If you suffer from pet allergies, there are many solutions. With some small changes to your Yuma area home, you could improve indoor air quality and live with significantly less sneezing, coughing, and congestion.
Common Allergens
If you’ve introduced a pet into the household and a family member begins to exhibit allergy-like symptoms, the first step is to confirm the allergy with a doctor. If the results are positive, additional steps and precautions can be taken.
Pet allergens derive from a variety of sources. The most common offender is pet dander, which sheds from the animal’s skin constantly. Some people are also sensitive to animal saliva, which can be transferred to fur through licking. When the saliva dries, it flakes off into the air and gets into the system of the allergy sufferer.
What Makes It Worse?
The following activities can exacerbate pet allergies:
- Neglecting to wash and brush the pet weekly
- Allowing the pet inside the allergic person’s room
- Letting the pet jump on any communal furniture
- Forgetting to wash your hands after contact with the pet
- Infrequently or inadequately vacuuming the carpets
- Feeding the animal a low-fat diet, which makes the skin drier and more prone to releasing dander
- Smoking, which lowers one’s tolerance to allergens
Reducing Pet Allergens
To minimize the affect of pet allergies, make sure to properly clean your home and have a non-allergic family member or friend brush and wash your pet.
The other significant way to minimize pet allergens is by installing the appropriate air filters in your heating and cooling system. Properly maintained, these remove a lot of pet dander from the air and minimize allergic reactions. Make sure, however, the filter is not too industrial for your system. High-efficiency filters may restrict airflow and can cause damage to the fan and other system components unless your equipment is modified to work with them. Consult with an HVAC specialist to ensure the best results.
For more information about how to overcome pet allergies or generally improve your indoor air quality, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. A qualified, knowledgeable representative will be happy to answer all your HVAC-related questions.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about pet allergies and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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