According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 50 million Americans suffer from some type of allergy, with about half (24 million) suffering from “seasonal” allergies.
Sometimes called “hay fever,” “outdoor allergies,” or “seasonal allergic rhinitis” — as opposed to food, skin, or drug allergies — symptoms occur when trees, grass, and weeds release tiny particles of pollen into the air (to fertilize others Plant).
These symptoms range from sneezing and itchy eyes to hives and rashes to congestion and sinus pressure. Because the body sees foreign substances or allergens as harmful and attacks them.
COVID has also made things confusing for allergy sufferers: Is it a runny nose or a cough because you are having an allergy attack or because you have contracted the virus?
Some experts believe that the intense heat around the world and shorter seasons are contributing to prolonged allergy seasons and worsening symptoms, as reported in The Indianapolis Star.
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You don’t have to get through the summer
The good news is that technologies like air purifiers and robot vacuums can help seasonal allergy sufferers (including mine really) cope with the summer months.
Of course, there are also doctor-recommended allergy medications for relief (namely, antihistamines), as well as healthy habits, including:
- Regular washing of hands and face (plus a cold compress over eyes can reduce itching)
- Close doors and windows in your house (especially on days with high pollen counts) and keep your car windows closed
- Change your clothes when you get home
- Wash your hair regularly, especially before you risk getting pollen on your pillow
- Drying clothes indoors (as opposed to hanging freshly washed laundry in a backyard, which could attract pollen)
- Wear sunglasses outside to reduce how much pollen gets in your eyes (or better yet, wrap-around glasses).
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A few ideas about the technique:
robot vacuum cleaner
While disc-shaped vacuum bots have been around for a few years, they’re getting significantly smarter.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ ($799.99), for example, is particularly good for allergy sufferers because it not only roams your home to autonomously clean carpet, tile, and hardwood floors, but navigates itself back to base to empty to charge They have their own trash can so you don’t have to worry about it.
Dubbed the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, the bags inside catch and contain 99% of pollen and mold, the company says, which only needs to be replaced about every 60 days.
Also, the iRobot Genius 3.0 platform gets smarter with every use as it learns your home, cleans where it’s needed most and can also start automatically when you leave the house and stop when you return. As with other models, this Wi-Fi-enabled robot can also be launched (or scheduled) using the companion app, via your voice (with support for Google Home and Alexa devices), or by simply pressing the button on top of the device .
It can also detect and avoid obstacles like power cords and pet droppings, making tidying up in a messy situation even less fun. If unsure of an obstacle, the Roomba j7+ sends a photo of it to your iRobot Home app so you can instruct the robot on what to do.
air cleaner
As the name suggests, air purifiers disinfect the air, removing pollutants and allergens such as pollen, pet dander and dust.
Most air purifiers use a fan to draw in air and one or more filters to capture particles before clean air is returned to the living space. Most air purifiers use HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) filters, which can remove dust, pollen, mold, and other airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns (µm).
Molekule’s air purifiers, on the other hand, use proprietary PECO (Photo-Electrochemical Oxidation) nanotechnology, according to CEO Jonathan Harris in a phone interview with USA TODAY.
“Our air purifiers not only capture pollutants, they also destroy them – and that includes viruses like the H1N1 flu and SARS-CoV-2 [the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19],” he says.
PECO breaks down pollutants at the molecular level, including allergens, viruses, bacteria, mold, ozone and chemicals.
“By combining PECO with high-efficiency filter and air quality sensors, we can capture particulate matter in smoke while simultaneously detecting and destroying pollutants that are 1,000 times smaller than the standard filters that qualify as HEPA,” Harris adds.
Molekule Air Mini+ ($499) is ideal for rooms up to 250 square feet and features a 360-degree air intake to draw in ambient air from throughout the device, while the sensor rates airborne particle levels from “good” to “very bad.” . and can automatically adjust the fan speed accordingly (or you can choose from one of five fan speeds).
Other technical solutions
Portable air purifiers start at under $40 and create a protective perimeter against airborne contaminants up to a few feet around you. They’re lightweight, battery operated, and emit a constant stream of negative ions that push airborne contaminants out of your personal space. Models like the AirTamer A315 ($149.99) are rechargeable and offer more advanced features and filtering technology.
In March, Dyson also announced its air-purifying Dyson Zone headphones, which many thought was an early April Fool’s joke as they look like a large pair of headphones and a visor that covers your nose and mouth; Compressors in the headphones’ earcups draw air in through filters and then project purified air into your nose and mouth. The price and launch date are still unknown.
You can also consider a neti pot, which can flush allergens and mucus out of your sinuses. These devices gently flow a saline solution through your nasal passages to reduce congestion, improve breathing, and relieve sinus pressure. Low-tech neti pots shaped like a teapot have been around for a few decades, but newer models, like the Navage Starter Bundle ($99.95), use a battery-powered suction to filter sterile water through the sinuses (also includes 20 SaltPod capsules).
Finally, hypoallergenic bedding is an often-neglected area of allergy management—especially when you consider that you spend about a third of your life in bed. Dust mites and other respiratory irritants can become trapped in most sheets, duvets and pillows compared to hypoallergenic materials that are tightly woven and leave no room for these irritants. Prices start at around $10 for hypoallergenic sheets, while hypoallergenic Bamboo Memory Foam pillows ($32.99 for a set of two) are also resistant to mold, dust mites, and bacteria.
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