Breathe Easy Indoors When the Pollen Count Rises

Springtime in the beautiful Southern Appalachians of western North Carolina is a wonder to behold, particularly viewed from any of our area’s exceptional hiking trails or waterfalls.

Unfortunately, for those of us with allergies or asthma, there’s also nothing like a high pollen count to drive us indoors.

From early April to mid-May, pollen counts from maple, birch, and oak in Asheville, Hendersonville and Greenville are ranked medium-high on the national pollen map. That ranking means that we’re just one notch below the red zone for pollen.

If you’re staying out of the pollen shower because asthma is on your list of healthiness concerns, then you’re likely spending more time than usual indoors. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my recent article, 9 Asthma and Other Illness Triggers and What You Can Do About Them. It offers a comprehensive look at indoor air illness triggers.

Common in these parts, due to the refreshing chill of spring, we may be tempted to open our windows at night to let in fresh air. If you’re sensitive to allergens, don’t! Pollen will make its way indoors, along with the increased humidity that may lend itself to condensation and mold. Yes, Spring Allergies May Suggest That It’s Time To Take Care Of Mold.

Everything around these parts is budding out, including the tiny pests that can have a negative effect on indoor air quality. If you’re giving pollen a miss, and you’re still having symptoms, then two pests to eliminate include cockroaches and dust mites.

Chronic Allergies? Cockroaches Should Be On The List Of Culprits

The Humble Dust Mite: A Small But Mighty Challenger to Summer Healthiness

As always, finding a way to clear and clean our homes will definitely help us combat indoor allergens, no matter the source. Here’s How A Deep Spring Cleaning Could Improve Your Health. (If you’re sensitive to dust, and you’re a do-it-yourselfer, please wear a mask.)

Keeping our homes clean and uncluttered may seem like an insurmountable challenge during these days of gardening, spring showers, and Saturday festivals. It makes it difficult to focus on anything resembling chores!

Whether you’re allergic to pollen or not, good indoor air quality is always essential to breathing easily inside our homes. But if you’ve done all the normal things to breathe easy during pollen season, and your symptoms aren’t improving, it may be time to ask for help.

As always, if you have any questions or need help with indoor air quality in the Asheville, NC or Greenville, SC areas, give us a call or send us an email.