Water & Air – Filter Systems News

It’s that time of year when the temperature is warmer, the kids are getting out of school, and we’re out doing yard work or maybe even preparing for a vacation. But what if you have allergies like millions of other Americans? It can be a real drag. It affects your outdoor activities and can seemingly affect your entire life as well.  Oftentimes, you can feel like this time of year is no fun at all for you. But let me let you in on a secret, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways you can protect yourself from allergies and fight them off. But first, what exactly are allergies?

An allergy is characterized by the overreaction of the human immune system to a foreign protein substance (or allergen) that is either eaten, breathed into lungs, injected or touched. This overreaction often results in coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and a scratchy throat. In more severe cases however, it can also result in rashes, lower blood pressure, difficulty breathing, asthma attacks and even death. While there is no cure for allergies, you can still protect yourself from it.

For those with severe allergies, the search for a product that works well for you can often be difficult. For many allergy sufferers, finding the right allergy treatment is an absolute necessity. Fortunately, allergy machines are ideal for severe allergy and asthma sufferers. With allergy machines such as the Austin Air Allergy Machine, you can get better sleep, experience less coughing and sneezing through the reduction of airborne allergens.

Allergies are offset a lot by air quality. The poorer the air quality, the worse your allergies are likely to get. This is where air quality test kits such as the Bio Scan Indoor Air Quality Test Kit comes into play.  It screens for common contaminants such as pollen and mold by pin-pointing what problems you are having with your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Electrostatic filters are very effective in trapping particles that would help to reduce or eliminate allergy and asthma symptoms. The Electrostatic Throw Away Filter is a cut-to-fit HEPA air filter that is designed to eliminate airborne pollutants and allergens.

Don’t you think you deserve to enjoy this time of year? You don’t have to suffer with allergies. You can fight them off with the tools you have available. Whether you purchase furnace filters, allergy machines or anything else, be sure to fight off your allergies this year and live happier this allergy season. Click on the image below to see more on how you can protect yourself against asthma and allergies.

Even though it’s mid-January it’s not too early to start thinking about the approaching allergy season. Whether you suffer from itchy eyes, sneezing, dry throat, or congestion, one possible solution is to change the air filters in your home. Normally we view outdoor air as the source of a lot of allergy or respiratory problems, but indoor air often has many contaminants that can negatively impact your health.

At Filters Fast, we sell several air filters that can prepare you for the upcoming allergy season:

The Filters Fast MERV 13 Return Grille Air Filter – 5″ is 5 inches thick and comes in several different sizes to match your home. This return grille air filter reduces dust, dirt, pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria, and at least 90% of all particles between 1 and 10 microns in size. Measuring 5 inches in depth, this air filter fits standard 1 inch size and then extends 4 inches into your return, resulting in higher quality filtration.

The Universal Room Air Conditioner Filter removes harmful airborne allergens from your indoor air, including pollen, mold spores, bacteria, dust mites, and pet dander. If you’re suffering from asthma, allergies, and/or respiratory problems, this room vent filter is an ideal choice for your home. This universal filter is cut-to-fit and easy to use around your home.

With new air filters from Filters Fast, you can be prepared for the coming allergy season!

Is the fall air making your child a restless sleeper? Oftentimes the dry air can lead to chapped lips, dry skin, cold symptoms and severe congestion that can easily disrupt sleep.  Rather than treating your child’s symptoms with cold and cough medicine, consider using a humidifier. A humidifier will increase the moisture in your child’s room, making it easy for him or her to breathe clearly. In particular, a cool mist humidifier will release fine droplets of cool mist into the air. To protect your child and keep him or her sleeping soundly, consider these fun, kid friendly humidifiers by Crane:

Crane EE-8189: The Crane Owl is my personal favorite! This sage owl will provide your kids with the cool, humidified air they need, while blending nicely into their room. This humidifier has a 2.1 gallon output of humidified air per day.

