If you experience summer allergies from pollen, you may have noticed that in the last year or so your period of having summer allergies may have become much longer with more severe allergies. The truth is, pollen levels are way up and this is going to affect the quality of your air at home. Here’s what you should know.
Rising Pollen Levels and How it Affects Your Home
If you feel as though the past few years have brought on more severe and longer-lasting allergies, you’re not mistaken. In 2021, pollen season lasted approximately an extra twenty days with pollen concentrations up 21%. Why? There are several factors involved but it mostly comes down to climate change. More CO2 emissions and more heat are causing rapid pollen increase all over Canada and the rest of the world.
If you’re wondering how this is going to affect you and your household in the short term, you’re going to see a rise in seasonal allergies, headaches, and congestion, as well as a decline in home air quality. Individuals with breathing problems such as asthma are also likely to experience more severe symptoms.
Signs Your Home’s Air Quality is Poor
If you’re thinking that perhaps your home air quality has been affected by the rising levels of pollen, you could be right. There are several ways that poor home air quality may present itself including:
- An increase in allergies, how often you’re having allergic reactions, or the severity of the allergic reaction
- Unexplained headaches
- Sore or dry eyes
- Dry skin and/or hair
- Congestion
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Coughing or sneezing fits
- More dust, dirt, and debris present in the air or on surfaces in your home
Ways to Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
Fortunately, there are many ways homeowners can help to improve the air quality of their homes and reduce the presence of pollen in the air. Some of these tips are completely free and very easy to do, others are very simple and affordable. The most significant ways to improve your home’s air quality include:
- Changing your furnace/air filter regularly
- Vacuuming regularly
- Washing rugs, drapes, blankets, and other textiles regularly
- Dusting regularly
- Not wearing shoes in the house
- Investing in air-improving houseplants
- Keeping your pets well-groomed
- Keeping your air registers clean and free of dust
- Keeping your outdoor AC unit clean and free of natural debris like grass, leaves, and plants
- Investing in a smart thermostat that can read your home’s air quality
- Investing in a whole-home air purification system
- Scheduling annual maintenance for all HVAC systems
Looking to improve your home’s air quality?
Contact Team Harding!
Team Harding has been Ottawa’s leading home comfort specialist since 1994. We are a family-owned and operated local business and all of our installers and technicians are fully licensed.
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