. HEPA filters consist of a mat of fiberglass; the fibers are randomly arranged and have spaces between them that range from 0.5 to 2.0 micrometers apart. HEPA filters are often used in home air purifiers and must be changed regularly to keep up their efficiency.

The seasonal allergens that get into your home can be remitted through the use of a home air purifier with a HEPA filter. Home air purifiers can be purchased as stand alone units or can be attached to the HVAC unit in your home.

Something else you may want to consider when buying a HEPA home air purifier is the level of noise it will make when running. You can usually find out the noise created by an air purifier in decibels by contacting the manufacturer.

Through avoiding irritants and filtering them out of your home with an air purifier, allergy sufferers can also avoid a reliance on medication to control their allergy symptoms during the spring. Check out all of our home air purifiers offerings and kickstart your allergy relief today!

Indoor Allergy Relief: Keeping Allergens Out
While medicines can provide some allergy relief for symptoms, you can address the source of the problem by making a few lifestyle changes. Here are some simple tricks that will help you minimize your encounters with allergens during their peak season.

• Stay indoors when pollen counts are very high. Peaks in pollen count can occur at different times of day, or on windy, dry days. Keep an eye on the local weather, and you can find out when the pollen counts will spike.
• Although it may be tempting to open the windows and doors in cool spring weather, make sure to keep them closed and keep allergens outdoors. Once they enter your home, it takes more extensive measures to get them out.
• Clean the air filters in your AC and any other places that might collect pollen. When you turn on a fan or the air conditioning, moving air can stir up these settled pollen spores and trigger your allergies indoors.
• Wash your hair and change clothes after spending time outside, especially after garden or yard work. You should also wash your linens as often as possible to keep allergens at bay.
• Vacuum at least twice a week. Corners and carpets accumulate pollen and dust that, when stirred up, can trigger allergies indoors.
• Don’t run your attic fan. The fan draws in pollen-filled air and circulates it throughout your home.

By introducing these habits into your lifestyle, you can lessen the severity of your spring allergies.

In fact, what may seem like simple discomfort at first glance actually affects the nation as a whole with the actual cost of money and the opportunity cost of education.

According to The New York Times, “Each year, allergic rhinitis accounts for two million missed school days and $2.3 million in health care costs for children younger than 12. It’s not unusual for allergy sufferers to spend thousands of dollars each year on doctor visits, medications and other products, says Dr. Linda Cox, an allergist practicing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and a former committee chairwoman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.”

Allergic rhinitis refers to what we call allergies. And 40 percent of children are affected by them. This number can be reduced, though, if the right steps are taken.

Education

It is important to remain educated on different allergens and how they affect those suffering. We tackled some big ones–pet dander and mold spores–but there is always more to learn.

For example, did you know that cats are the most allergy-inducing animal? Their hair tends to remain in a house for about 20 weeks after the cat is no longer there.

It’s good to know facts like this for more than just getting some Jeopardy! questions right. They say knowledge is power, and in this case, they are correct. Once you understand the enemy, be it mold, pollen or pet dander, you can begin to fight it.

Execution
Once you’ve learned about what allergens are affecting you and where they might be hiding out, it is time to take care of them. The execution phase of allergy relief is important and must be a continuous effort, not a one-time sweep.

Aside from doing things like buying a HEPA filter and a HEPA dehumidifier, which are preventative steps, it’s good to clean your house of everything that might hold allergens.

• Take stuffed animals and dry them on high heat.
• Wash all sheets with hot water.
• Thoroughly steam-clean carpet.
• Keep pets away from carpets and drapes.
• Finally, make sure you don’t have any pests (Roaches, mice and the like can be a herculean detriment for allergy sufferers.).

While it’s obvious that allergies do more than cause minor annoyances, it is fairly easy to combat them. All it takes a bit of education and a bit of execution, and allergy relief is within your grasp.

