Why and ways to keep home air allergen-free

METRO DETROIT — April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring pollen. The annual arrival of spring means it’s high time for pollen and other particulates to make their debut, creating the conditions for the constant sneezing and runny noses that mark the ever-dreaded allergy season.

“(Trees and plants) are releasing microscopic particles of pollen that people inhale,” said Dr. Erica Ridley, an allergist with Henry Ford Health. “That causes a lot of inflammation in the nose and the eyes, and it causes symptoms like stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing and itchy, watery eyes.”

While none of these symptoms of pollen-caused inflammation are any fun to deal with, pollen can cause some more serious health risks in some people. Those with asthma can see their conditions get worse in the spring, and those with eczema can have worse symptoms due to pollen getting into contact with the skin.

These symptoms will follow people throughout their day, but the home can be made into a pollen-safe shelter. The first thing to do is to limit the amount of pollen getting indoors. Ridley recommends reducing exposure to pollen by keeping windows and exterior doors closed in order to stop pollen from getting inside. If you’ve been outside for a long time, changing clothes or even taking a shower may be required to get rid of stowaway pollen. Leaving shoes at the doorway, rather than wearing them around the home, also helps cut down on indoor pollen.

However, there’s more to keeping indoor air fresh and free of irritants than just closing windows — there’s a whole world of indoor allergens that can cause reactions year-round.

“There are allergens constantly present in the home, like dust mites,” Ridley said. “And for people who have pets, cats and dog hair can also cause significant symptoms. When people start to open the windows in their home when the weather gets nice, not only do they have those indoor allergens, but they’re also letting the outdoor allergens like pollen inside. And if you think about it, with spring cleaning as well, you’re also kicking up a lot of those particles that can make allergies even worse.”

Indoor air filtration and purification can be achieved through a few methods. A portable high efficiency particulate air filtration system is one that should be able to, according to the EPA’s website, “remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns.” HEPA filters are used for smaller spaces like rooms.

HEPA filters are used in addition to a conventional HVAC arrangement, which itself uses filters to pick up dust and other particulates being cycled through the system’s air. HVAC air filters are rated using a system known as Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The MERV system runs from 1-16, and while filters with a rating of 13 or higher are used in medical settings due to filtering out objects like sneeze particles and bacteria, they might not be the best for residential HVAC systems.

“You’ve got to be careful with the overdone filters because you’ll cause problems,” said Mitch Rawa, owner of Halo Heating and Cooling. “What happens is if you have a dirty filter, it can cause so many problems for your furnace or air conditioner. And with those high-efficiency filters, you can cause a lot of restrictive issues. It could ice up an air conditioner or ruin your blower motor.”

While a high-MERV filter may not be the best choice for your system, several MERV 13+ filters can be taped to a box fan to create a Corsi–Rosenthal Box — a popular way of filtering indoor air during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air scrubbers can be connected to HVAC systems to provide a HEPA-like approach across a whole system. Rawa recommends adding air purifying setups, such as those using ultraviolet lights, to an HVAC system to cut down on contaminants in the ducting and even keep air conditioning unit coils dry.

Another recommendation from Rawa is to use humidifiers around the house. Air conditioning units remove a lot of the moisture in the air, so adding a humidifier can put moisture back in. A humidifier will need to be cleaned fairly regularly, much like replacing filters across an HVAC system. Rawa recommends replacing humidifier filters yearly, 4-5-inch filters every six months and 1-inch furnace filters every month.

But cleaning clothes and filtering the air may not be suitable for everyone. If you are still sneezing long into the season and feel like even the strongest over-the-counter antihistamines do not work for you, it may be time to visit an allergist.

“I would say that if you’ve tried different over-the-counter medications and haven’t found them helpful, or if you’re going to have a constant exposure, like if you’re allergic to your own pet, I think those are great reasons to see an allergist and consider allergy shots,” Ridley said.

Ridley recommends starting anti-allergens early in the season to make sure they’re working when the bulk of pollen hits. Allergy injections, which are administered in a series, may be recommended for people by allergists.