Fall Allergies in NW Arkansas: The Right Filter Can Make a Difference

Northwest Arkansas usually begins experiencing cooler temperatures in late September. While you might think that allergy symptoms would begin to dissipate around this time, many people find their fall allergies remind them of spring allergy miseries. For those suffering from these seasonal allergies, relief can be found in using effective air filtration in your home.

Common fall allergens in Arkansas include:

• Ragweed – A flowering weed that begins to release its pollen in August. This weed grows rampantly in our area.

• Mold – Mold thrives in damp environments. When leaves are falling and gathering in piles, these are the perfect places for molds to grow.

• Dust mites – Dust mites are common household allergens that get stirred up and released when homeowners use their heating systems for the first time in fall.

Symptoms caused by fall allergies include:

• Sneezing

• Wheezing

• Itching on the skin and in the eyes and throat

• Coughing

• Stuffy or runny nose

• Airway constriction

• Conjunctivitis in the eyes

Attacking fall allergies:

To find true relief from allergy symptoms, of course, allergens must be reduced. This is where an effective home air filtration system or air cleaner can make a big difference. For maximum effectiveness, a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter is the best strategy, either in a stand-alone air cleaner or retrofitted into your forced-air furnace or heat pump system. Because HEPA filters are denser and thicker than regular filters, they will impede airflow in your system, so equipment modifications likely will be necessary.

If you’d rather avoid all that, however, you’ll be almost as well off in your fight against fall allergies by choosing an air filter for your HVAC system with a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) in a mid-range of 8-12 (the numbers run from 1-20, with higher numbers indicating higher efficiency).

In northwest Arkansas, please contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We can provide you with a full range of air filtration options for your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about seasonal allergies and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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