October is a beautiful month where the leaves are changing from green to orange, yellow, and red, and we celebrate a beloved holiday, Halloween. Unfortunately, with the beauty of October also comes something less welcome…fall allergies. Mold levels begin to increase due to the temperature changing and leaves and other plants dying. At least 30 percent of people suffer from allergies of some sort, and mold allergies are always an issue for allergy sufferers.
Cold versus allergy symptoms
Allergies can develop at any time in a person’s life. Some people are born with specific allergies, some allergies develop over time and exposure, and other people don’t develop allergies until much later in life.
So, if you haven’t ever had allergies, then how can you determine if it’s a cold versus a new allergy?
Cold symptoms always include some kind of sore throat, even a mild one. With allergies, you don’t get a sore throat. Both colds and allergies come with nasal congestion, sneezing, and itchy eyes. A cold will typically be worse for the first three days, and then slowly taper off over the next week. Allergy symptoms run the course of the allergy season, which typically lasts for several weeks.
Reducing fall allergy triggers
To start, find an over-the-counter allergy medicine and eye drops that help alleviate some of the symptoms. While medicine won’t make the symptoms go away completely, it can help make them easier to live with. Second, reduce your time outdoors, especially on windy days or after it rains.
In your home, make sure you change your air filter regularly. Changing your air filter helps remove trapped mold, dust, and other debris from your home. If you haven’t ever had your air ducts cleaned, consider having this done. Air duct cleaning can remove mold, dust, debris, and other allergens from your air ducts, which will stop them from entering the air you breathe in your home. Five Star offers air duct cleaning services to all of our customers, so contact us today for a quote!
If you find that your allergy symptoms are unbearable, see an allergy specialist so you can find out what more can be done to help you feel better. Some people need to go beyond over-the-counter allergy medication and receive allergy shots to help them with their allergies, but this isn’t an option for everyone depending on the allergies you have.
Unfortunately, allergies are a part of life all over the world so we won’t be escaping them anytime soon.
Five Star believes in treating the whole house as a system, so if you suffer from allergies, there is more than one option available to help you feel better in your home. We want all of our customers to live the healthiest life possible, and we are here to help you have that in the comfort of your home. Contact us today and find out how we can help you!