Crane EE-4139: The Crane Pig will help prevent flu, cold and cough symptoms. The EE-4139 features a 10 hour running time and is perfect for rooms up to 250 square feet in size.

Crane EE-4109: Hello Kitty enthusiasts will love this humidifier! The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, Hello Kitty includes a night light and variable speeds.  The pink and white Hello Kitty humidifier is perfect for your little girl’s room!

Crane EE-5063: For  Sponge Bob lovers, old and young, the Sponge Bob humidifier is a great appliance. This humidifier will provide relief from sinus congestion and flu symptoms. The fun Sponge Bob design will look great in any room and it includes a night light.

Crane EE-3186: The Crane Elephant will alleviate cold and flu symptoms without the use of medicines. The blue and white elephant humidifier features an automatic shut off and water level indicator.

If Sponge Bob or Hello Kitty isn’t your thing, take a look at our other Crane humidifiers. Be sure to keep a clean humidifier tank with the use of the Humidiclean Humidifier Cleaner and Descaler. It is important to maintain the inside of your humidifiers tank as a dirty tank will lead to a build up that can be released into your homes air.

Itchy nose, watery eyes, frequent sneezing, scratchy throat—these are all too familiar allergy symptoms to the over 40 million allergy sufferers out there. And often it seems to those affected by indoor/ outdoor allergies that they are at the mercy of Mother Nature. But there are many things you can do to make your home less likely to trigger allergies, mostly by enacting a course of action that involves cleaning up and reducing the number of hiding places for indoor allergens.

According to an Infographic on the website allergybegone.com, many common indoor allergens can be reduced by taking simple steps to make your home less friendly to these allergens. Common indoor allergens include:

• Dust
• Dust Mites
• Pet Dander
• Pollen
• Cockroaches
• Mold
• Endotoxins

Treatment for dust includes mopping and vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in it. Also adding an air cleaner with a HEPA or electrostatic filter can keep dust to a minimum.

Dust mites are often found in mattresses and bedding. By cleaning bedding every 7 to 10 days in hot water , and not using mattress pads these allergy triggers can be somewhat controlled.

Bathing your pets often and using an air cleaner can help to keep pet dander at bay.

Pollen in the home can be reduced by keeping doors and windows closed and using an air conditioner. Also showering or bathing before bed can help keep pollen at a minimum in your home.

Cockroach debris is another allergen found in indoor air. By following common cockroach control practices— keeping all food sealed, not keeping pet food out for extended periods of time, keeping all cracks and holes sealed— this allergen can be lessened.

Mold loves to grow in bathrooms. By regularly cleaning bathroom surfaces with bleach and water, removing houseplants, not carpeting bathrooms, and using mold-proof paint, mold can be kept to a minimum.

The same control methods for dust and mold helps reduce endotoxins, bacteria that can live in dust.

Keeping your home clean and reducing hiding places for allergens by eliminating carpeting and bulky drapes and furniture where possible helps make your indoor air friendly to allergy sufferers.

Fall is quickly approaching and it looks like allergy sufferers are in for a tough season. ABC News recently reported that “with record pollen counts already on the board for August, this fall is gearing up to be on the worst, and longest, allergy seasons yet. “  Allergy experts and scientists have noted that this allergy season may be a few weeks longer than the last few years.

Because  of a “a particularly wet summer, ragweed pollen levels are surging and standing water left over from summer flooding and Hurricane Irene has increased the amount of mold, a common year-round allergen, in the air.”

Pollen from trees and grass are the major triggers for spring allergy sufferers, but ragweed pollen is the typical trigger for most fall allergy issues. The fall allergy season “usually runs from mid-August until the first frost of the year, around early October, but if the frost is delayed, as is predicted for this year, the allergy season goes on indefinitely until it comes.”

