According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 50 million Americans suffer from some type of allergy, with half (24 million) having “seasonal” allergies.
Sometimes referred to as “hay fever,” “outdoor allergies,” or “seasonal allergic rhinitis”—the symptoms of food, skin, or drug-related allergies are caused when trees, grasses, and weeds release tiny particles of pollen into the air (to fertilize others). plants).
Those symptoms range from sneezing and itchy eyes to hives and rashes to congestion and sinus pressure. This is because the body sees any foreign substance or allergen as harmful and attacks it.
Covid has created a dilemma for allergy sufferers: Is that runny nose or cough because you’re having an allergy attack or because you’re infected?
Some risk experts believe that intense heat and shorter seasons around the world are contributing to longer allergy seasons and worse symptoms, as reported in The Indianapolis Star.
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You don’t have to suffer in summer
The good news is that technology like air purifiers and robotic vacuum cleaners can help seasonal allergy sufferers (including yours truly) get through the summer months.
Of course, there are doctor-recommended allergy medications (ie, antihistamines) for relief, as well as healthy habits, including:
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Wash your hands and face regularly (also, cold compresses on the eyes will reduce itching).
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Close the doors and windows in your home (especially on pollen days) and close the windows of your car
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Changing clothes after entering the house
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Wash your hair regularly, especially before you are exposed to pollen on your pillow
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Drying clothes indoors (as opposed to hanging laundry in the backyard, which can attract pollen)
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Wear sunglasses (or better yet, wraparound sunglasses) when you’re outdoors to reduce how much pollen gets in your eyes.
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A few thoughts on technology:
Robotic vacuum
While disc-shaped vacuums have been around for a few years, they’re getting a lot smarter.
For example, the iRobot Roomba j7+ ($799.99) is especially good for allergy sufferers because it not only roams around your home autonomously cleaning your carpets, tiles and hardwood floors, but also returns to its base to refill and recharge. Empty its own dustbin to avoid that problem.
Called Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, the sealed bags contain 99% of pollen and mold and need to be replaced every 60 days or so, according to the company.
In addition, the iRobot Genius 3.0 platform will be smart with every use because it knows the layout of your home, cleaning where it matters most and automatically starting when you leave the house and stopping when you return. Like other models, this Wi-Fi-enabled robot can also be started (or scheduled) with the companion app, your voice (with support for Google Home and Alexa devices), or simply by pressing a button on the top of the unit.
It can also detect and remove obstacles like electrical cords and pet waste, making cleaning up a messy situation more fun. If it’s unsure about an obstacle, Roomba j7+ sends the photo to your iRobot Home app, so you can instruct the robot what to do.
Air purifiers
As the name suggests, air purifiers clean the air, removing pollutants and allergens such as pollen, pet dander and dust.
Most air purifiers work with a fan and one or more filters to capture particles before the clean air is recirculated into the living space. Most air purifiers use HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, which remove dust, pollen, mold and other airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns (µm).
Molecular air purifiers, however, use proprietary PECO (photo-electrochemical oxidation) nanotechnology, CEO Jonathan Harris said in a phone interview with USA TODAY.
Our air purifiers not only remove pollutants, they destroy them – and that includes viruses like H1N1 flu and SARS-CoV-2. [the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19],” he says.
PECO includes allergens, viruses, bacteria, molds, ozone, and chemicals that pollute at the molecular level.
“By combining PECO with high-efficiency filtration and air quality sensors, it captures particles in smoke and filters and destroys pollutants with 1,000 times less HEPA than standard filters,” adds Harris.
Suitable for rooms up to 250 square feet, the Molecule Air Mini+ ($499) has a 360-degree air intake to take in the air around the device, and the sensor rates air particle levels from “good” to “very bad.” And it can automatically adjust the fan speed accordingly (or you can choose one of the five fan speeds).
Other technological solutions
Wearable air purifiers start at less than $40 and create a zone of protection from airborne pollution up to a few feet around you. They are lightweight, battery-powered, and emit a constant stream of negative ions that remove airborne pollutants from your personal space. Models like the AirTamer A315 ($149.99) are rechargeable and offer more advanced features and filtration technology.
In March, Dyson also announced its Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones, as it looks like a big pair of headphones and a visor that covers the nose and mouth which was an early April fools joke; Compressors in the headset’s earcups draw air through filters and deliver clean air to your nose and mouth. The price and launch date are yet to be announced.
You can also consider a neti pot that clears allergens and mucus from the sinuses. These devices gently circulate a saline solution through your nasal passages to reduce congestion, improve breathing, and relieve sinus pressure. The low-tech teapot-shaped neti pot has been around for a few decades, but newer models like the Navage Starter Bundle ($99.95) offer battery-powered clean water for filtering sinuses (also includes 20 SaltPod capsules).
Finally, hypoallergenic bedding is an often overlooked area of allergy management – especially if you consider that you spend a third of your life in bed. Dust mites and other airborne irritants can be trapped in most bed sheets, comforters and pillows that, if tightly woven with hypoallergenic materials, leave no room for these irritants. Prices start at $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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Follow Marc on Twitter @marc_saltzman For “tech tip of the day” posts. Email him or subscribe to the Take It Out” podcast. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared in USA Today: Allergy relief: Air filters, robotic vacuums make life easier
