Common Allergies In Your Home During Winter

Even if you’re cooped up inside throughout the winter months, you aren’t immune to allergies. In fact, thanks to its diverse plant life, Alabama can be one of the worst places for the allergy-prone year-round. Outdoor irritants can easily sneak through your doors and windows, while indoor irritants might accumulate in your vents or carpets.

However, good indoor air quality (IAQ) can minimize the pollutants in your home, warding off bothersome allergy symptoms like a runny nose, persistent cough or itchy eyes. Skelton’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing offers IAQ services to identify and eliminate allergens.

Here are some of the most prevalent winter allergies that may be affecting you and your family:

Common Winter Allergies in Birmingham

Ragweed

Weed-based pollen, particularly ragweed, is extremely common in Alabama. Though ragweed allergies are most severe in late summer and early fall, this irritant often hangs around through winter too. If you’re experiencing sneezing, headaches or nasal congestion, ragweed pollen may have infiltrated your home.

Ash Tree Pollen

Late winter and early spring is peak tree pollen season. Ash trees are the most common culprit for pollen-based allergy symptoms around this time. If you’re sensitive to these plants, you may suffer from a runny nose, watery eyes, an itchy throat or even wheezing. Like ragweed, ash tree pollen can sneak through your doors or windows, leading to an insufferable winter.

Mold

If you’ve managed to avoid outdoor allergens, you may still struggle with indoor allergens, including mold. Excess moisture can produce mold throughout your house, and the resulting spores may circulate through your HVAC system.

Regular AC maintenance appointments can help you catch mold before it becomes a serious issue. Better yet, IAQ services can limit humidity, preventing mold and the painful breathing problems it generates.

Pet Dander

Unfortunately, most dogs and cats leave behind dead skin cells that can negatively impact their owners. A dander allergy can result in sneezing, irritated eyes or skin rashes.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to limit this allergen in your home. Vacuuming often and replacing your air filters can stop dander buildup, allowing you to breathe easy while you enjoy your pet’s company.

Dust Mites and Cockroaches

If you notice yourself coughing or wheezing, you may be the victim of microscopic pests. When dust mites die, their remains often float through the air and end up in your nose, leading to breathing difficulties. Similarly, particles of cockroach droppings can infest your respiratory system.

Given their imperceptible, minuscule size, you’ll probably need to schedule an air quality testing appointment to detect these irritants.

Birmingham Indoor Air Quality Testing

So what can you do to reduce your allergy symptoms? As previously hinted, indoor air quality has a huge influence on the severity of your winter allergies.

The professionals at Skelton’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing can reveal if pesky pollen, nasty critters or an invasive mold have overtaken your home. From there, our team will propose personalized IAQ solutions to fight these pollutants.

Defend your home by requesting a service appointment with us today!