One in three American households has a dog. This statistic doesn’t even take in to account the households with cats, rabbits, ferrets and other furry creatures who’s pet hair could be transporting pet dander.

Since it is such a prevalent allergy, there are a few things that are good to know about pet dander. Knowing the following five facts and tips can help fight it.


1. Pet Hair is Not the Allergen
Although pet hair is often thought to be the allergen that affects people, it isn’t. It merely carries the allergens, be it mold spores, pollen or pet dander. There is a protein in pet dander–also found in pet saliva and pet urine–that accosts the allergies, and this is what makes people feel bad.  Of course, it is hard to separate the hair from the allergens, so keeping pet hair out of the house can be a huge boost toward feeling better.

2. Pet Hair Finds its Way in Your House Regardless
This point can be made about most allergens, but pet dander is an easier one to combat. Even if you don’t own a pet, you can still easily be tracking pet dander into your house. Unlike mold spores or pollen, it is fairly easy to get the dog hair off. A good rule of thumb is to always leave your shoes outside because many different types of pet dander can accumulate on them. Taking a lint remover to your clothes can pull a lot of pet hair (and thus pet dander) off, leaving your house a little bit cleaner.

3. Pet Owners: Keep a Non-Pet Room
If you own a pet, are still feeling the sting of that pet dander, but can’t imagine getting rid of little Sparky, then it’s a good idea to have a completely non-pet room. Your pet never, ever, not even once, goes into this room. Your pet hair-covered clothes never go in this room. Constant vigilance is required, but it can be a life-saver in terms of fighting allergies. This way, you can still keep Sparky but when you need some “you time,” you can still curl up with a glass of wine and a book without feeling weezy and sneezy.

4. Pet Allergy Symptoms
It’s fairly important to understand the symptoms of pet allergies so you know pets are actually the cause of them. The most common symptoms are sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itching, watery eyes, coughing, weezing, eczema and rashes. If you have those symptoms and you’re exposed to pets, there’s a high chance the pets are causing it.

5. HEPA Air Filters can Great Reduce Pet Dander
A good device to have when trying to reduce pet dander is a HEPA Air Filter. They keep the air clear, and you’ll be able to keep your pets with far less allergies.

Remember all this, and your pet owning will feel way better.

We’ve discussed how mold is kept somewhat at bay by the winter, and we’ve looked at how mold can grow anywhere, even a shower head.

But it’s important to understand the basics of mold and mold spores, such as where it grows and why. The following list are five things that everyone should know about mold, especially those who suffer from allergies.

The problem is, though you can keep your home a safe haven through the use of central vacuums and HEPA air filters, you still have to venture into the outside world. And when that happens, the allergens can find their ways into your system.

Unfortunately, anti-histamines have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, so finding other ways to relieve allergic reactions might be a good move.
There are more than a few ways to relieve these reactions, including a time-tested and somewhat surprising method: acupuncture.

Though often scoffed at in America, acupuncture is actually covered by most major health insurances, including Blue Cross. As a proven method of medicine, it is becoming increasingly more popular in the United States.

Acupuncture is popularly defined, according to Wikipedia, as “the procedure of inserting and manipulating filiform needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes.”

And it recently has been proven to relieve allergies. Quickly. In fact, according to Dr. Patrick J. LaRiccia, “There is often a quick response. Often patients get some relief during the first visit while lying on the exam table with their acupuncture needles in place.”

“A variety of medication options can provide some relief from itchy eyes, runny nose, sinus headaches, scratchy throat, coughing, skin rash, swelling of the lips and tongue, abdominal cramps, ear popping and fatigue caused by allergies. However, these are no cure, so many patients turn to complementary and alternative health care,” according to an EmpowerHER article on using acupuncture to treat allergies. “Acupuncture appeals to many Western patients, as well as Asians, because of its excellent safety and tolerability. The cost is reasonable as well. The English language medical literature is beginning to report positive results for acupuncture in treating allergies.”

