The worst thing you want to hear in the Cold season is allergies. No, not in the spring. I said in winter. Did you know that in the season of winter, allergies can also be intense like other seasons?
One primary reason behind here is your “HEATER.” Sometimes it might amaze you. How does a heater create allergen to trigger our health confusion?
From today’s Know Your Facts, let’s talk about Allergies created by your heater and how to overcome them. Read and Enjoy.
Allergies are not Virus
Most of us spend much time indoors due to the shivering cold nature outside. At home, offices or any covered area give hope of warm we are highly fond of staying secure location without thinking other sorts of issues.
But when you are sharing an indoor space, there is a high chance of transferring several kinds of germs, viruses, and many factors behind many diseases.
If you are suffering from,
- Headache
- Running Nose
- Coughing
- Sneezing etc.
For a more extended period, there might be a higher percentage of a chance you have symptoms of an allergy condition, not a viral illness.
It is indeed a seasonal allergy condition if it stays more than two weeks.
There is a higher possibility for closed heated areas filled with dust, mold, and insect parts mostly stuck inside the heating vents.
Why Allergies on Heater
Heaters are often used in specific periods of time annually, unlike air purifiers. Therefore, neglect of proper updates or regular maintenance of the HAVC system leads to issues in the indoor atmosphere from time to time.
This eventually leads to a sudden rise in allergens content in winter.
1. The metal is coated in Dust.
Most heaters have a metallic design because they operate under a higher heat level. Unlike plastic covers, they get oxidized or fill with dust particles eventually.
Also, damaged metal surfaces are more fond of attracting dust and other allergens than standard metal surfaces.
2. Filthy supply and return Vents
As we mentioned before, allergen-filled vents are the main reason for allergies in the winter. When you neglect regular cleaning of the vents throughout the year, unlike other seasons, winter is not something that can easily be fixed when it has gone wrong.
3. Mold in your furnace, Air conditioner, Heat pump
With winter’s humidity and proper fixed heater condition near the furnace, mold is very fond of growing near the warmth of that heating.
Sometimes they might like to grow near a heater area under your hidden eyesight. We all know mold is one main reason behind indoor seasonal allergies in spring.
If you are already running a heater, there might be an excellent chance to have mold under any hidden corner in your room.
4. Filter Replacement in HAVC system
Replacing filters of the HAVC system is something you must do regularly. Especially in the winter, the furnace filters need to be replaced mandatory.
When filters are operating inside the HAVC system for a more extended period, they can eventually get filled with allergens. Soon after they pass the recommended time filtration process can easily be reached mal-function.
Other than the filtration process, this can be easily converted into a source of allergen creating to outside.
5. Dust is hard to filter in the Winter
Dust particles come under the particulate matter and are relatively small enough to float in the atmosphere. With the interaction between each other, they get much heavier than usual and eventually start to fall.
This means it can easily be stuck into surfaces without traveling too far.
In the season of winter, with lower humidity levels, these interactions are getting much weaker than in other seasons. So the dust can quickly roar around and create a healthy pathogenic situation.(Reference)
Moisture in the air makes it easier for dust particles to stick together. However, cold winter air holds less moisture level than warmer air. When humidity is low — as it often is during winter — dust particles are less likely to clump together.
Smaller dust particles are more likely to remain in the air, and they may also slip through air filters more easily. A heater can worsen the situation by heat from the indoor atmosphere when there is a heater.
With that, Dry air with low relative humidity can conveniently cause allergic reactions and infections in the indoor atmosphere.
What can we do for “Heater Allergies.”
You can manage to do several things this winter to control this situation before getting it worse. Most of them are coming under essential to eliminate the winter’s allergens.
1. Get your Ducts Clean
Cleaning the ducts regularly is the best thing you can do before the winter worsens.
As mentioned before, they are the main entrances in the winter you can have the best seasonal attacks, which can be quickly expected.
2. Heat the Entire home
When you are heating a home, try to heat an even level. It can lead to having some areas risky to dwell in due to atmospheric conditions being indeed not updated as we expected.
Some places might have a pretty high level of allergens and dust corners that give you might mire.
3. Try a Humidifier
The Winter season is an indoor atmospheric time with the lowest indoor humidity level with the coldest breath. As mentioned, it gives an extra push on dust and PM to roar more.
And make the allergy condition more intense. Trying a humidifier is the best answer for that issue.
4. Open the windows for a bit
When using a heater or a furnace, try to keep the indoor atmosphere as clean as possible.
If the outdoor atmosphere is not polluted or not freaking cool, let the fresh air come inside.
5. Check Furnaces filters/ Try HEPA filters
Update the filters with regular time intervals is the best way to get rid of harmful allergens is the best option you can try. Replacing your heater filter is also a must topic to discuss.
In that option, HEPA filters are the best option. They are kind of more costly than others but much more efficient than an average filter.
6. Use an Air Purifier
Air purifiers are good equipment of all times. Even if it is seasonal allergies or any other abnormality in the atmosphere; there is a higher level of protection with air purifiers in every limited indoor area.
It might be your bedroom, office, or car; you name it, air purifiers have the best options for any bad situation.
7. Vacuum the Dust frequently
Keeping the indoor clean is the easiest way to remove the unwanted allergies burden from heaters. Because dust particles can do the best allergy act on most of the time.
If you don’t try a HEPA other proper filtration, self-cleaning is the best thing you can try.
Maintenance, proper cleaning, and updated indoor ventilation are the key to staying away from these allergies from your heater, even if it is winter or worse day in seasonal allergies.
Read here to know 7 Good Tips for Keeping Your Home Warm in this Winter.
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