It may surprise you to know that the air you breathe inside your home can be more dangerous than breathing the air outside. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the levels of indoor pollutants can be two to five times higher than the levels outside. If you suffer with allergies, you can be affected more by these indoor pollutants. If you are looking for ways to prevent allergy attacks inside your home, there are a few options available.

Get an Air Purifier for Your Home

Air purifiers can help to remove contaminants inside the home that oftentimes trigger allergy attacks or exacerbate allergies. Allergy sufferers who are sensitive to the following contaminants often greatly benefit from having an air purifier:

• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Pollen
• Mold spores
• Cigarette smoke

Air purifiers help to reduce the concentration of these types of airborne contaminants. If you want the most benefit from using an air purifier to reduce allergy symptoms and attacks, experts recommend to also vacuum carpeted floors frequently or replace them with wood flooring, wash and change bedding frequently, and use roll up shades instead of curtains.

Optimize Ventilation in Your Home

While it might make sense to simply open a window to get stale air out of the home and fresh air inside, this might not always be beneficial. Allergy triggers such as pollen and dust can get inside even the smallest of holes in the screen. Not only that, when opening the windows energy can be lost and comfort levels may be compromised. One of the best ways to increase the air quality in your home is to optimize the ventilation system.

The goal of a properly ventilated home is to decrease moisture, remove stagnant air, get rid of air leaks and keep air pollutants out. By doing all of these things, you will increase the air quality in your home and lessen the chance of allergy attacks. A few ways to make sure your home gets properly ventilated are:

• Use exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen
• Use ceiling fans
• Keep furnaces and air conditioners maintained
• Replace filters on heating and cooling devices when necessary
• Find ways to prevent air from leaking into the home

If you suffer from allergies and you need help getting proper ventilation for your home, an HVAC contractor will be able to help. An HVAC contractor like one from Perry Heating Cooling will also be able to help install a whole-house ventilation system for your home.