Allergies: What You Can Do At Home

To help manage your allergies at home, here are some things you can do:

• Keep pets off sofas and out of bedrooms. Bathe them weekly.
• Have a professional clean your home’s air ducts and install an air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filter.
• Encase mattresses, box springs and pillows in special allergen-proof fabric covers. Wash bedding in hot water every seven to ten days.
• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
• Avoid carpeting on concrete or damp floors.
• Replace carpet with hardwood, tile or linoleum.
• Keep indoor humidity below 50 percent.
• Keep mold from growing on houseplants by putting pebbles on top of the soil. Try not to overwater.
• Clean mold growth on hard surfaces with water and detergent. If necessary, use a bleach solution with four parts water to one part bleach instead of a cleaner. But don’t mix the bleach solution with other cleaners. Dry the area thoroughly.

For more information, visit the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.

We hope you’ll call an allergy specialist with Northside ENT at (317) 844-5656 or (800) 556-5456.