Scientists have also argued that climate change is a source of the lengthening allergy seasons. Warmer weather leads to warmer, longer-lasting autumns, which in turn means that there’s less frost to destroy ragweed and prevent allergies.  In addition, higher temperatures lead to a similar problem with spring allergies, including spring starting nearly a month early.

Dr. Clifford Bassett, Medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, also notes that “single ragweed plant produces a million pollen grains, but if you expose it to greenhouse gases, it produces three to four times that much. So you have climate change making for a longer season, more plants and more potent pollen. It’s like a perfect storm.”

Allergy experts advise that you should take extra precautions this fall allergy season: “limit your exposure to the pollen, such as taking off outdoor clothing before coming into the bedroom or wearing sunglasses to prevent pollen from blowing into your eyes. Most importantly, if symptoms become severe or over-the-counter treatments don’t seem to be working, see an allergist.”

Staying indoors during allergy season may seem like a good strategy when you have allergies, but indoor air can be just as irritating to allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s website, “dust mites, animal dander and even cockroaches can cause problems indoors.”

Dust mites are a chief culprit for allergy sufferers, affecting up to 8 out of 10 Americans. The best way to control dust mites is to minimize their effect  by keeping all surfaces in the home clean, and by minimizing clutter. The AAFA recommends eliminating carpet altogether, or at a bare minimum to use only washable throw rugs or a low-piled carpet. The AAFA goes on to say that:

The single most important method is to put zippered allergen impermeable or plastic covers on all pillows, mattresses and box springs. Encasing mattresses works better than air cleaners to reduce allergy symptoms. Every week, wash bedding, uncovered pillows and stuffed toys in hot water (130 degree F.) to kill mites.

Animal dander is another culprit, impacting up to 6 out 10 people in the U.S. Doctors recommend not having pets if you are allergic to pet dander. If you must have a pet, first take a break from the animal, either by vacation, or keeping the pet out of the house for at least two months, since pet dander can linger in homes that long. The AAFA recommends slowly introducing the pet back into the home, and seeing if symptoms are attributable to the pet. If so, they advise carefully considering if the pet is worth the discomfort. They also recommend keeping the pet out of your bedroom, and perhaps choosing a pet without fur or feathers.

By vacuuming once or twice a week using a HEPA filter or double-bagged vacuum, some allergens can be controlled. Also cleaning dust with a damp cloth is another good method for keeping irritating particles at a minimum in the home.

Keeping moisture out of the home wherever possible can help control mold, which is another offending allergen. Also keeping only a few house plants and using a dehumidifier will help as well.

Cockroach debris is another culprit that reduces indoor air quality. Following recommended methods for controlling cockroaches can limit the effects of their debris.

Finally, running air conditioning in warm weather, recycling the indoor air, goes a long way to control outside allergens from entering the home. Window unit filters should be changed often. Also, air purifiers and cleaners can help to keep allergens at a minimum.

This #charitytuesday, we are taking a break from Water Charities to pay tribute to our first ever featured “air charity.” The American Lung Association held their first Fight for Air Climb in Cleveland, this past Saturday, March 5, 2011. Climbers, walkers, runners, firefighters and supporters of the ALA challenged themselves by climbing the 42 flights of stairs in Terminal Tower (804 steps total), in an effort to raise money to support the fight against lung disease. The goal was to raise $80,000 to support lung health, research and advocacy in Northern Ohio. Together they raised over $40,000, and the option to donate is still available on the Cleveland Fight for Air Climb event website.

Fight for Air Climbs are unique events for the ALA, taking place in large towers in cities across the US. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America, and the ALA is dedicated to helping people know what is needed to manage and take control of asthma and other chronic respiratory ailments. We at Filters Fast are dedicated to this cause as well, and know that indoor air quality can be a key factor in the development of chronic lung illness. Take care of yourself by making sure your environment is free from harmful air pollutants. Clean regularly and change your air filters on a consistent basis. You and your family may also want to consider investing in one or several room air purifiers for your home, especially if you suffer from allergies or asthma.

