Most people are aware of seasonal allergies, but you might be surprised to know that many individuals also suffer from allergy symptoms in the winter. Cold-weather allergies are often mistaken for a cold or the flu, but if you don't have fever then you're probably not contagious. It's more likely that you are experiencing indoor allergies, which are exacerbated in the winter because we tend to venture outdoors less and our homes can become stuffy and stale.
At Allergy Be Gone, we know that there's nothing worse than feeling under the weather, so here are some tips for minimizing your symptoms:
- Bathe your pets: Pets are often a contributor to people's indoor allergy symptoms, but most of us can't do without our fluffy friends. So, just bathe your animal once a week to keep dander to a minimum, and make the bedroom off-limits to them.
- Control cockroaches: Believe it or not, cockroaches cause allergic reactions in some people, so don't leave food out and keep an eye open for the little pests.
- Keep dust mites under control: A sometimes under-considered allergen is the common house dust mite. To limit these, keep the surfaces of your home clean and uncluttered and keep your walls and floors bare. Dust mites love to hide in carpet and rugs, so ditch the heavy fabrics in your house, including drapes.
- Keep windows and doors closed: Sometimes when the heating kicks on it's tempting to crack the window and let some of that wintry air in. If you suffer from allergy symptoms, though, it's better to keep any pollen outside where it belongs.
- Say goodbye to mold: Limit mold in your home by using a dehumidifier and fixing any leaks that have sprung up in the kitchen or bathroom area. House plants also encourage mold growth, so just keep a few if you have allergy problems.
- Use allergy control bedding: You spend a lot of your time in bed, so allowing your bedding to harbor dust mites will keep your allergies aggravated throughout the day. To combat this, put allergen mattress covers over your bed and wash pillows, blankets, bedding and stuffed animals once a week in hot water to kill any mites that manage to get through.
- Vacuum twice weekly: Vacuuming your home once or twice weekly can help keep dust mites at bay. If you're highly allergic, be sure to wear a mask while you do this as you'll also be churning up allergens into the air. Also make sure you're using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, or else you could just be moving dust mites around. For surfaces that you can't vacuum, apply a damp cloth to get rid of dust.
If you have questions about allergy control or prevention, contact Allergy Be Gone for more information!
