Achieve Allergy Relief Through Allergen Avoidance
By www.allergy-relief-at-home.com, Thu Dec 8th

You can diminish your symptoms by avoiding those thingsyou are allergic to. Allergists refer to this method as"allergen avoidance". Of course, you have to identity thosethings to which you are allergic. For our family, we haveallergies to dust mites, cigarette smoke, pet dander, and mold.Therefore, we implemented a comprehensive strategy to reduce andremove those allergens from our home.

To help you get started, you can use the following checklist asa guide to removing allergens from your home:

Enclose all mattresses, box springs, and pillows in the house inzippered dust mite covers. Why do you ask? Because these covers"seal in" the dust mites where they grow and thrive and preventthe dust mite particulate from becoming airborne.

You'll want to wash all bedding at least once per week in veryhot water 130F. It is this hot water that kills the dust mitesthat may be present in the bedding. Be sure to check that yourbedding is washable first.

If possible, you'll want to remove most, if not all, carpetingin the house. Focus especially on all the bedrooms. Carpet is amagnet for dust collection. It is important to get your bedroomas allergen free as possible,

so that your body has a respitefrom allergens during sleep time. Alternate flooring optionswould be hard surfaces such as vinyl, tile, or wood floors.

Consider utilizing air purifiers in most rooms, but especiallyin each of the bedrooms. Measure room sizes and purchase acorrectly-sized air purifier. Purifiers come with a variety offeatures and prices so you are sure to find one within yourbudget. It is important to check and clean the filters of theair purifiers regularly. A dirty filter will not help anyone!Along with the air purifiers, consider installing a HEPA orelectrostatic air filter in your home's main A/C unit. Thisfilter will also need to be cleaned periodically.

Do not allow pets inside the house. I know this is very hard forthe pet lover. At the very least, do not allow them in anybedroom areas. Pet dander is very long lasting on carpeting,bedding, and wall surfaces and can be very difficult to removeentirely.

When it comes to allergen avoidance, it is important to notethat for optimal relief, you must do all these thingssimultaneously. It is in their combination that you will see thegreatest reduction in symptoms.

About the author:Visit Allergy ReliefAt Home for helpful ideas on living with allergies.