Reducing Allergens In Your Home

Don't let allergy season spring up on you.

For those who suffer from allergies, the best offense means creating a good defense in your home to make your living environment more comfortable.

Start off with a high-efficiency particulate air filter filter. It helps allergy sufferer James Castaneda to control allergens in his home.

"It's in my best interest to keep everything dusted and vacuumed. Running a HEPA filter is supposed to help," he said.

Castaneda also is also undergoing therapy with Dr. Clara Toro, an allergist and immunologist at Sharp Hospital in San Diego.

"Remember, we spend one-third of our lives in the bedroom. So, most of our efforts to control the mite, which is the major allergen in the home, should be focused in the bedroom," Toro said.

Don't bother trying to look for dust mites -- they're microscopic, Toro said. The dot at the end of a sentence is 400 microns in size. The mite is 20 microns in size.

The book, "25 Natural Ways to Relieve Allergies and Asthma," helps you reduce allergens in your home.

• Use microporous covers on bedding to prevent mites from burrowing into pillows, mattresses and comforters.
• Microfiltration vacuum bags suck up dust and don't let it loose.
• Invest in a high-efficiency particulate air filter to trap dust, pollen, animal dander, bacteria and viruses.
• Or look into an ultra-low penetrating air filter, which operates even more efficiently than the HEPA.
• Keep any pets off your furniture.
• Ban all smoking from your home.
• Don't burn candles or incense.
• Gas stoves may aggravate asthma, so consider an electric stove.
• To get rid of mold, scrub it away with a mixture of alcohol and lavender essential oil.
• Replace mini blinds with window shades to prevent dust from accumulating.
• Keep your house well-ventilated and open a window.
• Use an air conditioner when the weather is warm, since it can help filter the air. Be sure to keep the vents clean.
• Instead of using harsh household chemicals, tackle household chores using a paste made from two parts baking soda and one part water.
• Use cosmetics with caution, and opt for hypoallergenic forms. Stay away from products that contain perfume since they contain irritants that inflame the airways and block sinuses.

If you decide to invest in a HEPA filter, make sure it's adequate for the size of the room.

"It usually appears as CADR -- Clean Air Delivery Rate -- and that's what really counts," Toro said.

For example, Toro said a room 19 feet by 19 feet would need 240 feet a minute of particle-free air for that room to be clean.

So before you decide to economize and buy a little device that puts out only 20 cubic feet per minute, know that it will only clean a little area and leave the rest of the room full of allergens.

Castaneda said allergy injections also are making life with allergies easier.

"I would totally recommend the allergy injection because it's really more of a permanent solution," Castaneda said. "It makes a huge difference. One of the biggest things I've noticed is around animals because I have really terrible allergies around them."

Take the time to take to eliminate allergens in your home; it's worth the relief you'll get.