As you can see, there are many points of entry for acupuncture needles. And it should be noted that this chart is extremely basic. There are this many points in the foot alone.

Acupuncture has been used to treat things such as stress and simple pain for centuries. It comes as little surprise that licensed physicians have proven it to provide allergy relief.

While we aren’t claiming it will help your allergies and we still think you need to have things like a central vacuum and HEPA filters throughout the house, it can’t hurt to give it a try. Especially if it is covered by your health insurance. And, one way or another, it certainly is a relaxing experience.

And now, in the deepest of winter, it is doing its job well (assuming you are somewhere that has snow, though the cold in general has the following effects to some degree). Mold and mold spores, some of the worst allergens to attack the system, are kept at bay by the falling temperatures and blanketing of snow. During winter, these are severely limited by the cold and snow destroying them.

Unfortunately, snow melts. And when it does, plants (and, with them, mold spores) begin to thaw under the warm sun. Thus the sudden proliferation of mold and mold spores that seem to crawl deep into everyone’s systems and start the old wheezin’ and sneezin’ that becomes so prevalent in our best months.

So why announce all this bad news? Well, ignorance might be bliss, but there are a few steps that can be taken to prevent the horrors of Springtime allergies and help you enjoy every lasting minute.

One important thing to do, said Dr. S. Scott Nicholas of Twin Cities-based Eisenstadt Allergy & Asthma, is “start taking antihistamines at the allergy season’s onset, as long as two weeks before pollen really starts flying. That increases the medication’s effectiveness throughout,” according to the Star Tribune.

Of course, there are a few other steps and allergy control products that can keep you from popping antihistamines which have been linked to Alzheimer’s in the eldery.

According to “Allergy Relief 101,” a few great steps in the search for allergy relief are as follows:

• Increase the thermostat in your basement
• Remove any carpet from your bathroom and install a bathroom fan. Clean your bathroom regularly to keep the mildew levels down.
• Reduce the humidity in your house and ensure your air conditioner has a HEPA filter.
• Increase the drainage in your garden.
• When mold counts are high keep indoors. To avoid unnecessary exposure to spores wear a face mask when gardening or mowing the lawns in summer.

It is important, one way or another, to be aware that when the snow melts, the mold starts. And with the sun powering the mold, be cautious so you can enjoy the shimmery feel of Springtime and not waste it indoors, sneezing away.

But sometimes, even when following our simple steps to keeping a central vacuum in good repair and running well, central vacuums can still break. This is nothing to write home about, but when it does happen, it can put a pretty big strain on the piggy bank.

We understand that, and we also understand the great benefits that can be reached through having a central vacuum, and we encourage everybody to own one.

The strain that can be taken off other allergy relief products is immense for those who own a central vacuum, and breathing easier will truly make the world seem like a different place. Consider this: we have five senses. The return of one of those senses, especially the one most linked to memory, can open up a whole new world to you. And having that world open with the approach of spring–the budding flowers, the smell of clean cut grass, the aroma of hot dogs and popcorn at the ballpark–will be a dream come true.

Of course, these things won’t happen if your central vacuum is sitting around rusted and broken, an old piece of scrapyard metal rather than the device of allergy relief power it can be.

We understand this predicament, which is why we are currently offering a Web special on central vacuum repairs. A $228 value for just $49.50, you will receive the following services:

• Replace all filters ($39.50 value)
• 1 Package bags ($19.50 value)
• Clean out all in-wall pipes with our custom made in-wall pipe blower ($99.50)
• Tighten all wall plates & seal all valves ($69.50 value)

All you have to do is schedule your central vacuum repairs on this web page.

With spring just around the corner and everything great that comes with it, don’t fall asleep on this offer! Make sure your central vacuum is in great repair so you can enjoy the smells and sun of springtime with everyone else.

Allergens may try to keep us down, but they don’t have to!

According to the Erie Times-News, diphenhydramine can be a dangerous drug, especially for the elderly.

