After a particularly mild winter, Spring appears to have arrived early, with February temperatures expected to reach those usually enjoyed in the summer. The coming weeks are predicted to be the mildest on record for a February, and now the Royal Horticultural Society says it is likely to be the most fragrant too. Britain’s gardens are going in to bloom earlier this year, with seasonal flowers including witch hazel, winter-flowering viburnums, shrubby honeysuckles and Edgeworthia flowering larger and more profusely. However, this also means a rise in pollen levels, and an earlier start to the traditional hay fever season.
So what can be done to alleviate the suffering caused from the rise in pollen? Chris Michael, Director of Meaco, the UK’s leading air purifier specialist, gives his tips on how to live with pollen.
Medication
See your doctor now before the main season starts, usually between the months of late March through to September. There are a variety of medication options and remedies available, the NHS online is a great place to explore.
Pollen forecasts
It’s worth making the effort to check the Met Office pollen forecast, which is available five days in advance. The site also offer in depth pollen patterns helping you to plan for your day, week or month accordingly.
Indoor drying
Whilst it’s tempting to make the most of warm days, try to avoid drying clothes when the pollen count is high as the pollen in the air will no doubt stick to your clothes, and therefore will seep into your house afterwards.
Spring clean
Spring clean your house. Dust and dust mites increase the onset of hay fever and similar allergies and therefore reducing and regularly removing dust all around your house in advance of the allergy season will ease the causes of allergies.
Cleaner air
Another great way to reduce suffering from pollen is to combat it at the source. Investing in an air purifier to clean the air and remove harmful, irritating particles will help you breath better. Placing an air purifier in the bedroom for example, will make the room an allergy free haven. It is vital that you select the right model, to fit the room size, as buying the wrong one will mean you will not feel the benefits. Most people try to save money by buying a cheaper product to ‘give it a go’ and end up with an air purifier that is too small for the room that they need to clean and therefore proves ineffective. The air flow on the purifier should be able to clean the air in the room at least three times an hour. Make sure it has a true HEPA filter, to provide a high standard of air cleaning. A HEPA filter removes 99.7% of particles that have a size greater than 0.3µm which means that it is removing allergens much smaller than a human hair.
Meaco has two models, the MeacoClean CA-HEPA 119×5 SRP £379.99 and MeacoClean CA-HEPA 47×5) SRP £149.99, both ‘state of the art,’ offering a bespoke air purification experience to suit the allergy and room size.
Finally, get advice from a manufacturer before you buy.