The spring and fall aren’t the only seasons that can cause uncomfortable allergy symptoms they can also form in the winter. Winter allergies are far more common than you may realize. Your itchy eyes, congestion, and headaches could actually be due to allergy triggers unique to the cold season. Here’s what you should know!
Fireplace Smoke
There are few things more comforting than a cold night, a hot fire, and a great book, but it turns out that your fireplace could be causing your allergy symptoms. If you have a real wood fire, the smoke could be acting like an irritant and causing your itchy eyes and sore throat. Gas fireplaces don’t create real smoke, but they can still send irritants airborne. Try keeping your fireplace off for a week or two to observe changes in your symptoms.
Forced-Air Furnaces
Turning on your heat for the first time? Be prepared for the airborne dust that your forced-air furnace will spread throughout your home. Lint, fabric fiber, bacteria, animal dander, and food material combine into one large allergy nightmare and travel with your heated air to drive you crazy. Everything from dust mites to cockroach droppings are likely to circulate through your house in the winter. Yuck!
Mold
Florida’s weather doesn’t reach the freezing cold temperatures needed to stop mold in its tracks. As a result, mold remains just as much a threat in the winter as it does during the spring and fall. Mold can develop indoors or outdoors, and though you cannot control mold in nature, you can certainly use a dehumidifier to control mold in your home.
Visit Your Allergist
Don’t assume you are stuck with your winter allergies forever. An experienced allergist like Dr. Kratz can evaluate your symptoms and recommend the best course of treatment to kick your allergy symptoms.
Call (813) 670-7062 today to schedule your first appointment at Kratz Allergy and Asthma.