Diphenhydramine, marketed under the name Benadryl, is an anti-histamine that is found in most over-the-counter allergy medications. The drug, found in more than 80 anti-allergy and/or sleep aid products, has been found to cause delirium in the elderly and is rumored to be linked to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, though more research is needed to find the validity of the latter hypothesis.

According to the Erie Times-News, “Older adults are strongly advised to check with their primary-care physicians before taking products containing the ingredient, as delirium and reduced cognitive skills have been reported.”

The drug is not necessarily considered unsafe. Like all drugs, it simply carries a risk with it, and a registered physician can easily offer advice on how to use it. But it is always better to avoid using a drug if possible.

Allergy relief can easily be offered through natural allergy control products, which can help you avoid the issue of diphenhydramine altogether.

Anti-histamines are used primary to reduce inflammation caused by allergens such as mold spores and dust mites. The best step, obviously, is to avoid the inflammation in the first place. Especially now that, as we reported, allergenic inflammation has been linked to acute sinusitis.

One great way to reduce allergens reaching you is dust mite encasements. This is even more important come wintertime, as dust mites tend to migrate indoors even more in the winter.

And a central vacuum system is another great way to keep the house free from everything that might make your life just a little bit harder.

The most important thing to remember when seeking allergy relief is to use these natural allergy control products in a very systematic and consistent way. If you have a nice vacuum or dehumidifier but never actually use them–or use them once a month then store them back in the closet–then you’re not going to experience much in the way of allergy relief, and you’ll be flooding your system with diphenhydramine soon enough.

So make sure you keep all of your products in fine condition, and be on the offensive against allergens! We know it can be a pain, but this is a battle you can easily win. So make sure you fight it with all you got, and you’ll be fine.

And remember, the elderly should check with a physician before consuming diphenhydramine.

There are many reasons to own a central vacuum system (aside from it being one of the best allergy control products out there), but we whittled our list down to the top ten.

And, without further ado, here there are:

One – Deep Cleaning Powers
While the cleaning powers of central vacuums can almost seem magical, we assure you they are based in the powerful motor that spins inside central vacuum cleaners. They can be up to ten times more powerful than regular hand-held or upright vacuums. This leaves your carpets free of all the allergens that get their kicks out of making your life a living nightmare. Instead of just stirring them up regular vacuums sometimes do, central vacuums get the job done and leave no prisoners.

Two – Versatile Usability
One thing that sets the central vacuum apart from its upright and hand held counterparts is it versatility. It can reach places the others can’t, which make it great for cars, garages, under furniture and the like. Let’s be honest–have you ever really gotten the floor under a sofa completely clean, trying to shove the awkwardly large upright under it? Unless you were lying on your belly while someone else lifted the couch, my guess would be that you haven’t. The long hose can reach under easily and take care of everything your old vac might have been leaving behind.

Three – In, Not Around
And, by that, we mean instead of a central vacuum making the classic faux pas of a normal vacuum–namely, accidentally blowing the dust, dirt and grime about the room being cleaned–it instead manages to capture everything in the room without spreading it. In other words, it does what a vacuum cleaner is supposed to do, and it does it quite well. Which is a nifty lift above moving the allergens from the floor to the furniture.

Four – Feeling Better
Often, the link between allergies and having a central vacuum isn’t completely made. It’s a fair question: How will having a central vacuum help with my allergies? Well, often times mold spores, dust mites and other allergens will burrow deep into the carpet where they multiply and start to attack the nasal cavities of poor, unsuspecting folks who think the apartment is allergy free. When it comes to allergy control products, there are tons of good ones, but a central vacuum system is a great one that can easily provide the base to build upon.

Five – Resale Value of Your House
It might seem like an odd concept, that the resale value of your house could be affected by a vacuum cleaner. Well, odd or not, it can. In fact, having a central vacuum can add about $2,000 to your home’s value. Not bad for something that’ll keep the place clean to boot.

So, if looking for the best allergy control products on the market, look for a central vacuum system.