Four tips to banish allergies and breathe better

While most celebrate the start of Spring and enjoy the new blooms and fresh greens of the season, those suffering from allergies are usually not quite as eager to put on a floral top, plant seedlings and wish everyone a happy spring. Stuffy sinuses, a tight chest or a blocked nose makes breathing a chore and often leaves you feeling tired, irritable and short of breath.

Take control of the air quality you breathe in by following these tips from Solenco:

1. Vacuum often: You might think that only carpets require regular vacuuming, but allergy sufferers should vacuum all flooring, as sweeping only recirculates the dust, dirt (along with mites) and other allergy triggers that float in the air and settle on your floors. Look for vacuum cleaners with high efficiency filters to ensure they pull in dust particles and minimise allergens effectively. More and more people are investing in robotic vacuum cleaners, which can be scheduled to clean automatically on a daily basis, and use smart mapping technology to ensure a thorough clean.
2. Humidifier or dehumidifier? These smart devices are part of the latest trends in wellness design and can positively impact the air quality and in turn your health. Dehumidifiers will help to keep down the amount of humidity in your home and result in decreased amounts of mould, mildew and dust mites. Humidifiers, on the other hand, bring moisture into your home to ease breathing and prevent the dry air from causing an asthma flare-up.
3. Purify the air: If airborne chemicals and pollutants are your triggers, air purifiers will effectively boost the air quality in your home and reduce your allergic symptoms. Look for air purifiers with multi-stage air purification technology such as HEPA filters, carbon filters and ultra-violet filters to help capture up to 99.9% of allergens, pollen, dust, smoke, pet dander, viruses and bacteria.
4. Check the packaging: If you buy products to help alleviate asthma and allergy symptoms, make sure they have the Allergy Foundation’s seal of approval. This confirms that the products have been scientifically tested to show that they are efficient at reducing or removing allergens from the environment or that they have significantly reduced allergen or chemical content.

www.solenco.co.za