When does it officially become “allergy season”? There’s no date for it like there’s a date for the start of spring or the beginning of daylight savings time; it depends on what part of the U.S. you live in and the changes in temperature from one season to another. However, the average range for allergy season is from late February until the early summer. Here in Southern California, we’ve experienced a wetter and colder winter than usual, and right now in March with the warmer conditions arriving is the time to begin to worry about allergies—and how best to prevent them or lessen their severity.
Allergies can strike at any time of the year, but there are reasons they become pronounced as winter ends and the warmer spring weather starts. The change in temperature causes an increase in pollen from plants entering the air. These pollens thrive in a climate when the days are warm and the nights are cool—which is what we’re experiencing now. This is also a time when mold starts to grow, and mold spores are one of the major sources of allergy and asthma attacks.
In Southern California we have a specific allergy worry this year because of the heavier rainfall over the winter. Rainfall that reached the point of serious flooding! A rainy winter season encourages faster plant growth when the temperature turns warmer, and it also creates fertile conditions for mold development. The increase in windy conditions also spreads around allergens through the air. And there are numerous plants common to the Southern California deserts that create allergy-triggering pollens, such as sagebrush and Russian thistle.
You can take precautions against allergies at this time of year with medications. But a better overall solution is to make your own house a defense against pollen and other airborne allergens. Professional indoor air quality specialists can equip your HVAC system with air filters that remove these particles from circulating through your home’s air. (Your HVAC system does have an air filter already installed. However, it is not intended to clean the air but to protect the interior from dust and lint.) There are many types and strengths of air filters, and to make sure you have the right one to filter the air of allergens without restricting airflow requires IAQ professionals.
If the trouble your home faces comes from mold spores, then the best solution is to have a UV air purifier installed. This type of purification system doesn’t place any strain against airflow; instead it uses ultraviolet irradiation from special lamps to destroy organic particles and prevent them from spread. Pairing a UV air purifier with the right air filter is often the best all-around solution to allergy problems.
To start the allergy season in excellent shape, call on us to install air filters in San Bernardino, CA, or to provide other indoor air quality services for your house.
Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning serves the Inland Empire and Desert Communities with superb HVAC services.