Avoid These 4 Top Allergens During the Holidays

Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, they can bring a lot of allergens into your life. If you have asthma, allergies, or any other respiratory conditions, avoiding these 4 top allergens will help in having a joyful holiday season.

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Dust
This pollutant has bothered humans for centuries. And it's still a real pain even with all our technological advancements. Digging up decorations and other holiday items that have been stored in the basement, garage, attic, or closet can really cloud the air with all kinds of particles that make up dust. And shaking the dust off is the worse possible thing to do.

Try vacuuming around your decorations before disturbing them too much. And wear a mask while doing it. Storing them in plastic bins with tops will prevent the dust from getting on every item. Besides, vacuuming inside one big container is easier than vacuuming tons of individual items.

Fragrances
Holidays are all about wonderful smells and memories. If you're allergic or asthmatic those same smells can evoke memories and even fear of the reaction they can cause your body to have. Go easy on the candles, incense, and plug-in air fresheners. Instead, try more naturally based smells such as cinnamon, cloves, and other herbs and spices.

If you know which scents cause allergic reactions, be sure to inform your close family and friends. They most probably will be more than happy to clear the air when they know you're coming to visit.

Smoke
With the banning of smoking in so many restaurants and other public places, you can avoid this irritant. However, at private holiday gatherings that may not be the case. If smoke is one of the top allergens that cause you big problems don't hesitate to ask about smoking before you accept an invitation. Even small amounts of smoke from fireplaces can cause problems. So, know before you go.

HEPA Air Purifier

Mold and Mildew Spores
If you are bringing in live greenery for decorations, beware of mold and mildew that may have started growing. If you are highly allergic to any type of mold, you might want to think about displaying fake decorations. Yes, we all are aware that there’s nothing that smells as good as pine during the holidays, but it's not a good thing to have if it means your health will suffer.

Limiting these top allergens mentioned above during the holidays, and every day, is a proactive yet non-invasive way to control respiratory conditions. And another effective way to drastically and continually reduce airborne allergens is to filter the air with a high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) filter.

In spite of the many advances that medicine has made, doctors still agree that the best way to minimize allergic reactions is to avoid the trigger. And filtering the air helps make that happen.

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