Show your support publicly, by signing up for a Fight for Air Climb in a city near you.

Halloween isn’t the only thing to celebrate this month. October is National Indoor Air Quality Month, and several states, including North Dakota, Michigan and Montana are celebrating by spreading the word about the dangers of harmful indoor (and outdoor) air contaminants.

Seasonal changes often result in higher incidences of allergy problems and illnesses. Pollen is prevalent in the spring and fall opens the door to ragweed. Asthma, often caused by air pollution, is a growing epidemic among children and adults, resulting in missed school and work days, along with emergency room visits, and in extreme cases, even death. Indoor air pollution deserves way more attention than it currently receives. Though many people are aware of air contaminants such as mold, tobacco smoke and carbon monoxide, they may not be fully aware of just how dangerous these allergens can be. It is important to raise awareness and educate others on how they can avoid the problems caused by air pollution.

Here are some tips to help you improve the indoor air quality in your home:

1. Take our Indoor Air Quality Quiz to find out how dangerous your home environment is.

2. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand tobacco smoke.

3. Regularly change the A/C filters and microwave and hood range filters in your home.  Air filters with a higher MERV rating are more efficient at removing microscopic particles. You may also want to purchase an air purifier.

4. Use a HEPA vacuum cleaner and change the HEPA filter regularly.

5. Clean furniture regularly (more if you have pets in your home). Use non-toxic household cleaning products. Use hypoallergenic bedding.

Like any other national holiday, the  month of October is a time for recognition and remembrance – specifically the recognition of the importance of clean air. Join the observance and celebrate by spreading the word and sharing this post.

A new carpet from DESSO – an international carpet manufacturer – is appropriately named “AirMaster” for its ability to clean indoor air. This is especially beneficial to chronic allergy and asthma sufferers. With most people these days spending the majority of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is essential to good health.

In general, carpets can act as air filters by trapping particles that, when breathed, can enter the lungs and eventually get into the bloodstream causing a host of health problems.  AirMaster carpet reduces the amount of particulates in the air and is eight times more effective than hard flooring and four times better than standard carpeting. It releases 80 percent of particulates when vacuumed, making it better able to restore its dust-trapping capability than standard carpets or hard floors. This carpet will primarily be aimed at public buildings, such as offices, hospitals and schools, where there is a lot of human traffic, as feet stir up dust from the floor.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.  For some of you this is an understatement.  You may be thinking, “Well, of course it is.  I was well aware of asthma and allergies when I walked outside this morning, saw what I thought was my car covered in a thick yellow mist, and began sneezing fifteen times in a row.”

It’s easy to be aware of something when the majority of the United States population is suffering because of it.  Many people attribute this suffering to pollen, but pollen doesn’t deserve all of the credit.  Automobile emissions and coal-fired power plants are among some of the largest contributors to particle and ozone pollution.  The State of the Air 2010, recently published by the American Lung Association, found that despite great progress, over half of U.S. residents live in cities where the air is unsafe to breathe.

The ALA’s State of the Air 2010 ranks cities in three categories for 2006, 2007 and 2008: ozone air pollution, year-round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution.  Among the most polluted cities in all three categories are Bakersfield and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.  Fargo, N.D. and Lincoln, Neb. ranked among the cleanest cities in all three categories.  Use the “Report Card” on the left hand side of the State of the Air website to determine your area’s ranking.

Environmental air pollution causes many health problems, and long term exposure can significantly decrease life expectancy, not to mention, quality of life, as many of us have witnessed in the midst of countless sneezing fits.  According to the ALA, people who work or exercise outside are at a greater risk.  However, indoor air pollution is also a threat to your health, as you may recall from one of our older posts.  The ALA lists several things you can do to reduce air pollution outdoors, but don’t forget to take steps to improve the indoor air quality of your home and office buildings, as well, with a high quality air filter.