Plus One Simple Trick for Improving Your Home’s Air Quality
Have you ever noticed your nose immediately starts to run or becomes congested when you walk outside on a cold, dry day? Well, believe it or not, this same phenomenon can happen when you walk into a cold, dry room. If you are concerned that your air conditioner is causing sinus congestion, a runny nose, or other allergic reactions, there are a few things you can do to improve your home’s air quality, and remove the cause of these symptoms.
What Makes Noses Run?
So what is it that causes a runny nose? According to the Tufts Medical Center in Boston, cold air seems to kick start a nervous system reflex that causes glands in your nasal membranes to start producing mucus. This occurs whether you are outside in cold, dry air, or simply in a room where the air conditioner has caused the room’s environment to be colder and drier than the environment you just came from. Typically, however, these types of changes to temperature or humidity should only cause brief congestion or discomfort as your body acclimates to the new environment.
Allergy Sufferers May Be At a Greater Risk
If you regularly suffer from allergies, you may be at a greater risk for sinus congestion or other allergic reactions. This is usually because small particles, such as pollen, mold spores, dust mites, and other pollutants are trapped by the air conditioner’s filter. When the machine is turned on, it releases these harmful pollutants into the air, potentially irritating your sinuses and nasal passages. In particular, exposure to mold can cause severe allergic reactions that could potentially last for a long time. Protecting your home’s air quality is vital to reducing your allergies.
One Easy Way to Avoid Allergies
One of the best and easiest ways you can avoid exposure to allergens and pollutants in the home is to regularly change your air conditioning filters. Consider it this way: If you do not do a good job of replacing and maintaining your air filters, then everything you breathe is first being filtered through a large sheet of dust. As the air passes through the dirty filter, more pollutants are picked up and blown into the home. As you can imagine, this is not very conducive to free and easy breathing.
Reduce Your Sinus and Allergy Problems
While there may not be much you can do to protect against a runny nose brought on by a change in temperature or humidity, you may be able to mitigate many of the allergy problems you and your family suffer from. Clean air conditioning filters actually reduce your sinus and allergy issues by trapping allergens and keeping them out of your air.
For more information regarding indoor air quality and how to keep your home’s indoor air free from allergens, or to set up an automated reminder to change your filters regularly, visit AirNowHVAC.com today!